Recognizing 70 Years of Mcdonald's

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am the son of an immigrant from East St. Louis, IL. As a reminder to myself, I keep my mother's naturalization certificate on a table behind my desk in the U.S. Capitol. She came to the United States from Lithuania, fleeing oppression from the Soviet Union, when she was just 2 years old. Little did she know that her youngest son would go on to become a U.S. Senator.

This might be my personal story as the son of an immigrant, but it also is the story of America--the American dream. You can find stories like this everywhere, even in places you might least expect them. Take the story of McDonald's. Next week, McDonald's is celebrating 70 years of selling hamburgers, strengthening communities, and connecting people. Since 1971, Illinois has been home to the headquarters of McDonald's, but the multibillion-dollar hamburger chain's history with the Prairie State does not begin there.

In the 1920s, Richard ``Dick'' and Maurice ``Mac'' McDonald, two sons of Irish immigrants, headed to California to try their luck in Hollywood. By the 1940s, they had pivoted to the drive-in restaurant industry, opening their first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, CA. With their simple menu and signature Speedee Service System to efficiently serve a large number of customers, McDonald's soon became the talk of California. It was a success, and people noticed.

One of those people was Ray Kroc, a traveling salesman from Oak Park, IL. Kroc also was the son of immigrants, his parents were born in Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. Ray became enamored by Dick and Mac's business model and had a vision of expanding the chain across the Nation--with a goal of opening 1,000 restaurants in the U.S. Before long, Ray returned to Chicago with the rights in hand to establish McDonald's restaurants throughout the country. On April 15, 1955, Kroc opened his first McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, IL--the City of Destiny. Its first day of sales was $366.12, equivalent to about $4,374 today. A global franchise was born.

While this liberal arts lawyer is far from a high-rolling stock broker, I am not shy to say that I knew McDonald's was going to be a success. Not because of any sophisticated financial analysis or detailed market research--I just knew the McDonald's in East St. Louis was one of the few restaurants that always had a line.

Today, McDonald's operates 36,000 restaurants in more than 100 nations, and it bolsters economies across the country and world. And there are few more recognizable logos than the McDonald's Golden Arches. Crisscrossing the State of Illinois requires driving hundreds of miles on interstate highways. And after long stretches on the road, I have made my fair share of stops at the Golden Arches. So many stops, in fact, that my wife Loretta and my chief of staff conspired to institute a rule: No more pit stops at McDonald's.

You also are sure find McDonald's on your international travels. In fact, I remember being in Moscow when the first McDonald's opened in Pushkin Square. It was January 31, 1990, and I remember seeing the dreary grey colors of the former Soviet Union punctuated by the Golden Arches. It was a vision of hope for many, representing the possibilities available under a free society.

But the reach of McDonald's goes beyond hamburgers and french fries. If you are a parent whose child is dealing with the devastation of illness, you have heard of Ronald McDonald House. Providing housing, resources, and support for families with children who are ill or injured, the nearly hundreds of Ronald McDonald House programs across the world keep families traveling for their child's medical needs cared for and together. And McDonald's helps make this effort a reality.

The story of McDonald's is one of three sons of immigrants using their drive, ingenuity, and ambition to go from a local drive-in restaurant to one of the most profitable businesses the world has ever known. While the days of 15-cent hamburgers and 20-cent cheeseburgers may be gone, the economic contributions and storied history of McDonald's continues to strengthen Illinois and our Nation. I am grateful Chicago is home to such a treasured American franchise that reminds us of the promise of America.

Congratulations to McDonald's on 70 years of leaving a lasting impact.

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