Templeton Fox (July 24, 1916 – January 9, 1993) was an American actress best known for her work in old-time radio.
Early years Fox was the daughter of Lawrence Brainard Fox (1880 – 1960) and his wife, Anne "Annie" Templeton (1885 – 1948). "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1953", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7SP-799 : Mon Jan 13 16:17:13 UTC 2025), Entry for Esther May Fox and Lawrence Brainard Fox. Sources disagree as to where and when she was born. A 1938 issue of the Radio Mirror Almanac wrote she was born in Pasadena, California on July 24, 1913, but her birth record states she was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 24, 1916; the latter is better supported by official documents. She was raised in Elgin, Illinois and attended Pomona College. She won a talent contest sponsored by a hotel in Los Angeles and gained early acting experience at the Pasadena Community Playhouse. She began using the name Templeton Fox, Templeton being her mother's maiden name, after being advised by a numerologist to do so.
Career
Radio Before Fox became an actress, she was a singer in Los Angeles. After her parents moved to Chicago, they challenged her to audition with NBC, which resulted in her gaining a contract as a dramatic actress on that network in September 1935. Her roles on radio programs included those shown in the table below.
Program Character Dan Harding's Wife Margot Graham Hilltop House Trudy Reynolds Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy Trudy Linda Fairchild, Stepmother Linda Fairchild The Story of Mary Marlin Bunny Mitchell This Day Is Ours Eleanor MacDonald Those We Love Ann Young Hickory Marilyn Fletcher Your Family and Mine Claudia Foster
Programs on which Fox had supporting roles included Manhattan at Midnight, Lights Out and The Mystery Man.
Film Fox worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, mostly in bit parts. Her film credits include Tony Rome, Fate Is the Hunter, Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?, and Shock Treatment.
Stage In 1942, Fox portrayed Miriam Blake in a production of Guest in the House in Boston.
Television Fox's television appearances include roles in Hazel, Route 66, Dennis the Menace, The Thin Man, My Three Sons, Slattery's People, Gentle Ben, My Living Doll, and Peyton Place. In 1975, she was a last-minute replacement to play Ralph Kramden's mother-in-law on the 25th anniversary episode of The Honeymooners after Doro Merande, the actress slated for that role, died suddenly.
Personal life Fox married Robert Lyon Welch (1910 – 1964), a radio advertising executive who later became a film producer for Paramount Pictures, on August 15, 1938, in New York City, New York. She and Welch had a son, Robert "Bob" Welch (1945 – 2012), a musician and early member of Fleetwood Mac, and a daughter. They remained married until his death in 1964. She married William Reid McLeod (1913 – 2005) on August 6, 1970, in Miami, Florida."Florida, Marriage Index, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VJS4-K8K : Tue Feb 25 05:19:03 UTC 2025), Entry for William Reid Mcleod and , 06 Aug 1970.
Fox died on January 9, 1993, in Los Angeles, California.
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