James Walter Nolan Jr. (25 September 1918 – 6 March 2004), known as Uncle Jimmy, was a television personality in

Yakima, Washington Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The ...

. During his 28-year career, Nolan held the various roles as announcer, newsman, weatherman, program director and the role he is best known for, the eponymous host of children's birthday show ''Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse''.

Early life

Known as "Bud" by his family, Nolan was born in

Moscow, Idaho Moscow ( ) is a city and the county seat of Latah County, Idaho. Located in the North Central Idaho, North Central region of the state along the border with Washington (state), Washington, it had a population of 25,435 at the 2020 United States ...

, on 25 September 1918. His family moved later to

Cowiche, Washington Cowiche (pronounced ''Cow-witch-ee'') is a census-designated place and unincorporated community northwest of Yakima, Washington, near the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountain range, in central Washington State (US). Cowiche, sometimes spel ...

where they operated two apple orchards. Nolan graduated in 1936 from Cowiche High School, where he was active in tennis, debate and served as student body president.

Career

Nolan attended

Washington State College Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant universities in the American West. With an un ...

in Pullman where he received a BA in Speech in 1940. His first broadcasting job was at KUJ, an AM radio station in

Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,339 as of 2023. The combined populat ...

in 1940, where he met his wife-to-be, Esther Rehberg. Nolan served in the US Army from 1942 until 1946. In 1946 he went to work at KIT radio station in Yakima.

Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse

In 1953, Nolan left KIT radio and joined local Yakima television station KIMA as program director, and later the same year, on-air talent. Nolan hosted the half-hour live ''Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse'' show which was broadcast on weekday afternoons from July 20, 1953, the station's second day on the air, until the late 1970s. The show featured children whose birthdays occurred on or near the date of broadcast. During each show, Nolan would interview each birthday child, play short cartoon clips and promote sponsors' products. Nolan would later claim that more than 20,000 children appeared on ''Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse'' during its run.

Retirement

Shortly after retiring in 1981, Nolan moved to Purdy near

Gig Harbor Gig Harbor () is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington. The population was 12,029 at the 2020 census. Gig Harbor bills itself as "the Maritime City" and maintains a strong connection to its ...

. Nolan returned to Yakima in the summer of 2003 to tape five reunion episodes of "Uncle Jimmy's Clubhouse." Nolan lived in the Gig Harbor area until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nolan, James Jr. 1918 births 2004 deaths American television hosts Washington State University alumni People from Yakima, Washington