Ruggles made guest appearances in episodes of various television series through the 1950s and 1960s, such as a time-traveling librarian in "Man from 1997," a 1956 science fiction episode of the television series "Conflict", and a 1961 appearance as a wealthy neighbor who offers to finance a European trip for Hassie McCoy on "The Real McCoys", in the season 5 episode "Hassie's European Tour". Ruggles had a recurring guest role on "The Beverly Hillbillies" in the mid-1960s as Lowell Redlings Farquhar, father-in-law of Milburn Drysdale (Raymond Bailey). Ruggles also played Aunt Clara's (Marion Lorne) old flame, the warlock Hedley Partridge, as well as a Mr. Caldwell, whose company marketed soup, in the television series "Bewitched". In Wagon Train, he played, Jameson Hershey, the owner of an elderly horse, Herman, that joins up with the wagon train. He played Congressman John Canfield on an episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" called "Aunt Bee, The Swinger", and appeared as a driving instructor on "The Munsters". Ruggles also lent his voice to the Aesop and Son features in Jay Ward's "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show".