Our Arklahoma Heritage:From birth in 1916 to Beverly Hills death at 84, Don Porter's career spanned five decades

Don Porter

Don Porter, born Donald Cecil Porter on September 24, 1912, in Miami (Ottawa County0, rose from the state's mining heartland to become a steady presence in American entertainment.

During Ottawa County's lead-zinc mining boom, his parents, Jesse B. Porter and Hazel Margaret Wills, married in the county in 1907 and raised him in the working-class town of Miami. Porter spent his early childhood there until his father's death in 1916 at age 30 left his mother, Hazel, to support the family.

They relocated first to Nebraska and then to Oregon, but Porter's Oklahoma roots shaped remained a part of his resolute and At just , he joined the Oklahoma National Guard by lying about his age, claiming to be 18, and later earning a lieutenant's commission, a bold move that highlighted his early independence.

Details on his formal education remain sparse, but by age 17, he had moved to Portland, Oregon, where he began his career in radio drama in 1929. His stage debut came in 1936 with a role in Maxwell Anderson's Elizabeth the Queen in Portland, launching a theater career that spanned over 200 plays across the country.

World War II paused his rising path. Porter served four years in the U.S. Army Air Forces as a combat photographer, documenting the war while also appearing in military training films.

After the war, he married actress Peggy Converse on June 30, 1943; the couple remained together until his death, raising two children—a daughter, Melissa Converse, who became an actress, and a son, Don Jr., who pursued architecture

Porter's film career kicked off in the 1940s with supporting roles in B-movies such as Night Monster (1942) as Dick Baldwin, Eagle Squadron (1942), She-Wolf of London (1946) as Barry Lanfield, and Danger Woman (1946) as Prof. Claude Ruppert.

He continued in films through the decades, including The Savage (1952), Youngblood Hawke (1964), Live a Little, Love a Little (1968) with Elvis Presley, The Candidate (1972) as Senator Crocker Jarmon opposite Robert Redford, 40 Carats (1973), Mame (1974) with Lucille Ball, and The Women's Club (1987).

His film work showcased his range as a reliable character actor in dramas and comedies.

Television defined much of his recognition. From 1953 to 1957, he starred as Peter Sands, the exasperated boss to Ann Sothern's character in all 103 episodes of the CBS sitcom Private Secretary.

He reprised a similar role as hotel manager James Devery in The Ann Sothern Show from 1958 to 1961.

His most memorable part came as Russell Lawrence, the widowed father in the 1965–1966 ABC sitcom Gidget opposite Sally Field, a role he originated in the 1963 film Gidget Goes to Rome. Porter even directed one episode of Gidget in 1966.

On Broadway, Porter had notable runs in Any Wednesday (1964) with Sandy Dennis and Gene Hackman, Plaza Suite (1968) with Maureen Stapleton (and later with Sheila MacRae in a regional production at the Cape Playhouse), and the 1969 revival of The Front Page.

He earned a 1974 Daytime Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Special Program, underscoring his versatility.I

In his later years, Porter became a familiar guest star on 1970s and 1980s shows, including Hawaii Five-O, The Mod Squad, Love, American Style, Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, Switch, Three's Company (as Jack Tripper's uncle), The Love Boat (in two episodes as different characters), Fantasy Island, Dallas (four episodes as Matt Devlin), Hotel, and Matlock.

He also appeared in TV movies like The Ghosts of Buxley Hall (1980) as Judge Oliver Haynes, The Last Song (1980) as Philip Brockhurst, and Battles: The Murder That Wouldn't Die (1980) as Gen. Rocky Jensen.

His final onscreen role was in a 1988 episode of CBS Summer Playhouse as Charles Porter.

Retirement saw Porter shift to leisure and philanthropy. An avid golfer and tennis player, he organized charity tournaments across the country

. He died on February 11, 1997, at age 84 in his Beverly Hills home, with sources citing cancer or natural causes.

Porter's legacy endures as a dependable character actor who brought humor and warmth to authority figures in classic sitcoms.

From his Ottawa County beginnings, he embodied Oklahoma's spirit of perseverance, becoming one of the state's notable exports to Hollywood's golden era of stage, screen, and television.