McDonald's first mascot was Speedee, a small chef character used in the company's early branding.
Speedee appeared in McDonald's signs and promotional material during the period when the restaurant emphasized its fast, efficient service. The character was represented as a chef and was often associated with the Speedee Service System developed by Richard and Maurice McDonald.
Speedee predates Ronald McDonald and the golden arches as the best-known public symbols of the company. The mascot was eventually replaced as McDonald's advertising shifted toward the arches and the expanding group of McDonaldland characters.
A common mix-up is assuming Ronald was always McDonald's mascot. Ronald McDonald became the company's dominant character in the early 1960s, while Speedee belonged to the earlier branding era.