Don Draper - Character Biography

Character Biography

Most of the characters in the series know little, if anything, of Draper’s history and true identity; Harry Crane remarks in the third episode of the series, "Draper? Who knows anything about that guy? No one’s ever lifted that rock. He could be Batman for all we know." Clues are given through flashbacks, confessions, and clandestine visits to figures from his past.

As the series unfolds, it is gradually revealed that "Don Draper" is merely an alias, and that the character's given name is Richard "Dick" Whitman. Dick Whitman was born in Illinois to a 22-year-old prostitute, who died giving birth to him. Dick was subsequently taken in by his biological father Archibald "Archie" Whitman and stepmother Abigail.

At age ten, Dick watched his father die when a horse was spooked by an electrical storm and kicked him in the face. Judging by his reaction to his father's death, Don didn't care much about his father. Subsequently, Abigail, Dick and his half brother Adam moved to Pennsylvania (described by Draper as "coal country") and were raised by Abigail and a man referred to as "Uncle Mac," whom he later described to his wife Betty as having been "nice to me."

His relationship with his family was apparently contentious—he revealed to Betty that Archibald "beat the hell out of him" on a regular basis, and he "fantasized" about the day he could murder him. Abigail, meanwhile, made no effort to conceal Dick's past from him and referred to him as a "whore child." (When informed by his half brother Adam of Abigail's death from stomach cancer, he coldly replies, "Good.") He also appeared to be close to Adam, who was 10 years younger. However, when Adam seeks him out years later in New York City, Don rebuffs his attempt to reconnect and walks away. He later discovers that Adam hanged himself.

Although Don celebrates his birthday on June 1, at the time of his birthday party in 1966 (Season 5: "A Little Kiss"), he says, "I turned 40 six months ago," which means that Dick Whitman was probably born in December 1925 or January 1926. Pete discovers from his friend Russ in the State Department that the real Don Draper would be 49 years old. (Season 1: "Nixon vs. Kennedy") The presidential election was held on November 8, 1960, making the real Draper's birth year 1911— thus making him fourteen or fifteen years older than Dick Whitman. On business trip to Baltimore in March 1963, Don tells Shelly, a TWA stewardess, that today is his birthday yet showing his driver's license will not help prove it (Season 3: "Out of Town").