<P> Shirley Mae Jones ( born March 31 , 1934 ) is an American actress and singer . In her six decades of show business , she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of well - known musical films , such as Oklahoma ! ( 1955 ) , Carousel ( 1956 ) , and The Music Man ( 1962 ) . She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a vengeful prostitute in Elmer Gantry ( 1960 ) . She played the lead role of Shirley Partridge , the widowed mother of five children , in the musical situation - comedy television series The Partridge Family ( 1970 -- 74 ) , which co-starred her real - life stepson David Cassidy , son of Jack Cassidy . </P>
who played the mom in the partridge family
Shirley Mae Jones