James Walter Nolan Jr. (25 September 1918 – 6 March 2004), known as Uncle Jimmy, was a television personality in

Yakima, Washington Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uninc ...

. During his 28-year career, Nolan held the various roles as announcer, newsman, weatherman, program director and the role he is best known for, the eponymous host of children's birthday show ''Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse''.

Early life

Known as "Bud" by his family, Nolan was born in Moscow, Idaho, on 25 September 1918. His family moved later to

Cowiche, Washington Cowiche (pronounced ''Cow-witch-ee'') is a census-designated place and Unincorporated area, unincorporated community northwest of Yakima, Washington, near the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range, Cascade Mountain range, in central Washington ( ...

where they operated two apple orchards. Nolan graduated in 1936 from Cowiche High School, where he was active in tennis, debate and served as student body president.

Career

Nolan attended

Washington State College Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant univer ...

in Pullman where he received a BA in Speech in 1940. His first broadcasting job was at KUJ, an AM radio station in

Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla is a city in Walla Walla County, Washington, where it is the largest city and county seat. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,927 as of 2021. The population of the city and its two su ...

in 1940, where he met his wife-to-be, Esther Rehberg. Nolan served in the US Army from 1942 until 1946. In 1946 he went to work at KIT radio station in Yakima.

Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse

In 1953, Nolan left KIT radio and joined local Yakima television station KIMA as program director, and later the same year, on-air talent. Nolan hosted the half-hour live ''Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse'' show which was broadcast on weekday afternoons from July 20, 1953, the station's second day on the air, until the late 1970s. The show featured children whose birthdays occurred on or near the date of broadcast. During each show, Nolan would interview each birthday child, play short cartoon clips and promote sponsors' products. Nolan would later claim that more than 20,000 children appeared on ''Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse'' during its run.

Retirement

Shortly after retiring in 1981, Nolan moved to Purdy near

Gig Harbor Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington,. The population was 12,029 at the 2020 census. Gig Harbor is one of several cities and towns that claim to be "the gateway to the Olymp ...

. Nolan returned to Yakima in the summer of 2003 to tape five reunion episodes of "Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse." Nolan lived in the Gig Harbor area until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nolan, James Jr. 1918 births 2004 deaths American television hosts Washington State University alumni People from Yakima, Washington