Summer Fun: Remembering Gilligan’s Island

The Skipper’s Name Was Jonah Grumby (and It Was Hardly Ever Said)

The Skipper’s actual name wasn’t Skipper – that’s just a nickname! His real name was Jonah Grumby, and it was only ever uttered in full during the pilot episode of the show.

The Skipper has an intense military background, which is perhaps why it’s fitting that all the flags in the opening are held at half mast to honor JFK’s death. The Skipper was supposed to have served with both John F. Kennedy and McHale’s navy. We’re still wondering if he was so well trained, how it was nearly impossible to fix a hole in the bottom of a boat? Oh well!