Untold Facts About Margaret McGloin – Allen Ludden’s Wife

Margaret McGloin aka Margaret Frances Ellsworth only came into the limelight after marrying Allen Ellsworth Ludden. Allen was an American television personality who rose to fame through the game show Password. Besides hosting game shows, Allen has worked as an emcee, singer, and actor.

Margaret McGloin and Allen Ludden were together for about eighteen years until his death. They had three children in their family one son and two daughters.

Television personality, Allen Ellsworth Ludden needs no introduction, he has gained immense popularity throughout his marvelous career. Fewer people know of his late wife, Margaret. So this article focuses on finding more exclusive facts about the late Margaret McGloin.

How old is Margaret McGloin?

Margaret McGloin was born on November 27, 1915 in Nueces County, Texas, United States. His zodiac sign was Sagittarius. Her maiden name was Margaret Frances Ellsworth.

His parents and siblings

Margaret was the eldest daughter of Texas native Gilbert James McGloin and Cyrene Ameta Cook McGloin. Additionally, she had four siblings: John Patrick McGloin, Gilbert James McGloin II, Barbara Ann McGloin Johnson, and Kathleen McGloin.

His education

Margaret appears to be an educated woman. However, she had not revealed anything about the details of her upbringing.

Her husband hosted the game show, Password

Throughout his career, Allen Ludden has tried a variety of things. First, he was the officer in charge of entertainment at the US Army’s Pacific Theater. Later, in the early 1950s, he worked as a consultant for teenage magazine columns.

Also, he started a teen radio show called Mind Your Manners. Then he started working in television. He has hosted a number of television shows including College Bowl, Password, Password Plus, Liars Club, Win with the Stars and Allen Ludden’s Gallery. Of these, Allen is most popular for hosting the game show Password.

Apart from that, Allen has appeared in dramas and series like Critic’s Choice and Janus with his second wife, actress Betty White.

Margaret McGloin was married to Allen Ludden for 18 years

Margaret McGloin and Password host Allen Ludden exchanged their wedding vows on October 11, 1943. The wedding took place in Nueces County, Texas. It was a private ceremony.

However, the couple never revealed when they started dating to the public. She was the TV show host’s first wife and at the time, Ludden was just getting started in the industry.

In addition, the couple had three children: David Ludden, Martha Ludden and Sarah Ludden. David, the eldest son was born in 1950. The same year the couple had their first daughter, Martha.

Then, after a few years, their youngest daughter, Sarah was born.

Margaret McGloin has died aged 46

Margaret died at a relatively young age. She died of cancer on October 30, 1961 in Manhattan, New York, United States, at the age of 46.

According to her obituary, she was buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, New York, USA, in plot 19, grave 11.

Her husband remarried after three years of his death

On June 14, 1963, three years after Margaret’s death, her husband Allen Ludden married Golden Girls star Betty White. They met on the set of Password, an American game show that Ludden used to host.

According to reports, Ludden proposed to White at least twice before accepting his proposal. They even performed a drama together called Critic’s Choice in 1963 at the Summer Stock Theater. For information, Ludden was White’s third and last husband until their deaths.

Betty White was an American actress and comedian appreciated for her beauty and even more for her enthusiasm. She was active in the industry until her last days. She has over 100 movie and TV show credits.

Additionally, she was a two-time Guinness World Record holder; once in 2014 for Longest Television Career by a Female Artist and again in 2018 for her long work in radio, television and film.

She never had a child of her own, but she treated her stepchildren as her own. She died on December 31, 2021 of a stroke in her sleep at her home in Brentwood.

Her husband died of cancer

Like McGloin, her husband, Allen also died while battling cancer. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer in the early 80s. He also quit his show, Password Plus for this reason.

He also received chemotherapy, but later that year fell into a coma. The cause of his coma was a stroke caused by high doses of calcium and drugs he had taken to fight cancer.

This made his cancer worse and he breathed his last on June 9, 1981 in Los Angeles. He was buried in the Ellsworth family plot at Graceland Cemetery in his hometown.

His son is a teacher

David Ludden, Margaret McGloin’s eldest son, is a professor of history at New York University. He got his doctorate. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978. The following year, he began working as an assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia.

From 1999 to 2008 he was professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania. He became professor of political economy and globalization in the Department of History at New York University in 2007, and he still is.

Moreover, he is an author. He wrote a few books; The Psychology of Language: An Integrated Approach (2015) and A History of Modern Psychology: The Quest for a Science of Mind.

Her daughter’s passion for karate

Sarah Ludden, Margaret McGloin’s youngest child has always been interested in martial arts. However, she did not turn pro. Instead, she worked as an audiologist and dancer.

But, later on, she decided to make a career out of her passion, so she quit her career in the entertainment industry and started her career in karate. She formed a partnership with businesswoman Nancy Lanoue to own a small karate school.

Then she moved to Chicago and joined the martial arts and self-defense center, Thousand Waves. She studied Seido karate while teaching another martial art.

But later in 2019, she handed over her position as chief instructor to someone else and only participated as an active member of the school’s training.

Margaret McGloin net worth

Margaret never revealed her profession to the public. But, many portals assume that she was a housewife.

However, her husband was a very popular name in the television industry. At the time of his death, the late TV show host had an estimated net worth of $5 million.

Body measurements

Regarding his physical appearance, McGloin was 5 feet 8 inches tall. She weighed about 60 kg. Likewise, her eyes were dark brown and her hair was short and brown.