NamePeggy Olson
CompanySterling Cooper
CategoryMichelin Star
Executive SummaryPeggy was born May 25, 1939 to a Roman Catholic Norwegian and Irish-American family and grew up at Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, New York. When she was 12 years old, her father died of a heart attack in front of her. She has a sister named Anita. Shortly after graduating from the Miss Deaver's, a "topnotch" secretarial school in Brooklyn, Peggy started her career as secretary to Don Draper, the creative director at Sterling Cooper.
She later gets promoted as copywriter, the first female to hold such position since World War 2. Peggy later accepts the position of Copy Chief at Cutler, Gleason, and Chaough.
On her first day at Sterling Cooper, Peggy is given a tour of the company by office manager Joan Holloway. With her first day nearly complete, Don chastises her for letting Pete Campbell go through his garbage to find report but tells her that she has a fresh start tomorrow. That night, Pete shows up at Peggy's door, drunk. "I wanted to see you tonight," he says. Without a moment of hesitation, she lets him in. ("Smoke Gets in Your Eyes")
Peggy begins her job at Sterling Cooper fending off advances from not only Pete but Paul (who later nicknames Peggy "Mouse Ears"); Paul tries to move in on her after giving her a tour of the office and its various departments. ("Ladies Room")
When Pete returns from his honeymoon, he remains conflicted about his involvement with Peggy. Feeling guilty, Pete brings Peggy into a meeting with the creative team. Before joining Harry Crane, Paul Kinsey, and Salvatore Romano, he tries to explain that their relationship can not happen. Peggy appears disappointed, but understands. ("Marriage of Figaro")
Because she is aware of Don's frequent "lunch" meetings with Midge Daniels, Peggy mistakes a meeting between Don and Adam Whitman as another encounter with Midge since she is unaware that Adam is Don's brother. Betty Hofstadt arrives with the kids and Peggy attempts to stall them, believing that Don is currently with another woman. Peggy asks Joan to help; Joan covers for Don to Betty. Joan later tells Peggy that she is not happy that Peggy confided in her that Don may be sleeping with other women and that keeping Don's confidences is part of the job. ("5G")
DescriptionPeggy is working hard as a copy writer a year after the start of SCDP.
One morning Peggy meets Joyce Ramsay on an elevator ride. Peggy sees that Joyce has a pile of rejected photographs and inquires about them. Joyce invites Peggy to a party that her photographer friend is holding downtown. At the party, she offers Peggy a joint and begins to hit on her. "I have a boyfriend," Peggy says. She is then introduced to the photographer Davey Kellogg, who is less than impressed with Peggy's suggestion that he sell his talent so that he can have money to pursue his art. When the cops raid the event, Davey's friend, the journalist Abe Drexler, helps Peggy hide in a closet where they share a kiss. ("The Rejected")
Months later, Joyce and Peggy go to grab drinks at a bar in midtown Manhattan. Abe had not wanted to visit her at work and thought looking up her home address was odd, so he had Joyce help arrange a second meeting. At the bar Abe criticizes corporations and Peggy's work, not understanding that patronizing and belittling a young career woman does not work as flirting. Peggy later pretends she would not have been interested in working on the Barry Goldwater campaign. After being through being insulted, she leaves. The following day, Abe comes to SCDP to apologize. He reveals he wrote her a story called "Nuremberg on Madison Avenue." After reading it, Peggy asks that he not publish it since the information in the article could cost her career. He tells her that her job is a waste and that she could be so much more, to which Peggy counters, telling him that she is not a political person. Defeated, Abe promises her that he will not bother her again. ("The Beautiful Girls")
Joyce and Peggy visit Jones Beach. While packing up the car and preparing to head home, a few other people join them in the car, including Abe, who insists he didn't plan their meeting. Arriving back in the city, they head to her place. Abe and Peggy begin to kiss, and spend the night together. In the morning, Abe begins to dress and prepares to leave; Peggy awkwardly tells Abe he should do whatever he usually does after a one night stand. Abe tells Peggy that he doesn't "usually do anything," after which Peggy tells him she doesn't want him to leave. Later, he brings a package to her office, pretending to be a delivery boy. She comes into work late, and only then discovers the problems with losing the Lucky Strike account. ("Chinese Wall")
Around 1965, Abe makes cryptic dinner plans with Peggy in the middle of the week. Certain Abe is planning to break up with her, she consults Joan on what to do and is surprised when Joan suggests that Abe is going to ask Peggy to marry him. Excited, she buys a new dress for the dinner, readying a yes, only to find out that Abe merely wants to move in together instead. Trying to hide her disappointment, Peggy says yes and faces the criticisms of her mother, only to be assured by Joan that she is being a brave girl and that this is a good thing for her.
After getting a lead from one of Joyce's model friends, Peggy and Stan chase after Topaz Pantyhose. The two meet with Topaz and are able to close the account, earning Peggy Don's approval for getting the agency its first client after the loss of Lucky Strike.