Bettye Louise Ackerman (February 28, 1924 – November 1, 2006) was an American actress primarily known for her work on

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

Early years

Ackerman was born in

Cottageville, South Carolina Cottageville is a town in Colleton County, South Carolina, Colleton County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 762 at the 2010 census. Geography and government facilities Cottageville is in eastern Colleton County, along U.S. Route ...

(another source says she was born in Williston, South Carolina), the daughter of Clarence Kilgo Ackerman and Mary Baker Ackerman, and grew up in Williston, in Barnwell County in southwestern South Carolina, one of four children. She graduated from Columbia College in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

in 1945 and left for

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

soon after. She studied theater at the graduate level at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in New York and pursued art studies with Joseph Mugnaini and George DeGroat at

Otis Art Institute Otis College of Art and Design is a private art and design school in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1918, it was the city's first independent professional school of art. The main campus is located in the former IBM Aerospace headquarte ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Television

From 1961 until 1966, Ackerman played Dr. Maggie Graham on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols " ♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

''. She played Anne Frazer on '' Bracken's World'' and the original Constance MacKenzie on the daytime program ''

Return to Peyton Place ''Return to Peyton Place'' is a 1959 novel by Grace Metalious, a sequel to her best-selling 1956 novel '' Peyton Place''. Plot summary After the phenomenal success of her first novel, Metalious hastily penned a sequel centering on the life and ...

''. She appeared in an early episode of prime time soap ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'' portraying the character of Elisabeth Bradbury. She also appeared in two episodes of ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', starring

Raymond Burr Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor known for his lengthy Hollywood film career and his title roles in television dramas ''Perry Mason'' and '' Ironside''. Burr's early acting career included roles ...

: in 1965. she played the role of Amy Reid in the episode, "The Case of the Thermal Thief," and in 1966. she played Laura Brandon in "The Case of the Positive Negative." In 1977, she appeared in "Never Con a Killer," the pilot for the

crime drama ''

The Feather and Father Gang ''The Feather and Father Gang'' is a 1976–1977 American crime-drama television series starring Stefanie Powers and Harold Gould, which centers on an attorney who enlists her con-man father and his team of bunco artists to help her solve crime ...

''.

Stage

Ackerman played the title role in the one act play ''Salome'', by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

, as part of the Alexander Kirkland Acting Group. The production was released on Magic-Tone Records (CTG 4011). Ackerman's

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

credits include ''A Meeting by the River'' (1979).

Film

Ackerman's film debut came in ''Face of Fire'' in 1959.

Personal life

On June 7, 1956, Ackerman, at 32, married her future ''Ben Casey'' co-star

Sam Jaffe Shalom "Sam" Jaffe (March 10, 1891 – March 24, 1984) was an American actor, teacher, musician, and engineer. In 1951, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in '' The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950) and ap ...

, who was then 65. Although there was a 33-year difference in their ages, the couple had a very successful and happy marriage until Jaffe died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

in 1984. They had no children. She sold her home in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, and returned to South Carolina to be near her large extended family in 1998. Shortly afterwards, she was diagnosed with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

. Ackerman was also a noted artist, who had numerous exhibits in both Beverly Hills and Columbia, South Carolina.

Death

Ackerman died November 1, 2006, after having suffered a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

. She was 82. She is buried in Williston Cemetery in South Carolina.Resting Places: The Burial Places of 14,000 Famous Persons, by Scott Wilson

Filmography

Movies

*''

Face of Fire ''Face of Fire'' is a 1959 American drama film directed by Albert Band and written by Louis A. Garfinkle. It is based on the 1898 short story ''The Monster'' by Stephen Crane. The film stars Cameron Mitchell, James Whitmore, Bettye Ackerman, M ...

'' (1959) as Grace Trescott *''

Companions in Nightmare ''Companions in Nightmare'' is a 1968 crime-drama film. It had early roles for Louis Gossett Jr. and Bettye Ackerman, and it also starred Gig Young, Melvyn Douglas, Patrick O'Neal and Leslie Nielsen. Plot Dr. Lawrence Strelson (Melvyn Douglas) i ...

'' (1968, TV Movie) as Sara Nicholson *'' Rascal'' (1969) as Miss Whalen *''

Ted & Venus ''Ted & Venus'' is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Bud Cort, written by Cort and Paul Ciotti and featuring an all-star cast including Brian Thompson. The original music is composed by David Robbins. The film was initially released ...

'' (1991) as Poetry Award Presenter

Television

*''

'' (ABC) (1961–1966) as Dr. Maggie Graham *'' Breaking Point'' (ABC) as Eunice Osment in "Better Than a Dead Lion" (1964) *'' Bracken's World'' (NBC) (1970) as Anne Frazer, Bracken's secretary *''

The Sixth Sense ''The Sixth Sense'' is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient (Haley Joel Osment) claims he can see and talk to the dead. Released by ...

'' (ABC) (1972) as Helene, a piano instructor, and mother of a psychic, who attempts murder *''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' (CBS) as Zisha in "This Golden Land" (1973) *''

The New Adventures of Wonder Woman ''Wonder Woman'', later known for seasons 2 and 3 as ''The New Adventures of Wonder Woman'', is an American Superhero fiction, superhero television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. It stars Lynda Carter as Won ...

'' (CBS) as Asclepia in "The Return of Wonder Woman" (1977) *''

'' (CBS) as Elisabeth Bradbury in "For Love or Money" (1982)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ackerman, Bettye American television actresses Actresses from Columbia, South Carolina People from Williston, South Carolina Actresses from Beverly Hills, California 1924 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses Columbia College (South Carolina) alumni American United Methodists People from Colleton County, South Carolina 20th-century Methodists