Who redesigned McDonald's two Golden Arches into the familiar letter M in 1962?

Jim Schindler redesigned McDonald's two Golden Arches into the familiar letter M in 1962.

Before the redesign, the arches were primarily architectural features placed on opposite sides of McDonald's buildings. Schindler, a McDonald's engineer and design employee, combined their outlines into a single symbol that could function independently from the restaurant structure.

This change was important because it made the arches useful on signs, packaging, uniforms, and advertising. The resulting golden M became a compact visual shorthand for the company and eventually became more recognizable than the buildings that inspired it.

Stanley Clark Meston is often named in connection with the arches because he designed the original restaurant architecture in 1952. Ray Kroc was the company's major franchising leader, but he did not create the 1962 logo redesign. Those roles explain why several names can be mistakenly attached to this branding milestone.