McDonald's first mascot was Speedee.
Speedee was introduced in 1948, when Richard and Maurice McDonald reorganized their restaurant around the Speedee Service System. The smiling chef represented fast, standardized food preparation and appeared with a hamburger-shaped head and a chef's hat.
Speedee predates Ronald McDonald by more than a decade. Many people associate McDonald's branding only with the Golden Arches or Ronald, but Speedee was the chain's earliest major mascot. The name also connected directly to the brothers' emphasis on speed.
The mascot was gradually replaced as McDonald's developed a more family-oriented public image. Ronald McDonald debuted in 1963 and eventually became the brand's best-known character. Speedee nevertheless remains an important part of the company's early visual history.