Fred Rumsen - Character Profile

Who is Fred Rumsen? What do we know about this Mad Men character played by Joel Murray whom I remember from Dharma & Greg? Here are a few things I know about this character.

Babylon

• Fred Rumsen opened the door of opportunity for Peggy Olson after being impressed by her basket of kisses catchphrase.
• Fred convinces Don Draper to let Peggy write copy for the Belle Jolie Lipsticks account.

Indian Summer

• Sterling Cooper gets a new account wherein they are to create an ad for a weight loss device called Passive Exercise Regime. Fred Rumsen once again recommends Peggy for the job not because she gained some weight, but because of the outstanding job she did for Belle Jolie.
• Fred picks a fight with Ken Cosgrove after the young man remarked that Fred’s wife loved the product they know to provide women pleasure of a man without a man.

Six Month Leave

• Here we learn that Fred Rumsen is an alcoholic. He was so intoxicated that he unknowingly pisses his pants, and passes out.
• Pete Campbell tells on him causing Roger Sterling to ask Don Draper to fire him.
• Fred Rumsen gets fired after years of service at Sterling Cooper. His termination is masked as a six-month leave of absence. He is promised a full salary, and an opportunity to come back.
• In this episode, we learn a little bit of Fred Rumsen’s past. Freddie spent the last six months of his duty with the Signal Corps, but before that he was actually in-charge of a troop in the frontline.
• Fred Rumsen’s father sold greeting cards.
• He and his wife Violet live in 152 Riverside Drive, Apartment 604.
• Although he was fired, Don Draper and Roger Sterling still give him a send-off.
• He, Don and Roger go to an underground casino, and was assigned the nickname Mike Moneybags.
• Fred Rumsen does not know what he is going to do after being fired saying “If I don’t go into that office everyday, who am I?”.