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{{1._Official_Host_Infobox|title1 = Willard Scott|image1 = File:800px-Willard_Scott_1997.jpg|citizenship = American|known_for = |caption1 = Willard Scott in 1997.|occupation=Weather presenter, author, television personality, actor, clown, comedian, narrator, radio personality|Hosted=NBC's coverage of the Macy's Parade (1987 - 1997)|co-hosts=[[Mary Hart]] (1987)<br>[[Sandy Duncan]] (1988)<br>[[Deborah Norville]] (1989 - 1990)<br>[[Katie Couric]] (1991 - 1997)<br>[[Al Roker]] (1995 - 1997)|also known_for=The TODAY Show (1980 - 2015)}}
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'''Willard Herman Scott Jr.''' (March 7, 1934 - September 4, 2021) was an American weather presenter, author, television personality, actor, clown, comedian and radio personality, best known for his TV work on the Today show and as the creator and original portrayer of [[Ronald McDonald]].

==History with the Macy's Parade==
Scott first hosted the NBC coverage of the [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]] in [[The 61st Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|1987]], with [[Mary Hart]] as his co-host. For the 1988 telecast, Hart's role was taken over by [[Sandy Duncan]], who in turn was replaced by [[Deborah Norville]] for the [[The 63rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1989)|1989]] and [[The 64th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1990)|1990 Parades]]. He would later be joined by [[Katie Couric]] in [[The 65th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|1991]], and [[Al Roker]] in [[The 69th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|1995]]. He hosted the NBC broadcast for a decade, hosting for the final time in [[The 71st Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (1997)|1997]].

After retiring from hosting the NBC coverage of the parade, Scott would continue to appear in the Parade itself as a participant. In [[The 75th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|2001]], he was a pilgrim riding the [[Tom Turkey]] float, and in [[The 81st Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|2007]] he rode a 1925 Pierce-Arrow Town Car with that year's Macy's Parade Queen. He was originally meant to make an appearance on the [[Santaland Express]] float at the [[The 85th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|2011 Parade]], but he was unable to show up for undisclosed reasons.

On September 4, 2021, Scott passed away at 87. As a tribute to him, the NBC coverage of  [[The 95th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade|that year's Parade]] included a tribute to him.

[[Category:Hosts]]
[[Category:Former Hosts]]
[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:1987 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]]
[[Category:Deceased Hosts]]
[[Category:Deceased Celebrities]]