What training program did McDonald's launch in 1961 for restaurant staff and franchisees?

McDonald’s launched Hamburger University in 1961 as a training program for restaurant staff, managers, and franchisees.

The first class consisted of 14 people and met in the basement of a McDonald’s restaurant. Fred L. Turner, who began as a grill cook, helped operate the program and later became McDonald’s chief executive. The curriculum focused on restaurant operations, service, procedures, and leadership rather than academic hamburger-making.

Hamburger University later moved to McDonald’s Oak Brook, Illinois, headquarters and relocated with the company to Chicago’s West Loop in 2018. McDonald’s also established international campuses, including sites in Tokyo, London, Sydney, Munich, São Paulo, and Shanghai.

The name can cause confusion because it sounds like a conventional college. It is a corporate university, and its “Hamburgerology” credentials refer to McDonald’s management training—not a traditional university degree.