Jane Hathaway played by Nancy Culp: She had the most demanding boss ever to appear on television in Mr. Drysdale (played by Raymond Bailey), who threatened to fire her on nearly every episode of "The Beverly
Hillbillies." Miss Jane did anything Drysdale requested, no matter how unreasonable. By keeping her job she got to keep her convertible, but not even with that sharp car could she get a man, not even Jed Clampett's nephew Jethro (played by Max Baer).

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1896352/ten_best_tv_secretaries_pg3.html?cat=39

http://grumpy-people.com/gallery/milburn_drysdale-jane_hathaway.jpg

Miss Jane was certainly TV's most loyal secretary even though Milburn Drysdale wasn't worthy of her loyalty. I think she had an ulterior motive though. As long as she kept her job she got to see plenty of Jethro! Another secretary who should be considered for this title is Carol Kester from "The Bob Newhart Show". She put up with a lot of distractions from Bob and especially Jerry and also their patients and still did her job very well.

Also: Schultzy (played by Ann B. Davis) on The Bob Cummings Show
(a.k.a. Love That Bob) should be one of the nominees.

Maybe Jane Hathaway wasn't the best secretary on TV, but she certainly was the funniest.

Maybe Jane Hathaway wasn't the best secretary on TV, but she certainly was the funniest.

Definitely! :)

In my opinion, Miss Jane wasn't as ugly as people think she was either. She looked anorexic (so anorexic that it looked like her hair was falling out), but she was beautiful in her own way. And she was so loyal to Mr. Drysdale. People gave her a hard time on that show.

I'd say she ranks right up there. Loni Anderson on WKRP and Marcia Wallace on The Bob Newhart Show would be high on the list, but I guess they were more receptionists, and Loni didn't really do any work to speak of.

In my opinion, Miss Jane wasn't as ugly as people think she was either. She looked anorexic (so anorexic that it looked like her hair was falling out), but she was beautiful in her own way. And she was so loyal to Mr. Drysdale. People gave her a hard time on that show.

I agree, I saw some of her younger pictures and she's really NOT bad looking.

I'd say she ranks right up there. Loni Anderson on WKRP and Marcia Wallace on The Bob Newhart Show would be high on the list, but I guess they were more receptionists, and Loni didn't really do any work to speak of.

I always kind of assumed that Jennifer Marlowe pretty much RAN WKRP, regardless of "the Big Guy" and his mother. She always knew what to do, who to go to, and how to get things done.

Jane Hathaway gave me my first instruction in what a secretary was. Thus, I expected a secretary to not only do typing and stuff, but to do anything, however wild, her boss might tell her. Obviously, that idea eventually dissipated with reality. A position such as hers would now be called Executive Assistant. But it remains, even in these spiraling deades in time, that she was really the "voice of reason" on the show among the urban/aristocrat side, as Jed was for the hillbilly side. She was very well-learned, but she admired the simple hillbillies and voluntarily went to great lengths for them; whereas, in her profession, she involuntarily went to too-great of lengths for her unscrupulous boss.

I would like to say she kept her position with Drysdale, doing so many of his unreasonable demands and putting up with his money-worshippping attitude, because of the Clampetts and how she could help them. But she said in one of the early episodes she had already worked for him for 10 years. But, of course, Drysdale became increasingly devious, hypocritical, and without feelings other than for money, as the show progressed. So maybe he wasn't that bad to work for before the multimillionaire hillbillies became his largest depositiors (as he must mention a thousand times).

And one more point... if Jane was so smart and efficient, why, we might ask now, was she just a secretary? And the answer is found in something even she implied on the show-- that "career girls" at that time still hoped to find a husband and become fulltime wives and mothers. Women who were teachers and nurses, as well as secretaries, often were capable of being much more, but those were the careers for women, from which it was easier to leave and maybe to return, maybe not, in the future. But that circumstance is sometimes considered a factor in why today's teachers are (or 'seem' to many) to be less dedicated and knowledgable overall, than those of earlier generations; because the brightest women so often became teachers, whereas they now become doctors, engineers, scientists,...

I know what you mean. She was so intelligent, a Vassar graduate who was stuck in a job that could be done by somone not as bright as she. Her intelligence is what made me enjoy her character though!

You mean nobody thinks Lucy was tv's best Secretary??:lol:

You mean nobody thinks Lucy was tv's best Secretary??:lol:
I always wondered why she didn't leave Drysdale and get a better job, boss, but I guess it wouldn't have been as funny.