- His "Happy Birthday" segments on Today began in 1983 when a viewer wrote in to ask him to wish her mother happy 100th birthday on air.
- In the 1960s he became McDonald's' very first redhead clown, Ronald McDonald (originally named Donald McDonald).
- Portrayed Bozo the Clown for a number of years in the late 1950s to late 1960s on Washington DC's PBS channel.
- in "Willard Scott's Down Home Stories," he recounts from his radio days when he received his all-time favorite letter from a fan: "Dear Mr. Scott - I think you're the best disc jockey in Washington. You play the best music and have the nicest voice of anyone on the air. Please excuse the crayon - they won't let us have anything sharp in here."
- McDonalds dropped him as Ronald McDonald when they went nationally with the character in favor of somebody thinner.
- Still steps in occasionally to do weather on Today (1952) for Al Roker. Appeared on the 50th Anniversary "Today" program on January 14th. (January 2002)
- Before he was a successful weatherman, at age 16, Scott began career as an NBC Page at WRC-AM, in Washington, D.C., in 1950, where he got paid $12 a week.
- Is the announcer in the television commercials for Smuckers (May 2007)
- Father of two daughters.
- Co-host, with Beverly Breckenridge, of an infomercial for Universal Music's "Those Wonderful Years" music collection. (2006)
- Currently resides in Sanibel, Florida [April 2020].
- Portrayed Ronald McDonald in the McDonald's commercial ads from 1963 to 1965.
- Willard Scott was the only television personality who had both a career in comedy and for contributing the weather for over 70 years, for which he did those on the road, whilst interviewing locals at community festivals and landmarks.
- Before he was a successful weatherman on Today (1952), he also teamed with Ed Walker as co-host of the nightly comedy radio program on NBC-owned WRC radio.
- Mentor and friends of: Al Roker and Katie Couric.
- After Al Roker succeeded him as weatherman on Today (1952), Scott continued to appear twice in the same week, on the morning program to wish centenarians a happy birthday (a tradition that continues to the present day).
- His parents were, Willard Herman Scott Sr., was a telephone operator and Thelma Mattie (née Phillips) Scott, was a telephone operator.
- Before he was a successful weatherman on Today (1952), while in the U.S. Navy, he moonlighted at WAVY-AM radio, near Norfolk, Virginia, as one of four staff disk jockeys who presented the "WAVY Nifty Fifty, Tidewater's Top Tune Tally.". He was later promoted on local advertising for the Tidewater area radio station.
- On the "Joy Boys" radio show, 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 (that was the reason why Walker was blind since birth).
- Was a spokesperson for the public service announcement of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
- Before he was a successful weatherman for Today (1952), he was chosen as a fill-in weatherman on WRC-TV in 1967, then 3 years later, because the anchor's full-time weatherman, and would stay there, until his departure in 1980, when he moved to NBC.
- Willard Scott is interred, alongside his wife, Mary Ellen, at Leeds Cemetery in Markham, Virginia.
- In the 1980s, he was a spokesperson for Lipton Ice Tea.
- In 1943, when he was 9, he 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 (equivalent to $423 in 2022) in advertising revenue from neighborhood businesses.
- Was born only 9 miles south of Katie Couric's birthplace of Arlington, Virginia. They both worked on Today (1952).
- Graduated from George Washington High School, in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1951, at only age 17.
- Within a month of each other, both of his parents, Thelma Mattie (née Phillips) Scott and Willard Herman Scott Sr., died in late 1977. Thelma died on November 4, and 5 weeks later, Willard Sr., died on December 10 of that same year.
- Served in the U.S. Navy, from 1956 to 1958, as a seaman. At age 22, Scott recorded his feelings on November 23, 1956, the day before he enlisted.
- His first wife, Mary Ellen Dwyer, had passed away on October 28, 2002. She lived to be 66.
- After his death, he requested that he did not want a funeral.
- On Today (1952), Scott came in drag as Carmen Miranda, while doing the weather forecast, in 1983. He even said he used to dressed up like her, 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.
- Had announced his full retirement from Today (1952). On Scott's final day, Today held a tribute to Scott featuring taped highlights from his many years with the show. [11 December 2015].
- He was raised as and remained a fundamentalist Christian who considered becoming a minister before starting his broadcasting career.
- At George Washington High School, 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.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content