Willard Herman Scott, Jr. is an American media personality and author best known for his work on NBC's The Today Show and as the original creator and performer of the Ronald McDonald character.

Scott showed an early interest in broadcasting as a teenager, working as a 16-year old in 1950 as an NBC page at WRC-AM, NBC's owned-and-operated television station in Washington, D.C.. Scott then attended American University, where he worked alongside fellow student Ed Walker at WAMU-AM, the university's radio station . Scott became a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity while at American University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and religion.