Willard Scott | |
|---|---|
 Scott in 1995 | |
| Born | Willard Herman Scott Jr. March 7, 1934 Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | September 4, 2021 (aged 87) Delaplane, Virginia, U.S. |
| Education | American University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1950–2015 |
| Notable work |
|
| Spouses | Mary Dwyer Scott
(m. 1959; died 2002)Paris Keena
(m. 2014) |
| Children | 2 |
Willard Herman Scott Jr. (March 7, 1934 – September 4, 2021) was an American weather presenter, 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 best known 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.[1]
The 6' 3", 290 lb. (191 cm, 130 kg) 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 (equivalent to $2.14 million in 2023).[2][3] Scott said "I run me like a conglomerate, because that's what I am. I always keep lots of balls in the air".[4]
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."[2] Early radio contemporary Johnny Holliday, 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."[5]
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".[2]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Joywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c Levey, Bob (April 29, 1982). "Willard Scott, Today show weatherman and resident merrymaker, dies at 87". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ Kleinfield, N. R. (April 5, 1987). "STAR WEATHERMAN: Willard Scott A Huckster For All Seasons". New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ "'He made everybody feel special': Local media personalities remember Willard Scott". WTOP. January 3, 2008. Retrieved December 2, 2022.