Willard Scott
| Willard Scott | |
|---|---|
 Scott at the 1990 Emmy Awards |
|
| Born | Willard Herman Scott, Jr. March 7, 1934 Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Weather presenter, television personality, radio personality, clown |
| Years active | 1950–present |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Dwyer Scott (1959 – 2002; her death) |
| Children | Mary and Sally |
Willard Herman Scott, Jr. (born March 7, 1934) is an American actor, author, media personality, clown, and comedian, best known for his TV work on The Today Show and as the creator and original portrayer of Ronald McDonald.[1]
Contents |
Early years [edit]
Scott was born in Alexandria, Virginia on March 7, 1934, and attended George Washington High School. He showed an interest in broadcasting as a 16-year-old, working in 1950 as an NBC page at WRC-AM, NBC's owned-and-operated radio station in Washington, D.C.[2] Scott then 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 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and religion.[2]
Career [edit]
The Joy Boys radio show [edit]
From 1955 to 1972, Scott teamed with Ed Walker as co-host of the nightly Joy Boys radio program on WRC-AM. (This was interrupted from 1956-1958 when Scott served on active duty with 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 (he was blind since birth). In a 1999 article recalling the Joy Boys at the height of their popularity in the mid-1960s, The Washington Post said they "dominated Washington, providing entertainment, companionship, and community to a city on the verge of powerful change".[3] The Joy Boys show played on WRC until 1972 when they moved to cross-town station WWDC for another two years. Scott wrote in his book, The Joy of Living, of their close professional and personal bond which has continued to the present, saying that they are "closer than most brothers".[1]
Washington, D.C., TV roles [edit]
Scott spent the 1960s balancing his radio career with jobs as the host of children's television programs. He appeared on WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., playing characters such as Commander Retro and Bozo the Clown.[4] In 1970, Scott began appearing on WRC-TV as a weekday weatherman.
Ronald McDonald character [edit]
Another TV role he performed regularly from 1963–1966 and occasionally as late as 1971 was Ronald McDonald for a McDonald's franchise in Washington, D.C.. Scott wrote in his book The Joy of Living that he originally created the Ronald McDonald character at the fast-food restaurant chain's request.[1]
In his book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser claims that McDonald's replaced Scott on account of his weight, supposedly concerned about McDonald's image.[5]
The Today Show [edit]
Scott was tapped by NBC in 1980 to become its weatherman for The Today Show, replacing Bob Ryan, who replaced him at WRC-TV until 2010. After being inspired by a viewer request, Scott began his practice of wishing centenarians a happy birthday on-air in 1983.
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. During this time, NBC executives told the bald Scott to wear a hairpiece. He complied when in New York, but refused when outside of the studio, resulting in a strange dichotomy on the air.
In 1989, The Today Show co-host Bryant Gumbel wrote an internal memo critical of the show's personalities. The memo was leaked to the media. 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."[6] This garnered enough of a backlash that Gumbel was shown making up with Scott on the show.[7]
Scott went into semi-retirement in 1996, and was succeeded by Al Roker. He continues to appear twice a week on the long-running morning program to wish centenarians a happy birthday and to substitute for Roker during his absences. He appears from the studio lot of WBBH, the NBC affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida. He is also currently the commercial voice—taking over the job from the late Mason Adams—of Smucker's jellies which sponsors his birthday tributes on The Today Show.
Other TV work and awards [edit]
Scott had a small role as Mr. Peter Poole on The Hogan Family, where his character was married to Mrs. Poole, played by Edie McClurg. Scott also hosted the NBC telecast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1987 until 1997 when he was replaced by Matt Lauer the following year.
In 1985, Scott was given a Private Sector Award for Public Service by U.S. President Ronald Reagan.[2] Other awards include:
- "Distinguished Virginian", Virginia Association of Broadcasters (1990)
- "Washingtonian of the Year", Washingtonian magazine (1979)
- "Humanitarian in Residence", National Society of Fund Raisers (1985)
- "National Partner in 4-H Citations", National 4-H, US Dept of Agriculture(1984)
- Honorary doctorate from Johnson & Wales University
In 2001, American University reissued some of the old Joy Boys radio broadcasts of the 1960s on CDs. He has also played Santa Claus at various White House events.[citation needed]
Scott spoke at his grandson John Swiatek's graduation at Middleburg Academy in 2011.
Writings [edit]
Scott has published several fiction and non-fiction books:[2]
- 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 has also co-authored two books with Bill Crider:
- 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 [Harper & Row, 1989].
Personal life [edit]
Scott was married to Mary Dwyer Scott from 1959 until her death in 2002. He has two children named Mary and Sally and his grandchildren are John and Sally.
References [edit]
- ^ a b c Willard Scott, The Joy of Living. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1982 (ISBN 0-698-11130-3).
- ^ a b c d "Willard Scott — Weather Reporter and Centenarian". MSNBC. 2004-12-10. Retrieved February 4, 2008.
- ^ Marc Fisher, "Washington Comes of Age", The Washington Post, September 13, 1999
- ^ Listed References on Wikipedia's "Bozo the Clown" Discussion Page
- ^ Schlosser, Eric. Fast food nation : The dark side of the all-American meal (1st Mariner Books ed. ed.). Boston: Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 41. ISBN 9780547750330. "Scott came up with the name Ronald McDonald, and a star was born. Two years later, the McDonald's Corporation introduced Ronald McDonald to the rest of the United States through a major ad campaign. But Willard Scott no longer played the part. He was deemed to overweight; McDonald's wanted someone thinner to sell its burgers, shakes, and fries."
- ^ Monica Collins, "Memo to NBC: We Love Scott", USA Today, March 1, 1989.
- ^ Brian Donlon, "On Today, it's kiss and make up", USA Today, March 14, 1989.
External links [edit]
- Willard Scott at the Internet Movie Database
- Centenarian Birthday Biographies from a media production company's website
- The Joyboys tribute site.
- Willard as a top 40 DJ on the Great98 WRC tribute site.
- Booknotes interview with Scott on The Older the Fiddle, the Better the Tune, July 13, 2003.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||
|
