Willard Scott Was the First Ronald McDonald

Long before he became America's favorite weatherman on NBC's Today Show, Willard Scott donned a very different costume: the original Ronald McDonald. In 1963, Scott created and portrayed the hamburger-happy clown for McDonald's restaurants in Washington, D.C., launching one of the most recognizable mascots in advertising history.

Scott's journey to becoming Ronald McDonald started when he played Bozo the Clown on WRC-TV in Washington from 1959 to 1962. Local McDonald's franchisees had enjoyed incredible customer attendance whenever Bozo appeared at their stores. When the station cancelled the Bozo show in 1962, the franchisees didn't want to lose their clown-powered sales boost—they asked Scott to create a brand new character specifically for McDonald's.

A Very Different Clown

The 1963 Ronald McDonald looked nothing like the friendly, red-haired clown we know today. Scott's bizarre costume featured:

• A small paper cup worn over his nose
• A cardboard food tray on his head as a hat
• Another cardboard tray mounted above his pants containing a complete McDonald's meal
• The meal "magically" replenished every time a hamburger disappeared

The character debuted in three local television advertisements in the D.C. area, created by advertising executive Oscar Goldstein, who also owned a McDonald's franchise. Scott introduced himself as "Ronald McDonald, the Hamburger-Happy Clown," a phrase that became the character's early tagline.

From Fast Food to Forecast

Scott portrayed Ronald McDonald from 1963 through 1967, appearing in commercials and even narrating a 45 rpm recording of "The Night Before Christmas" for a 1963 holiday promotion. But his clown days were numbered—McDonald's was planning national expansion, and they wanted a different look for their mascot.

Scott went on to become a television legend in his own right. He joined NBC's Today Show in 1980, where he served as weatherman for thirty years. He became famous for his enthusiastic delivery, his willingness to don costumes, and his beloved tradition of celebrating centenarians' birthdays on air. When he passed away in September 2021 at age 87 on his Virginia farm, he was remembered not just as the original Ronald McDonald, but as a warm, generous personality who brought joy to millions of viewers.

Meanwhile, the character he created evolved dramatically. McDonald's redesigned Ronald McDonald with the now-iconic red hair, yellow jumpsuit, and less surreal accessories. The clown became a global phenomenon, recognized by children worldwide—though few realized it all started with a weatherman in a cardboard hat.