What was McDonald's first nationally famous clown mascot called?

McDonald's first nationally famous clown mascot was called Ronald McDonald.

Ronald McDonald was introduced in 1963 as a character designed to appeal especially to children. The first television portrayal was performed by Willard Scott, who had previously played a clown character called Bozo the Clown. McDonald's later developed Ronald into the central figure of a larger fictional world used in advertising and promotions.

The character's appearance included a red-and-yellow costume, bright red hair, and clown makeup. His name deliberately echoed the company name, making the mascot easy for audiences to associate with McDonald's.

Ronald was not McDonald's earliest mascot. Speedee represented the restaurant in the late 1940s and 1950s, while Ronald became the much more prominent public face of the brand during the television advertising era. Characters such as the Hamburglar and Grimace were introduced later as members of McDonald's fantasy advertising world.