Willard Herman Scott, Jr. was born on March 7, 1934 in Alexandria, Va. He was a graduate of American University with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and religion. He and a classmate, Ed Walker worked on a comic radio show, The Joy Boys, from 1955-1972. From 1956-1958, he took time out to serve in the Navy. He was also an actor whose television roles included Bozo the Clown (1959-1972) and the original Ronald McDonald, in the early 1960s.
He was the weatherman for NBC's "Today" show (1980-2015) for more than thirty years. He had no background in meteorology or any allied science. The job did not require it. In the 1990's, he and his NBC colleagues shared three Daytime Emmys for coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Willard Scott was a spokesperson for multiple charitable causes. He was also a pitchman for Howard Johnson Motor Lodges, True Value Hardware, the American Dairy Association and many more companies.
He was the author of Willard Scott's the Joy of Living (1982), Willard Scott's Down Home Stories (1984), Willard Scott's All-American Cookbook (1986), America is My Neighborhood (1987), The Older the Fiddle, the Better the Tune (2003), and If I Knew it Was Going to Be This Much Fun, I Would Have Become a Grandparent First (2004). He also wrote two mystery novels with Bill Crider, Murder Under Blue Skies (1998) and Murder in the Mist (1999).
Willard Scott, best known as the weather forecaster for NBC's "Today" show, died on September 4, 2021, at his farm in Delaplane, Va. He was 87.
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