Willard Scott Quotes

Powerful Willard Scott for Daily Growth

About Willard Scott

Willard Scott (June 7, 1934 – August 4, 2021) was an American television personality, actor, and author, best known for his long-running tenure as the original host of NBC's Today Show and creator of the character Boomer the Groundhog. Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Scott initially aspired to be a weatherman after developing an interest in meteorology during his time serving in the United States Air Force. His broadcasting career began at WRC-TV (now NBC4) in Washington, D.C., where he started working as a weather reporter in 1950. In 1956, Scott joined the Today Show as its first full-time weatherman and continued to work there for nearly forty years. During his tenure, he introduced the concept of the "weather girl," employing attractive women to present the weather forecast, a practice that became commonplace in television broadcasting. One of Scott's most enduring legacies is the creation of Boomer, the Groundhog meteorologist who predicts the length of winter based on Punxsutawney Phil's shadow. This character made its debut during the first-ever Groundhog Day celebration on the Today Show in 1986. Scott authored several books throughout his career, including "Willard Scott's Guide to Life" (1993) and "Willard: A Journal of My First 50 Years" (2004). In addition to his television work, he was a dedicated supporter of numerous charities and organizations, focusing particularly on children's causes. Scott's infectious charm, warm personality, and love for his craft made him a beloved figure in American popular culture. He retired from the Today Show in 2015 but continued to make occasional appearances until his death in 2021 at the age of 87. His legacy lives on as an iconic figure in broadcasting history.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Attitude is everything."

The quote by Willard Scott, "Attitude is everything," emphasizes that a person's perspective or outlook on life significantly influences their experiences and outcomes. A positive attitude can help one navigate challenges more effectively, foster resilience, and attract opportunities for success, while a negative attitude may hinder progress and limit personal growth. Ultimately, the quote suggests that maintaining a constructive attitude is key to achieving one's goals and living a fulfilling life.


"There's a wonderful old saying that the good Lord didn't create anything without a good purpose, but He gave us a mind to find it out."

This quote suggests that everything in existence has a meaningful purpose, even if we may not immediately understand it. It encourages curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge, as understanding the purpose requires thought and exploration with our minds. The quote emphasizes the importance of questioning, learning, and seeking out answers to better appreciate the world around us.


"Remember: It's never too late to be what you might have been."

This quote by Willard Scott encourages individuals to recognize that it is always possible to grow, change, and achieve one's potential, no matter the age or current circumstances. In other words, it is never too late to embrace personal growth, pursue dreams, and become the best version of oneself.


"The nicest thing about not planning is finding out how many things you learn along the way."

This quote highlights the value of spontaneity and discovery in life. Willard Scott suggests that not having a rigid plan can lead to unanticipated learning experiences as one navigates through life's journey, making it richer and more meaningful. It encourages an open-minded and adaptable approach to living, where opportunities for growth and personal development are found along the way.


"Life is a succession of moments, and to live each one we need to be awake."

This quote by Willard Scott emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment. He suggests that life consists of numerous discrete instances (moments) and that to fully appreciate these moments, we must be conscious or "awake," savoring each experience as it unfolds rather than being preoccupied with the past or future. In essence, the quote encourages us to live mindfully and seize the opportunities of the present moment.


August depresses me a little. I don't even feel like eating. And when I don't eat, that's a sure sign of stagnation.

- Willard Scott

Like, Sign, Sure, August

I'm not the dumbest guy that ever lived.

- Willard Scott

Guy, Lived, Ever, Dumbest

Remember Judy Garland? She retired 40 times.

- Willard Scott

Remember, She, Times, Judy

Why do we love our grandparents so much? Part of the reason I think has to do with the tremendous natural affection and affinity that kids have for older people, whether they are their actual grandparents or not.

- Willard Scott

Love, Think, Reason, Older People

Everyone complains about the weather, but nobody ever seems to do anything about it.

- Willard Scott

Everyone, About, Ever, Complains

Never slap a man who chews tobacco.

- Willard Scott

Man, Never, Slap, Tobacco

The best cookies of all in the world are the ones my daughter Sally makes. They come out all uniform with nice little air holes.

- Willard Scott

Best, Makes, Sally, Holes

Positive feelings come from being honest about yourself and accepting your personality, and physical characteristics, warts and all; and, from belonging to a family that accepts you without question.

- Willard Scott

Positive, Characteristics, Accepting

It was a big story and yesterday's soup. Who cares?

- Willard Scott

Yesterday, Big, Soup, Big Story

There is something endearing about the weatherman.

- Willard Scott

Something, About, Endearing

People over 100 are the fastest-growing group in America. People soon will be working 'til 100 - some because they have to - and living 'til 125 or even 135. What do I know, I'm just a weatherman, but I've made a hobby of studying this, and it's phenomenal.

- Willard Scott

America, Some, Soon, Phenomenal

When you hit the big time, big money, big egos, people don't talk. You have no friends.

- Willard Scott

Big, Big Money, Egos, No Friends

I think women can cope a lot better than men.

- Willard Scott

Think, Better, Lot, Cope

Now that I'm a grandfather myself, I realize that the best thing about having grandkids is that you get the kid for the best part of the ride - kind of like owning a car for only the first 10,000 miles. You can have your grandchildren for a couple of days and then turn them back over to the parents.

- Willard Scott

Kid, Part, Couple, Best Part

Nobody actually talks to anybody anymore. People in cubicles next to each other, they e-mail each other.

- Willard Scott

Next, Other, Actually, E-Mail

My grandmother's house - she ran it just like her grandmother and her great-grandmother. They didn't have electricity. They had wood stoves that never got cold.

- Willard Scott

Grandmother, Like, Had, Ran

In high school, I weighed 175 to 180. I looked like Abraham Lincoln. I was 6-foot-3, biggest thing in the class, but tall, not fat.

- Willard Scott

Like, Looked, Weighed, None

I loved Harry Truman with all my heart and soul.

- Willard Scott

Soul, Loved, Harry, All My Heart

My grandmother was a typical farm-family mother. She would regularly prepare dinner for thirty people, and that meant something was always cooking in the kitchen. All of my grandmother's recipes went back to her grandmother.

- Willard Scott

Prepare, Always, Meant, Kitchen

I still start to get panicky each morning before I go on television. I'll say, 'I'm in awful shape, something is wrong,' and if I start to look like I'm going off the deep end, Jimmy Straka, the stage manager, will say, 'You're all right. Calm down.' Then Bryant Gumbel will grab me by the leg or something.

- Willard Scott

Deep, Before, Awful, Grab

The only way to predict if there's a cloud on your horizon due to glaucoma is to get tested. No matter what the diagnosis, the forecast is for clear vision in the years ahead.

- Willard Scott

Ahead, Tested, Clear, Diagnosis

Take a microphone out of my hands, and I'm just plain folks.

- Willard Scott

Hands, Take, Plain, Microphone

I have always said that the best training to be a TV newsman or anybody on television is to do a children's show because you are oblivious to the fact that there is a camera there.

- Willard Scott

Fact, Always, TV, Oblivious

I've produced more pilots than United Airlines, and they've all been disasters. Every audition I ever took in my life I lost.

- Willard Scott

My Life, Audition, Took, Produced

I'm Southern Baptist, not a meteorologist.

- Willard Scott

Southern, Southern Baptist, Meteorologist

I get all fired up about aging in America.

- Willard Scott

Age, Fired, Get, Aging

When I was just starting out in the business, I used to love to watch Lorne Greene doing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I said right then, 'That's what I want to do someday,' and it's been one dream that has come true.

- Willard Scott

Love, Doing, Been, Starting

Tom Browkaw said it best. He said NBC could survive without him or the rest of the news division, but not Nancy Fields.

- Willard Scott

Rest, News, Survive, Nancy

As an only child, I never felt insecure and always had total love.

- Willard Scott

Love, Never, Always, Only Child

Having a phobia has changed me.

- Willard Scott

Me, Changed, Having, Phobia

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.