Julie Parrish Julie Parrish , born Ruby Joyce Wilbar , was the actress who played Miss Piper of Starbase 11 in the episode . She was born in Middlesboro , Kentucky and died of ovarian cancer in Los Angeles , California . She filmed her scenes on Wednesday at Desilu Stage 9 and Thursday at Desilu Stage 10 . Parrish began appearing on television and in film in 1962 . She made her stage debut the following year , portraying the female lead in a play called " Memo " . She also made her first credited film appearance in the classic 1963 Jerry Lewis comedy , " The Nutty Professor " . In 1964 , Parrish appeared on the NBC series " Temple Houston " , which starred Jeffrey Hunter in the title role . She again worked with Hunter the following year on the pilot episode of " The F . B . I . " , along with Stephen Brooks , Jonathan Lippe , and Paul Sorensen . Hunter was also seen as Captain Christopher Pike via archive footage in Parrish ' s episode of " Star Trek " . Also in 1964 , Parrish was seen on the western series " Gunsmoke " , in an episode with Anthony Caruso . The following year , she appeared on such shows as " Ben Casey " ( with Antoinette Bower and Jon Lormer ) and was seen in films like " Harlow " and " Winter A - Go - Go " . In 1966 – the same year she appeared on " Star Trek " – Parrish won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for her portrayal of Maggie in a Beverly Hills production of Arthur Miller ' s play " After the Fall " . In addition , Parrish had supporting roles in the Elvis Presley film " Paradise , Hawaiian Style " , and the campy action comedy " Fireball 500 " . She also appeared in an episode of the western series " Bonanza " with Skip Homeier . In 1967 , Parrish made the first of two guest appearances on the CBS comedy series " Family Affair " , which starred Brian Keith . She made her second appearance on the show in 1970 . Parrish was a regular on the 1967 - 68 CBS television comedy series " Good Morning , World " , on which she played Linda , a homemaker married to a Los Angeles disc jockey . In 1972 , Parrish was part of the original cast of the NBC soap opera " Return to Peyton Place " , playing the role of Betty Anderson during the show ' s first season . John Hoyt also acted on this series . Her other television credits during the 1970s included guest spots on " Mannix " ( with Steve Ihnat and Paul Sorensen ) , " The Smith Family " ( directed by Herschel Daugherty ) , " Dallas " ( with Barbara Babcock and Nicolas Coster and directed by Corey Allen ) , " The Rockford Files " ( including one episode with Sharon Acker in which she is again directed by Corey Allen ) , and " Laverne & Shirley " ( with Ed Begley , Jr . , David L . Lander , and Michael McKean ) . She also had a role in the 1978 TV movie adaptation of H . G . Wells ' " The Time Machine " ( with Parley Baer , Whit Bissell , and Bill Zuckert ) . Parrish played the female lead in the 1972 bank robbery film " The Doberman Gang " . Her only other feature film credit after this was the 1981 comedy " The Devil and Max Devlin " . From 1982 through 1985 , Parrish played the role of Maggie Brady on the CBS soap opera " Capitol " . During her time on this series , she also made an appearance on the drama series " Jessie " along with John Anderson . Parrish again worked with director Corey Allen for the 1987 TV movie " The Last Fling " , which also featured Scott Bakula . The following year , Parrish appeared on " Murder , She Wrote " . Following an episode of " Hunter " in which she worked with Richard Lineback and Richard Lynch , Parrish retired from acting . She returned in 1996 for a recurring role as Joan Diamond ( later Joan Bussichio ) on the popular series " Beverly Hills , 90210 " .