Jay Ward was born in San Francisco, California. Ward's company, Jay Ward Productions, produced television animated series such as Crusader Rabbit (1950s), Rocky & Bullwinkle (also featuring Dudley Do-Right and Peabody and Sherman, late 1950s and early 1960s), Hoppity Hooper (mid 1960s), and George of the Jungle (also featuring Tom Slick and Super Chicken, in the late 1960s). Jay Ward Productions also designed the trademark characters for Cap'n Crunch, Quisp, and Quake breakfast cereals and made commercials for those products.

An eccentric and proud of it, Ward was known for pulling an unusual publicity stunt that happened to coincide with a major national crisis. Jay Ward actually bought an island in the area near his home and dubbed it "Moosylvania," based upon the home of his most famous TV character Bullwinkle. He and publicist Howard Brandy crossed the country in a circus wagon, gathering signatures on a petition for statehood for Moosylvania. They then visited Washington, DC and attempted to gain an audience with President John F. Kennedy. Unfortunately, they arrived at the White House just at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis and were escorted off the grounds at gunpoint.

In a running joke tribute to Jay Ward, many of his cartoon characters had the middle initial "J.", standing for "Jay". The creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, gave his cartoon character Homer Simpson the middle name "Jay" as a tribute to Jay Ward cartoons.

Jay Ward died in Hollywood, California, of kidney cancer. The Sunset Strip is still host to his production company (now managed by members of his family) and Dudley Do-Right's Emporium, which sells souvenirs based on his many characters. They are located across the street from the famous Chateau Marmont.

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