The Smartest Man in the Room?

Jed Clampett is the fictional patriarch of the Clampett family in the classic CBS television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971), famously portrayed by actor Buddy Ebsen.

When we were kids watching The Beverly Hillbillies, we laughed at Jed Clampett and his simple country ways. But the older I get, the more I realize just how wise that man really was.

Jed may not have had much formal education, but he understood people better than many of the wealthy, educated folks around him.

While Mr. Drysdale was constantly worrying about money, Jed cared about family, honesty, and treating people right. He never let his millions change who he was.

And somehow, whenever trouble came along, it was usually Jed's good old-fashioned common sense that saved the day.

Maybe the funniest thing about The Beverly Hillbillies was that the man everyone thought needed educating was often the wisest one in the room.

Looking back after all these years, do you think Jed Clampett was actually the smartest man in Beverly Hills?

Remembering Old Hollywood | October 27, 2026 | Facebook

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