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Abigail Whitman
Portrayed by Brynn Horrocks
First appearance Babylon
Final appearance Shut the Door. Have a Seat
Details
Gender Female
Occupation Farm Wife
Residence Pennsylvania
Relations
Husband Archibald Whitman
Mack Johnson
Child(ren) Adam Whitman
Don Draper (adopted)


Abigail Whitman

Abigail Whitman in "The Hobo Code"

Biography[]

Abigail Whitman was the wife of Archibald Whitman and mother to Adam Whitman as well as adoptive mother to Don Draper.

When Archie was kicked in the face by a horse and died, she "took up" with a new man, Mack Johnson. Don's childhood was unhappy, and his stepmother never allowed him to forget that he was a "whore child". ("Long Weekend") ("The Hobo Code")

Abigail Whitman suffered at least one stillbirth prior to the birth of Don Draper, and was married for many years before giving birth to Adam Whitman, suggesting fertility problems. She was presented with the newborn Don Draper to raise as her own. She is a God-fearing, religious woman who can sometimes be given to acts of kindness, such as helping out a hobo, washing his clothes, feeding him, and giving him some money ("The Hobo Code"). The hobo was left with the impression that she was a good person, in contrast to her violent, alcoholic husband Archie. However Don Draper knew better, as Abigail treated him abusively his whole life, resenting him for being the child of a whore her husband visited while married to her. While living in a whorehouse with Don Draper, she beat Don when he was sexually assaulted by one of the prostitutes.

She seems to have been a devoted mother to her biological son, Adam.

She died of stomach cancer sometime between the early 1950s when Don last sees her during the Korean War, and 1960, when Don met Adam.

Mad Men Characters
Draper's Past Don DraperAbigail WhitmanArchie WhitmanAdam WhitmanMack JohnsonLieutenant Don DraperAnna DraperPattyStephanie Horton
Draper and Hofstadt Family Betty HofstadtSally DraperBobby DraperGene DraperGloria MasseyEugene Hofstadt
New York Suburb CarlaGlen BishopHelen BishopFrancine HansonArnold WayneSuzanne FarrellEdna Keener
Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency Roger SterlingBertram CooperJoan HollowayHarry CraneFreddy RumsenSalvatore RomanoKen CosgrovePaul KinseyHerman PhillipsBurt PetersonGreta GuttmanHollisJimmy BarrettWarren McKennaDaleBobbie BarrettRoger Sterling, Sr.
Secretary Peggy OlsonJane SiegelAllisonHildyLois SadlerMarge
Client Rachel MenkenLee Garner, Jr.Elliot LawrenceConrad HiltonAnnabelle MathisCrab Colson
Campbell Family Pete CampbellTrudy VogelBud CampbellTom VogelJeannie VogelJudy CampbellAndrew Campbell
Olson Relation Anita Olson RespolaKatherine OlsonJohn GillGerry RespolaMark KearneyJoyce RamsayAbe Drexler
London Lane PryceAlec MartinSaint John PowellGuy MacKendrickHarold FordJohn HookerRebecca PryceRobert Pryce
Francis Family Henry FrancisEleanor FrancisPauline Francis
New York City Beth DawesHoward DawesMidge DanielsJennifer CraneJim HobartMargaret SterlingMona SterlingKitty RomanoWalter EmersonBethany Van NuysCynthia CosgroveGail HollowayGreg HarrisRuth HarrisKevin HarrisMorris Ginsberg
Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Faye MillerStan RizzoMichael GinsbergJoey BairdDanny SiegelMargie KochBill Mitford
Secretary Ida BlankenshipDawn ChambersScarlettCarolineSandy Schmidt
Client Herb RennetBob FinleyThomas FillmoreAkira TakahashiHachi Saito
Calvet Family Megan CalvetEmile CalvetMarie Calvet
New York Sylvia RosenJuliaPhoebe
Cutler, Gleason, and Chaough Jim CutlerFrank GleasonTed ChaoughSmitty SmithKurt SmithNan Chaough
Affair CandaceJanineToni CharlesJoy
Character Lyle EvansDavey KelloggJim HobartPerry DemuthJack HammondRalph Stuben
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