What corporate name did McDonald's adopt in 1960 when it formalized its expanding restaurant business?

McDonald's adopted the corporate name McDonald's Corporation in 1960.

The change reflected the rapid expansion of the restaurant system associated with Ray Kroc. The McDonald brothers had opened their original restaurant and developed the Speedee Service System, while Kroc built a larger franchising organization around that model. Formalizing the corporate identity helped distinguish the expanding business from an individual restaurant operation.

Before the change, the company used the name McDonald's System, Inc. That earlier name described the operating and franchising system, but McDonald's Corporation became the enduring corporate name associated with the worldwide chain.

The corporate-name change is separate from the development of the Golden Arches logo. The arches became a major visual symbol in 1962, two years later. It is also separate from the later creation of McDonald's branding campaigns, which changed repeatedly while the corporate name remained stable.