McDonald’s called its white-coated, food-studying McDonaldland character The Professor.
The Professor was one of the less prominent members of McDonaldland’s character cast. His appearance as an inventor or researcher complemented the fantasy setting, where characters were built around recognizable occupations and menu-related themes.
McDonaldland’s characters were not all equally important or equally long-lived. Ronald McDonald remained the central figure, while characters such as The Professor appeared less consistently in later advertising. This changing cast is one reason some older McDonald’s characters are difficult to identify today.
The Professor is distinct from Officer Big Mac, who was associated with policing the fictional community, and Captain Crook, whose pirate identity promoted the Filet-O-Fish. The white lab coat is the key visual clue for The Professor.