Willard Scott
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Willard Herman Scott Jr. (March 7, 1934 – September 4, 2021) was an American
weather presenter A weather presenter (also known colloquially in North America as a weatherman or weather broadcaster) is a person who presents the weather forecast daily on radio, television or internet news broadcasts. Using diverse tools, such as projected weath ...
, radio and television personality, actor, narrator, clown, comedian, and author, whose broadcast career spanned 68 years, 65 years with the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
broadcast network. Scott is best known as a weather reporter on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...
'' show where he also celebrated US centenarian birthdays and notable anniversaries. Scott was the creator and original performer of McDonald's mascot clown
Ronald McDonald Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. He inhabits the fictional world of McDonaldland, with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird and ...
. The 6' 3", 290 lb. Scott was described by the New York Times as a "garrulous, gaptoothed, boutonnière-wearing, funny-hatted, sometimes toupee-clad, larger-than-life American Everyman". Scott parlayed his national exposure as weather presenter into a highly successful career as a pitchman who promoted an ever-widening range of products the fees for which outstripped his million dollar annual salary at NBC (). Scott said "I run me like a conglomerate, because that's what I am. I always keep lots of balls in the air". Scott credited his success to his efforts to make everyone, his audience, his clients feel loved. Scott said "If you watch, you’ll see that I am trying to weave a web of love. I want to make the whole country feel as if we are one. I may be a cornball, but I am me — not a sophisticated, slick New York wazoo act." Early radio contemporary Johnny Holiday, said of Scott "Everybody he came in contact with just loved the guy. He just had that magic about him, that he made everybody feel special." In Scott's autobiography ''The Joy of Living'' he summed his life, saying "If you were to look at my resume, you’d see that I’m ...bald, I’m overweight, I don’t make all the smooth moves and I dress like a slob. I take tremendous pride in the fact that I beat the system".


Early life and education

Scott was born on March 7, 1934 in
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
, the only child of parents Willard Herman (1905 - 1977) and Mattie Thelma (née Phillips) Scott (1905 - 1977). Scott was raised as and remained a
fundamentalist Christian Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and ...
who considered becoming a minister before starting his broadcasting career.


Childhood interest in broadcasting

Scott showed an early interest in broadcasting. Recounting his first experience visiting a radio station, he said "One day when I was eight, Mom took me to the movies in DC. Afterward, she wanted to shop, so I wandered over to my favorite radio station, WTOP. I introduced myself to the receptionist and told her I was a fan. She took me to the control room and said, 'You can sit here if you stay very quiet. That man will be broadcasting live'. The man was
Eric Sevareid Arnold Eric Sevareid (November 26, 1912 – July 9, 1992) was an American author and CBS news journalist from 1939 to 1977. He was one of a group of elite war correspondents who were hired by CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow and nicknamed " Murrow's&n ...
, then a correspondent for
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
. He’d just gotten back from
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
, where he’d been lost in the jungle for months. I sat there enthralled as Sevareid recounted his ordeal". At the age of nine, Scott organized a group of 15 boys into a radio club on his neighborhood block. Scott built his own radio station in his family home's basement and sold ads he aired during his low power broadcasts. The club netted about $25 a month () in advertising revenue from neighborhood businesses. Scott said "...I set to work building a station in our basement. My parents bought me an oscillator, which enabled me to broadcast to 20 neighborhood homes within a 180 foot radius. My friends and I read the news, played tunes on a phonograph, and chattered away. A few months after we started, three men from the FCC showed up. They told us our signal was reaching
National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , sometimes referred to colloquially as National Airport, Washington National, Reagan National Airport, DCA, Reagan, or simply National, is an international airport in Arlington County, Virginia, across ...
Pan Am Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
’s radios were picking up kids talking and playing records. So ended my basement station". Spending time at local Alexandria radio station WPIK-AM on Friday nights as a teenager, a local disk jockey allowed him to create a radio show called “Lady Make Believe”. Scott also served as announcer for the show. Scott also held two part-time disk jockey jobs while in high school, "High School Hit Parade" on WOL 1450 AM and "Dancing Party" on WCFM 99.5 FM.


NBC radio announcer at 16

Scott was 16 years old in 1950 when he worked as an
NBC page The NBC Page Program is a 12-month paid fellowship at the NBCUniversal's studios in New York City and Universal City, California. Over the course of one year, pages gain exposure to various areas of the NBCUniversal portfolio. Pages contribute to ...
at WRC (AM), NBC's owned-and-operated radio station in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
for $12 () per week. Scott explained how he started announcing at NBC – "I auditioned to be an announcer but was never hired. Then one of the announcers left for vacation and my boss said, “What the hell, let Scott fill in — it’s only two weeks.” When he returned, I became a regular substitute".


High school and college

Scott attended Alexandria, Virginia's George Washington High School. While a freshman in 1947, Scott broadcast a high school news report on a local FM radio station every Saturday. Scott graduated high school in 1951. He was elected Class President all four years of his attendance. Named "Our capable and popular class president", he was also voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by his classmates. Scott attended
American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...
, where he worked alongside fellow student Ed Walker at
WAMU WAMU (88.5 FM) is a public news/talk station that services the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It is owned by American University, and its studios are located near the campus in northwest Washington. WAMU has been the primary National ...
-AM, the university's radio station (1951–1953). Scott became a member of
Alpha Sigma Phi Alpha Sigma Phi (), commonly known as Alpha Sig, is an intercollegiate men's social fraternity with 181 active chapters and provisional chapters. Founded at Yale in 1845, it is the 10th oldest Greek letter fraternity in the United States. The f ...
fraternity while at American University and graduated in 1955 with a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in "philosophy and religion".


Broadcast radio career


''Joy Boys'' radio show

From 1955 to 1972, Scott teamed with Ed Walker as co-host of the nightly ''
Joy Boys The ''Joy Boys'' was a popular daily improvised comedy radio show in Washington, D.C., between 1955 and 1974 that launched the broadcast careers of the program's co-hosts Willard Scott and Ed Walker. The two did various skits and satirized pro ...
'' radio program on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
-owned WRC radio (this was interrupted from 1956 to 1958 when Scott served on active duty with the Navy). Scott routinely sketched a list of characters and a few lead lines setting up a situation, which Walker would commit to memory or make notes on with his
Braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are Blindness, blind, Deafblindness, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on Paper embossing, embossed paper ...
typewriter (Walker was blind since birth). The show opened with Scott and Walker singing their ''Joy Boys'' opening theme song set to the music of John N. Klohr's
The Billboard March "The Billboard March" is a circus march written in 1901 by John N. Klohr, and dedicated to the ''Billboard'' music-industry magazine. Its tune is widely known among Americans, and it has been repeatedly used in mass media, even though its title is ...
. They recorded it in two versions, a duet between them, and Walker singing in four-part harmony with himself, for use as, respectively, the opening and closing themes for the show: ''We are the Joy Boys of radio;'' ''We chase electrons to and fro-o-o.'' ''We are the Joy Boys of radio;'' ''We chase electrons to and fro.'' In a 1999
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
article recalling the ''Joy Boys'' at the height of their mid-1960s popularity, said the ''Joy Boys'' "dominated Washington, providing entertainment, companionship, and community to a city on the verge of powerful change". The ''Joy Boys'' broadcast on WRC until the station changed to a rock music format in October, 1972. The ''Joy Boys'' show moved to
WWDC The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is an information technology conference held annually by Apple Inc. The conference is usually held at Apple Park in California. The event is usually used to showcase new software and technologies in t ...
-AM for another two years. Scott wrote in his book ''The Joy of Living'', their close professional and personal bond continued until Walker's death in October 2015. Scott said they were "closer than most brothers".Willard Scott, ''The Joy of Living''. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1982 (). After the ''Joy Boys'' show ended, Scott thrived as a Washington D.C. area personality, doing product pitches and popping up at ribbon-cutting ceremonies.


WAVY AM 1350 disk jockey while in the Navy

In 1956 Scott lived near Norfolk, Virginia while serving in the US Navy and moonlighted at WAVY AM radio as one of four staff disk jockeys who presented the "WAVY Nifty Fifty, Tidewater's Top Tune Tally.". He was promoted on local advertising for the Tidewater area radio station.


Early broadcast television career


Children's programs a great preparation for television success

Scott felt his early work in children's programming was one reason for his success in engaging and entertaining television viewers. "I have always said that the best training to be a TV newsman or anybody on television is to do a children’s show because you are oblivious to the fact that there is a camera there. ...You are playing to the kids in the studio, and then you are playing directly to the kids at home. You look in the lens and you are never using a teleprompter ...and you get a tremendous, comfortable feeling in front of a camera doing a children’s show. There are no two ways about that: Doing a kid’s show is great training."


''Barn Party''

Scott's first
children's television Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television show, television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during ...
appearance was on WNBW TV's ''Barn Party'' in 1954. Scott said "My first chance to do kiddie shows professionally came before I was in the Navy, on a Saturday TV show called ''Barn Party''. I was 'Farmer Willard' and I played opposite a very refined lady named Betsy Stelck, who had a fairyland aura about her..." The show was a hit. When children were asked to mail in requests for tickets to attend the weekly broadcast production, 6,223 requests were received. The studio only seated 50.


''Afternoon''

Scott was a "co-master of ceremonies" with
Mac McGarry Maurice James "Mac" McGarry (June 15, 1926 – December 12, 2013) was the longtime host of the television quiz show ''It's Academic'', which airs in Washington, D.C. on NBC-owned WRC-TV. He hosted the show for five decades, from October ...
on this 1955 afternoon variety program broadcast on
WRC-TV WRC-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Washington, D.C., airing programming from the NBC network. It is owned-and-operated station, owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Class A television se ...
. The show featured live music, vocalists, fashion and food segments by
Inga Rundvold Inga Rundvold Hook-Kuhn (1920 – February 4, 2004) was a broadcast reporter and host and one of Washington D.C's first on-air media personalities in the 1950s and 1960s. She is sometime referred to as "DC's First Lady of Television". Rundvold is ...
and
Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...
's puppet group
Sam and Friends ''Sam and Friends'' is an American live-action/puppet sketch comedy television series and a lead-in to ''The Tonight Show'' created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane Nebel. It was taped and aired twice daily as a local series in ...
, an early incarnation of the Muppets. At the time, Henson was a college freshman. Scott remembered Henson's work as "... an innovative bunch of puppets created by a guy named Jim Henson. ... I worked with a bald-headed Muppet with a big nose, named Sam, sort of the way
Fran Allison Frances Helen Allison (November 20, 1907June 13, 1989) was an American television and radio comedienne, personality, and singer. She is best known for her starring role on the weekday NBC-TV puppet show ''Kukla, Fran and Ollie'', which ran from ...
worked on
Kukla, Fran and Ollie ''Kukla, Fran and Ollie'' is an early American television show using puppets. It was created for children, but soon watched by more adults than children. It did not have a script and was entirely ad-libbed. It was broadcast from Chicago between O ...
. Then there was the frog named Kermit. I used to do a commercial for a local peanut butter called Schindler's. He'd open his mouth, I'd give him a big spoonful, and he'd go 'ahh'".


''Commander Retro''

Scott said this 1966 children’s show he created and hosted was "The worst show I did in my life, in my opinion, was the best show I ever did in my life, we had more fun". Scott used Lester, his basset hound, as "Doctor Strangedog", a human German physicist and spy who had stowed away on the rocket ship. The spy had eaten too many hotdog sausages, exploded and turned into a talking dog. Scott played the commander of their traveling spaceship. The rocket ship set had control panels made of plastic mini-ice cube trays with blinking Christmas lights behind them. Scott said "This was a terrible show, a real turkey ...but it was more fun to do than any of them".


''Bozo the Clown''

Scott portrayed ''
Bozo the Clown Bozo the Clown, sometimes billed as "Bozo, The World's Most Famous Clown", is a clown character created for children's entertainment, widely popular in the second half of the 20th century. He was introduced in the United States in 1946, and to te ...
'' on WRC-TV's one-hour, weekday show ''Bozo's Circus''. Scott said "WRC bought local rights to Bozo the Clown, and I was cast in the role. Bozo went to the White House and met
JFK John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
and Caroline. I played him from 1959 to 1962, doing a daily one-hour show". Washington, D.C. area McDonalds hired Scott — as Bozo — in order to attract customers. Whenever Scott as Bozo arrived at one of the then five D.C. area McDonalds, he caused traffic jams. Roads were shut down for two miles and extra police had to control thousands of kids as they arrived to see Bozo. WRC-TV canceled the show in 1962.


Created Ronald McDonald, the Hamburger-Happy Clown

Washington D.C. McDonalds stores had enjoyed incredible customer attendance when Scott appeared as Bozo the Clown. When WRC-TV cancelled the show, Scott could no longer appear as that popular clown. The local McDonalds franchisees wanted another clown to drive sales and asked Scott to develop a new character. Scott said "At the time, Bozo was the hottest children's show on the air. You could probably have sent Pluto the Dog or Dumbo the Elephant over and it would have been equally as successful. But I was there, and I was Bozo... There was something about the combination of hamburgers and Bozo that was irresistible to kids... That's why when Bozo went off the air a few years later, the local McDonald's people asked me to come up with a new character to take Bozo's place. So, I sat down and created Ronald McDonald". Scott's Ronald McDonald costume included a small paper cup over his nose, a cardboard food tray worn as a hat and a cardboard food tray containing a complete McDonald's meal - a wrapped hamburger, paper bag of fries and a drink, worn just above the front of his pants that “magically” replaced the hamburger every time one disappeared. Scott portrayed Ronald McDonald from 1963 through 1967, appearing in three tv commercials and narrating a 45 rpm recording of "The Night Before Christmas" as part of a 1963 holiday promotion. The record has become a sought-after collectible. McDonalds corporation purchased the Washington D.C. franchise back from the area franchisees and became the owner of the Ronald McDonald intellectual property. Scott was told he would continue to portray the clown but just before he was to appear at the 1966
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
, Scott was replaced by a new clown actor, Coco who had been a clown in the Ringling Brothers circus. In his book ''
Fast Food Nation ''Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal'' is a 2001 book by Eric Schlosser. First serialized by ''Rolling Stone'' in 1999, the book has drawn comparisons to Upton Sinclair's 1906 muckraking novel ''The Jungle''. The book was ...
'',
Eric Schlosser Eric Matthew Schlosser (born August 17, 1959) is an American journalist and author known for his investigative journalism, such as in his books ''Fast Food Nation'' (2001), ''Reefer Madness'' (2003), and '' Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, ...
claims that McDonald's replaced Scott on account of his weight, supposedly concerned about McDonald's image. Scott denied the claims and cited other commitments he had at the time.


''The Ronald Show''

Scott continued to appear as Ronald McDonald in the Washington D.C. broadcast market. In 1966, Scott served as master of ceremonies WRC-TV's new program, ''The Ronald Show''. The show had a studio audience of 30 youngsters every Saturday who played games, performed dramatic skits and interacted with Scott as clown Ronald. Scott said the show was "One of those magnificent rare treasures ... featuring dramatizations and dance contests."


Weather presenter career

Scott's weathercaster career started when he was chosen as a fill-in weatherman on WRC-TV in 1967. The incumbent had suddenly walked off the job. In 1970, Scott became WRC-TV's full-time weekday weatherman. In March 1980, the NBC network came calling, and Scott was named weatherman on TODAY, replacing Bob Ryan. Ryan then took Scott's old job, becoming the meteorologist at WRC-TV.


''The Today Show''

Scott was tapped by
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
in 1980 to become its weatherman for ''
The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...
''. At the time, the ''Today Show'' was in its first ratings battle with ABC's ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
''. Scott quickly established his ability to connect with his audience. Often appearing as different characters in his segments, he once delivered the weather as pop singer
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...
. His antics on ''Today'' helped move the show's ratings back to first place, where it remained for much of the decade. During the 1980s, Scott routinely did weather reports on the road, interviewing locals at community festivals and landmarks. He also periodically performed on the program from Washington, D.C., which he still considered his home.


Appearance as Carmen Miranda

Scott said he used to dress up like Carmen Miranda as a kid to sell war bonds in World War II. He promised to don a Miranda outfit again if a viewer would donate $1,000 to the USO. The donation was made and Scott gave his August 22, 1983 weather forecast on the ''Today Show'' dressed in drag, wearing a bright red tropical dress, earrings and pearls, heels, and a showy, multi-colored headdress with feathers and fruit, reminiscent of the late Brazilian entertainer's outfits. Scott's weather forecast was accompanied by two flamenco musicians. Discussing his Carmen Miranda appearance in 1987, Scott told the ''New York Times'' "People said I was a buffoon to do it. Well, all my life I've been a buffoon. That's my act." He explained his love for his audience, saying "I just love people. A lot of speakers on the talk circuit leave right afterward. I do a lot of schmoozing. I'm like a dog. You just open the door and I go, 'rrrr, rrrr,' and then I lick everybody's face."


Smucker's birthday segments

Scott started celebrating
centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100 years. Because life expectancies worldwide are below 100 years, the term is invariably associated with longevity. In 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living cente ...
s' happy birthdays on “Today” in 1983. "Saluting people on their 100th birthday started when I got a card that read, 'My uncle is turning 100. Could you mention him on TV?' I did it and about a week later got two cards, then four, then six." Eventually
Smucker's The J.M. Smucker Company, also known as Smuckers, is an American manufacturer of food and beverage products. Headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, the company was founded in 1897 as a maker of apple butter. J.M. Smucker currently has three major bus ...
sponsored the segment, showing each person’s photo and name on a Smucker's strawberry jelly jar label. When Scott died, Smucker’s posted a tribute to him, putting his face on the jelly jar label graphic.


Bryant Gumbel criticism and ratings repercussions

In 1989, ''The Today Show'' co-host
Bryant Gumbel Bryant Charles Gumbel (born September 29, 1948) is an American television journalist and sportscaster, best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's ''Today''. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel. Since 1995, he has hosted H ...
wrote an internal memo critical of the show's personalities, a memo that was later leaked to the media. In the memo, Gumbel said Scott "holds the show hostage to his assortment of whims, wishes, birthdays and bad taste ...this guy is killing us and no one's even trying to rein him in." This garnered enough of a backlash that the next time they appeared on camera together Scott kissed Gumbel on the cheek to show he'd forgiven him, and also later said he hoped the whole thing would go away. After Gumbel's comments, there was a decline in viewership ratings for the ''Today Show''. According to NBC, the ''Q Score'' popularity tracking poll taken by Marketing Evaluations Inc. showed an increase in negative reaction to Gumbel and his earlier criticism of Scott in its annual May 1989 survey of the show. The then ''Today Show'' executive producer Tom Capra said "The publicity and the negative factors have hurt us".
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
network research also indicated continuing negative reaction to Gumbel's comments regarding Scott.


''Today Show'' staff support

After Scott's Carmen Miranda appearance, Tom Brokaw, former ''Today Show'' anchor said of Scott, "Willard was a born showman".
Al Roker Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. (born August 20, 1954) is an American weather presenter, journalist, television personality, and author. He is the current weather anchor on NBC's ''Today'', and occasionally co-hosts '' 3rd Hour Today''. He has an ina ...
, the meteorologist who succeeded Scott on the ''Today Show'' said "No broadcaster was loved by so many and brought so many smiles".


Commercial pitchman

In 1992, Scott, who was the first incarnation of Ronald McDonald, recorded a commercial for McDonald's arch-rival
Burger King Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
. He also was the spokesman for the
Days Inn Days Inn is a hotel chain headquartered in the United States. It was founded in 1970 by Cecil B. Day, who opened the first location in Tybee Island, Georgia. The brand is now a part of the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, headquartered in Parsippan ...
hotel chain, appearing in their commercials from 1993 until 1997. The companies Scott endorsed include: Howard Johnson Motor Lodges, True Value Hardware, Burger King, Lipton tea, Maxwell House coffee, the American Dairy Association, the Florida Citrus Commission, Diet Coke, USA Today and many others.


Later broadcast television career


''Williard Scott's Home and Garden Almanac''

In 1995, Scott was the host of one of the first weekly series on the then new cable TV channel Home & Garden Television. The series ran two years.


Actor

Scott made occasional guest appearances as neighbor "Mr. Poole" on ''
The Hogan Family ''The Hogan Family'' (originally titled ''Valerie'' and later ''Valerie's Family'') is an American sitcom television series that began airing on NBC on March 1, 1986, and finished its run on CBS on July 20, 1991, for a total of six seasons. It ...
'', where his character was married to Mrs. Poole, played by
Edie McClurg Edith Marie McClurg (born July 23, 1945) is an American actress and comedian. She has played supporting roles in the films ''Carrie'' (1976), ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), and ''Elvira: Mistress of the Dark'' (1988), and bit parts in '' ...
.


Voice-over and narration career


NASA

Scott worked as the narrator for
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
's weekly program called "The Space Story", with his contributions spanning from the Apollo Program to the
Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...
.


Other TV work

Scott at the 1990 Emmy Awards


Personal appearances / TV Commentator career

Scott was the host of WAVE TV's broadcast coverage of the
Kentucky Derby Festival The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville, Kentucky, during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby. The festival, Kentucky's largest single annual event, first ran from 1935 to ...
Pegasus Parade in
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
from 1982 through 2005. Scott also hosted the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
telecast of the ''
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
'' from 1987 to 1997. He was replaced by
Matt Lauer Matthew Todd Lauer (; born December 30, 1957) is an American former television news personality, best known for his work with NBC News. After serving as a local news personality in New York City on WNBC, his first national exposure was as the ne ...
in 1998. For several years in the 1980s, Scott donned a
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
costume for the broadcast of the National Tree-Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C. In 1990 and 1992, Scott also hosted the
Pillsbury Bake-Off The Pillsbury Bake-Off is an American cooking contest, first run by the Pillsbury Company in 1949. History The first contest was held in 1949 as the Grand National Recipe and Baking Contest and hosted in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The grand priz ...
on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
(while under contract with CBS' rival NBC).


Military service

Scott enlisted in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
, serving from 1956 to 1958 as a
seaman Seaman may refer to: * Sailor, a member of a marine watercraft's crew * Seaman (rank), a military rank in some navies * Seaman (name) (including a list of people with the name) * ''Seaman'' (video game), a 1999 simulation video game for the Seg ...
.Beloved television personality Willard Scott dies at 87
Spectrum News NY1 NY1 (also officially known as Spectrum News NY1 and spoken as New York One) is an American United States cable news, cable news television channel founded by Time Warner Cable, which itself is owned by Charter Communications through its acquisiti ...
. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
Willard Scott, Longtime ‘Today’ Show Weatherman, Dies at 87
''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
Then 22 years old, Scott recorded his feelings on November 23, 1956, the day before he enlisted in the US Navy.


Retirement

Scott went into semi-retirement in early 1996, succeeded by
Al Roker Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. (born August 20, 1954) is an American weather presenter, journalist, television personality, and author. He is the current weather anchor on NBC's ''Today'', and occasionally co-hosts '' 3rd Hour Today''. He has an ina ...
who moved from D.C. station WTTG. Scott had helped Roker earn the weather job at the NBC's WKYC in Cleveland. Scott continued to appear two days a week on the morning program to wish centenarians a happy birthday (a tradition that continues to the present day). He appeared from the studio lot of WBBH, the NBC affiliate in
Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...
. Scott also continued to substitute for Roker for over a decade afterward, an arrangement that mostly ended after NBC acquired
The Weather Channel The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel broadcasts weather forecas ...
in 2008 and started using that channel's meteorologists as substitutes. Scott announced his full retirement from television on December 11, 2015. On Scott's final day, ''Today'' held a tribute to Scott featuring taped highlights from his many years with the show. The plaza outside
Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco ...
was renamed Willard Scott Way in his honor. Several former ''Today'' staff came to bid farewell to Scott including
Tom Brokaw Thomas John Brokaw (; born February 6, 1940) is an American retired network television journalist and author. He first served as the co-anchor of ''The Today Show'' from 1976 to 1981 with Jane Pauley, then as the anchor and managing editor of '' ...
,
Jane Pauley Margaret Jane Pauley (born October 31, 1950) is an American television host, and author, active in news reporting since 1972. Pauley first became widely known as Barbara Walters's successor on the NBC morning show ''Today'', beginning at the age ...
,
Katie Couric Katherine Anne Couric ( ; born January 7, 1957) is an American journalist and presenter. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. She also publishes a daily newsletter, ''Wake Up Call''. From 2013 to 2017, ...
, and
Gene Shalit Eugene Shalit (born March 25, 1926) is an American retired journalist, television personality, film and book critic and author. After starting to work part-time on NBC's ''The Today Show'' in 1970, he filled those roles from January 15, 1973, ...
along with
Barbara Bush Barbara Pierce Bush (June 8, 1925 – April 17, 2018) was First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993, as the wife of President George H. W. Bush, and the founder of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. She previously was ...
. After Scott was feted on the "Today Show" with cupcakes and comments from co-anchors, he said "I'm fading off into the sunset" and started singing
Dale Evans Dale Evans Rogers (born Frances Octavia Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers. Early life Evans was born Frances Octavia Smith on Oc ...
's song "Happy trails to you until we meet again. Happy trails to you. Keep smilin' on 'til then."


Awards


Radio reissues and Santa Claus

In 2001, American University reissued some of the old ''
Joy Boys The ''Joy Boys'' was a popular daily improvised comedy radio show in Washington, D.C., between 1955 and 1974 that launched the broadcast careers of the program's co-hosts Willard Scott and Ed Walker. The two did various skits and satirized pro ...
'' radio broadcasts of the 1960s on
CDs The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Octo ...
. He also played
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
at various
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
events.


Writings

Scott published several
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
and
non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...
books: *''The Joy of Living'' *''Down Home Stories'' *''Willard Scott’s All-American Cookbook'' *''America Is My Neighborhood'' *''The Older the Fiddle, the Better the Tune'' *''If I Knew It Was Going to Be This Much Fun, I Would Have Become a Grandparent First'' He also co-authored two books with
Bill Crider Bill Crider (July 28, 1941 – February 12, 2018) was an American author of crime fiction among other work. Biography He received a Master of Arts degree at the University of North Texas, in Denton. Later, he taught English at Howard Payne Unive ...
: *''Murder Under Blue Skies'' *''Murder in the Mist'' He preached a sermon at the 185th anniversary of his home church, First Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, that was published in ''Best Sermons 2'', edited by James W. Cox arper & Row, 1989


Personal life

Scott was married to Mary Dwyer Scott from 1959 until her death in 2002. The couple had two children, Mary and Sally. On April 1, 2014, at age 80, Scott married Paris Keena, whom he first met in 1977 while she was working at
WRC-TV WRC-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Washington, D.C., airing programming from the NBC network. It is owned-and-operated station, owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Class A television se ...
in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
They had been together as a couple since 2003. They lived on
Sanibel Island, Florida Sanibel is an island and city in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,382 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The island, also known as Sanibel Island, constitute ...
.


Death

Scott died of
natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinct ...
on September 4, 2021, at the age of 87.


Filmography


As himself

*''
Pillsbury Bake-Off The Pillsbury Bake-Off is an American cooking contest, first run by the Pillsbury Company in 1949. History The first contest was held in 1949 as the Grand National Recipe and Baking Contest and hosted in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The grand priz ...
'' (1990–1992) – Host *''Walt Disney World 4 July Spectacular'' (1988) – Himself *''The New
Hollywood Squares ''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show piloted on NBC in 1965 and the regular series debuted in 1966 on the ...
'' (1987) – Himself *''
Kentucky Derby Festival The Kentucky Derby Festival is an annual festival held in Louisville, Kentucky, during the two weeks preceding the first Saturday in May, the day of the Kentucky Derby. The festival, Kentucky's largest single annual event, first ran from 1935 to ...
Pegasus Parade'' (1982-2005) - host *''
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
'' (1987–1997) – Host *''The Bob Braun Show'' (1982) – Himself *''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...
'' (1980–2015) – Himself


As actor

*''Bozo the Clown'' (1959–1962) –
Bozo the Clown Bozo the Clown, sometimes billed as "Bozo, The World's Most Famous Clown", is a clown character created for children's entertainment, widely popular in the second half of the 20th century. He was introduced in the United States in 1946, and to te ...
*
Ronald McDonald Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. He inhabits the fictional world of McDonaldland, with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird and ...
(1963–1965) *''
The Hogan Family ''The Hogan Family'' (originally titled ''Valerie'' and later ''Valerie's Family'') is an American sitcom television series that began airing on NBC on March 1, 1986, and finished its run on CBS on July 20, 1991, for a total of six seasons. It ...
'' (1987–1989) – Peter Poole


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Willard 1934 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Baptists 21st-century American comedians 21st-century Baptists American male comedians American male television actors American television personalities American University alumni Baptists from Virginia Male actors from Alexandria, Virginia McDonald's people Military personnel from Virginia NBC News people Radio personalities from Washington, D.C. United States Navy sailors Weather presenters