Willard Scott

Willard Herman Scott Jr. (March 7, 1934 – September 4, 2021) was an American weatherman, radio and television personality, actor, narrator, clown, comedian, and author, whose broadcast career spanned 68 years, 65 years with the NBC broadcast network. Scott was notable as a weather reporter on NBC's Today 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. 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."

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." Scott was raised as and remained a fundamentalist Christian who considered becoming a minister before starting his broadcasting career.

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 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 — Pan Am’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.

NBC radio announcer at 16

Scott was 16 years old in 1950 when he worked as an NBC page at WRC (AM), NBC's owned-and-operated radio station in Washington, D.C., for $12 per week ().

Scott attended American University, where he worked alongside fellow student Ed Walker at WAMU-AM, the university's radio station (1951—1953). Scott became a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity while at American University and graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in "philosophy and religion". Then 22 years old, Scott recorded his feelings on November 23, 1956, the day before he enlisted.

Broadcast radio career

Joy Boys radio show

From 1955 to 1972, Scott teamed with Ed Walker as co-host of the nightly Joy Boys radio program on NBC-owned WRC radio (this was interrupted from 1956 to 1958 when Scott served on active duty in the U.S. 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 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". 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 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-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".

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 U.S. 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.

Scott's first children's television 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..."

Scott later co-emceed with Mac McGarry on the 1955 afternoon variety program, Afternoon, broadcast on WRC-TV. The show featured live music, vocalists, fashion and food segments by Inga Rundvold and Jim Henson's puppet group Sam and Friends, 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 worked on Kukla, Fran and Ollie. 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'".

From Bozo the Clown to Ronald McDonald's creation

right|thumb|The television commercial debut of Willard Scott as Ronald McDonald (1963)

Scott later portrayed Bozo the Clown 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 and Caroline. I played him from 1959 to 1962, doing a daily one-hour show". Washington, D.C., area McDonald's hired Scott – as Bozo – to attract customers. Whenever Scott as Bozo arrived at one of the then five D.C. area McDonald's, 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.

Washington, D.C., McDonald's 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 character. The local McDonald's 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 portrayed Ronald McDonald from 1963 through 1967, appearing in three television 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.

McDonald's 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, Scott was replaced by a new clown actor, Coco, who had been a clown in the Ringling Brothers circus. Scott denied the claims and cited other commitments he had at the time.

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

thumb|Scott near his home in The Plains, Virginia in 1989

Scott was tapped by NBC in 1980 to become its weatherman for The Today Show. At the time, the Today Show was in its first ratings battle with ABC's Good Morning America. 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. 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 centenarians' happy birthdays on “Today” in 1983.

Bryant Gumbel criticism and ratings repercussions

In 1989, The Today Show co-host Bryant Gumbel 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 network research also indicated continuing negative reaction to Gumbel's comments regarding Scott.

Today Show staff support

After Scott's Carmen Miranda appearance, former Today Show anchor Tom Brokaw said of Scott, "Willard was a born showman".

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.

Willard 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 and Voice-over

Scott made occasional guest appearances as neighbor "Mr. Poole" on The Hogan Family, where his character was married to Mrs. Poole, played by Edie McClurg.

Scott worked as the narrator for NASA's weekly program called "The Space Story", with his contributions spanning from the Apollo Program to the Space Shuttle.

Other TV work

thumb|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 Pegasus Parade in Louisville, Kentucky, from 1982 through 2005. Scott also hosted the NBC telecast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1987 to 1997. He was replaced by Matt Lauer in 1998.

For several years in the 1980s, Scott donned a Santa Claus 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 on CBS (while under contract with CBS' rival NBC).

Retirement

Scott went into semi-retirement in early 1996, succeeded by Al Roker who was a regular substitute for Scott on Today and was the weeknight weathercaster at WNBC in New York City. Scott had helped Roker earn the weather job at NBC's WKYC in Cleveland.

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 was renamed Willard Scott Way in his honor. Several former Today staff came to bid farewell to Scott including Tom Brokaw, Jane Pauley, Katie Couric, and Gene Shalit along with Barbara Bush. 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's song "Happy trails to you until we meet again. Happy trails to you. Keep smilin' on 'til then."

Writings

Scott published several fiction and non-fiction books:

The Joy of Living
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:

Murder Under Blue Skies

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 in Washington, D.C. They had been together as a couple since 2003. They lived on Sanibel Island, Florida.