View source for Ray Kroc

{{Short description|American business magnate (1902–1984)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Ray Kroc
| image              = Ray kroc 1976.jpg
| caption            = Kroc in 1976
| birth_name         = Raymond Albert Kroc
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1902|10|5}}
| birth_place        = [[Oak Park, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1984|1|14|1902|10|5}}
| death_place        = [[San Diego]], California, U.S.
| resting_place      = [[El Camino Memorial Park]]
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Ethel Fleming|1922|1961|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Jane Dobbins Green|1963|1968|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Joan Kroc|Joan Smith]]|1969<!--Omission per Template:Marriage instructions-->}}
}}
| children           = 1
| footnotes          = <ref name=NewsmakersObit>{{cite book|chapter=Ray Kroc|title=Newsmakers|location=[[Detroit Michigan]]|year=1985|publisher=[[Gale (publisher)|Gale]]|series=Biography In Context|access-date=June 12, 2011|chapter-url=http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=BIC2&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CK1618001946&mode=view&userGroupName=fairfax_main&jsid=c4208689c7254839acf3cc005a3a08f8|id=Gale Document Number: <nowiki>GALE|K1618001946</nowiki>|chapter-format=Fee, via [[Fairfax County Public Library]]}}</ref><ref name=Cicarelli>{{cite book|first=James|last=Cicarelli|chapter=Ray Kroc|title=Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures|editor1=Arnold Markoe|editor2=Kenneth T. Jackson|editor2-link=Kenneth T. Jackson|location=New York|publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons]]|year=2003|access-date=June 12, 2011|chapter-url=http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=BIC2&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CK3436600323&mode=view&userGroupName=fairfax_main&jsid=15251434666537d68f593461b0d0d112|chapter-format=Fee, via [[Fairfax County Public Library]]}} Gale Biography In Context.</ref><ref name=Anderson1977>{{cite news|first=Robert|last=Anderson|date=March 2009|work=Success|title=Ray Kroc How He Made McDonald's Sizzle|access-date=June 13, 2011|url=http://www.successmagazine.com/From-the-Archives-Ray-Kroc-/PARAMS/article/580/channel/19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531044807/http://www.successmagazine.com/From-the-Archives-Ray-Kroc-/PARAMS/article/580/channel/19|archive-date=May 31, 2011}} (excerpt from September 1977 article)</ref>
}}

'''Raymond Albert Kroc''' (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American [[businessperson|businessman]] who was instrumental in turning [[McDonald's]] into the most successful global [[fast food restaurant|fast food corporation]] by [[revenue]]. He purchased it from the [[Richard and Maurice McDonald|McDonald Brothers]] in 1961, after several years as their [[franchising]] agent, and served as the leader of the company until his death.

Kroc was born in [[Oak Park, Illinois]], and worked a variety of jobs, including as a [[paper cup]] salesman and a musician, before eventually becoming a [[Milkshake machine|milkshake mixer]] salesman. In 1954, he visited a hamburger restaurant in [[San Bernardino, California]], owned by Richard and Maurice McDonald. Kroc was impressed with the efficiency and speed of the restaurant's operations, and he convinced the brothers to allow him to franchise the concept.

Under Kroc's leadership, McDonald's grew rapidly due to Kroc's focus on aggressive expansion, opening new restaurants across the United States and eventually internationally. Kroc became the owner of McDonald's Corporation in 1961 and is credited as its founder, due to his influence as a franchise agent and principal role in the company's expansion, despite not having founded the company.<ref name="People">{{cite news|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20065264,00.html|title=The Mc Donald's Man: What Ray Kroc Hath Wrought Around the World|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=May 19, 1975|access-date=November 9, 2013|archive-date=March 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330154331/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20065264,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Kroc served as president of McDonald's from 1955 to 1968, as chairman of the board from 1968 to 1977, and as senior chairman from 1977 until his death in 1984. During his lifetime Kroc was an active supporter of numerous charitable organizations. He owned the [[San Diego Padres]] of [[Major League Baseball]] from 1974 until his widow, [[Joan Kroc]], sold the team in 1990. [https://www.britannica.com/money/Ray-Kroc]

==Early life==
Raymond Albert Kroc was born on October 5, 1902, in [[Oak Park, Illinois]], near [[Chicago]], to [[Czech Americans|Czech-American]] parents, Rose Mary [''née'' Hrach] (1881–1959) and Alois "Louis" Kroc (1879–1937).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?zid=38c2ee89d1919f9df03372691f627ba7&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CK3436600323&userGroupName=fairfax_main&jsid=e075ae099668deaed5fb362e7ed0684a|title=Gale - Product Login}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/371632186/?article=2fdc7f47-1782-4a10-85bc-e10bb262aef9|title=7 Jan 1959, 40 - Chicago Tribune at Newspapers.com|website=Newspapers.com|language=en|access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref> Alois was born in Horní Stupno, part of [[Břasy]] near [[Rokycany]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.portafontium.eu/iipimage/30069056/stupno-17_2430-n?x=93&y=142&w=333&h=234|title=Stupno 17 {{!}} Porta fontium|website=www.portafontium.eu|access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref> Rose's father Vojtěch was from [[Ševětín]] and her maternal grandfather Josef Kotilínek was from [[Bořice]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/DA?menu=3&id=7788&page=20&x=1524&y=2147&z=40|title=DigiArchiv of SRA Trebon - ver. 20.03.13|website=digi.ceskearchivy.cz|access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digi.ceskearchivy.cz/DA?menu=3&id=6841&page=18|title=DigiArchiv of SRA Trebon - ver. 20.03.13|website=digi.ceskearchivy.cz|access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref> After emigrating to America, Alois made a fortune speculating on land during the 1920s, only to lose everything with the [[Crash of 1929|stock market crash in 1929]].<ref name="Napoli_Ray_Joan">{{cite book|first=Lisa|last=Napoli|title=Ray and Joan: The Man Who Made the Mcdonald's Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away|publisher=[[Dutton Publishing]]|date=2016|isbn=978-1101984956|location=New York City|page=28}}</ref>

At the age of 15, Kroc made the decision to leave high school, contrary to his parents' wishes. Following the United States' entry into [[World War I]], he lied about his age in order to enlist with the [[American Red Cross]] as an [[ambulance driver]]. However, his service was short-lived, as the war concluded shortly after his enlistment.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kroc|first1=Ray|last2=Anderson|first2=Robert|title=Grinding it out: the making of McDonald's|date=1987|publisher=St. Martin's Paperbacks|location=[New York]|isbn=978-0-312-92987-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/grindingitoutmak00kroc_0/page/19 19]|edition=St. Martin's paperback|url=https://archive.org/details/grindingitoutmak00kroc_0/page/19}}</ref><ref name="UNH">{{cite web |title=Raymond "Ray" Kroc |website=Rosenberg International Franchise Center |publisher=University of New Hampshire |url=https://paulcollege.unh.edu/rosenberg/pioneers/raymond-ray-kroc |access-date=1 December 2024}}</ref> During the 1920s and throughout the [[Great Depression]], Kroc worked a variety of jobs, including a paper-cup salesman, a Florida [[real estate agent]], and a pianist in multiple [[Musical ensemble|bands]].<ref name="UNH"/><ref name="Inc.2008">{{cite book|author=Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.|title=Britannica Guide to 100 Most Influential Americans|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UbicAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA342|date=October 1, 2008|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.|isbn=978-1-59339-857-6|pages=342}}</ref>

==McDonald's==
[[File:McDonalds Museum.jpg|thumb|right|263px|Ray Kroc's first ([[History of McDonald's#Timeline|McDonald's ninth]]) restaurant, which opened April 1955 in [[Des Plaines, Illinois]]]]
After World War II, Kroc found employment as a milkshake mixer salesman for the foodservice equipment manufacturer Prince Castle.<ref name="Snyder2010">{{cite book|author=Neil Snyder|title=Vision, Values, and Courage: Leadership for Quality Management|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ifEVvFvPVTkC&pg=PA133|date=June 15, 2010|publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]]|location=New York City|isbn=978-1-4516-0252-4|pages=133}}</ref> When Prince Castle mixers sales plummeted because of competition from lower-priced [[Hamilton Beach Brands|Hamilton Beach]] products, Kroc was intrigued by [[Richard and Maurice McDonald]], who had purchased eight of his mixers for their restaurant in [[San Bernardino, California]]. Kroc visited the brothers in 1954 to see why they were making so many milkshakes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our History: Ray Kroc & The McDonald's Brothers |url=https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-us/our-history.html|access-date=2021-09-12|website=McDonald's|language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ray Kroc |url=https://americandreamstory.com/ray-kroc-mcdonalds-founder/ |access-date=November 19, 2024 |website=American Dream Story|date=November 18, 2024 }}</ref>

After finalizing a franchise agreement with the McDonald brothers, Kroc sent a letter to [[Walt Disney]]. They had met as ambulance attendant trainees in [[Old Greenwich, Connecticut]], during World War I. Kroc wrote, "I have very recently taken over the national franchise of the McDonald's system. I would like to inquire if there may be an opportunity for a McDonald's in your Disney Development." According to one account, Disney agreed but with a stipulation to increase the price of fries from ten cents to fifteen cents, allowing himself the profit. Kroc refused to gouge his loyal customers, leaving [[Disneyland]] to open without a McDonald's restaurant. Writer [[Eric Schlosser]], writing in his book ''[[Fast Food Nation]]'', believes that this is a doctored retelling of the transaction by some McDonald's marketing executives. The proposal was likely returned without approval.<ref name=Schlosser2002>{{cite book|last=Schlosser|first=Eric|author-link=Eric Schlosser|title=Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal|location=New York City|publisher=[[Harper Collins Publishers]]|year=2002|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yNFN1OpnkBkC&q=kroc+disney&pg=PA33|isbn=978-0-395-97789-7}}</ref>

Kroc has been credited with making a number of innovative changes in the food-service franchise model. Chief among them was the sale of only single-store franchises instead of selling larger, territorial franchises which was common in the industry at the time. Kroc recognized that the sale of exclusive licenses for large markets was the quickest way for a franchisor to make money, but he also saw in the practice a loss in the franchisor's ability to exert control over the course and direction of a chain's development. Above all else, and in keeping with contractual obligations with the McDonald brothers, Kroc wanted uniformity in service and quality among all of the McDonald's locations. Without the ability to influence franchisees, Kroc knew that it would be difficult to achieve that goal. By granting a franchisee the right to only one store location at a time, Kroc retained for the franchise some measure of control over the franchisee, or at least those desiring to someday own the rights to another store.<ref>{{Cite book|title=McDonald's: Behind The Arches|last=Love|first=John|publisher=[[Bantam Books]]|year=1995|isbn=978-0-553-34759-3|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9785699197361/page/57 57–60]|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9785699197361/page/57}}</ref>

Kroc became frustrated with the McDonald brothers' desire to maintain a small number of restaurants. The brothers also consistently told Kroc he could not make changes to things such as the original blueprint, but despite Kroc's pleas, the brothers never sent any formal letters that legally allowed the changes in the chain. In 1961, he bought the company for $2.7 million, the figure that the brothers gave him when pressed for an amount. Kroc went "ballistic" over hearing the amount and asked if he could pay it incrementally, but the brothers refused.<ref name=":0" /> Obtaining the funds for the buyout was difficult due to existing debt from expansion. However, [[Harry J. Sonneborn|Harry Sonneborn]], whom Kroc referred to as his "financial wizard", was able to raise the required funds.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/197544|title=Ray Kroc|date=October 9, 2008|website=Entrepreneur|language=en|access-date=May 29, 2019}}</ref>

At the closing, Kroc became annoyed that the brothers would not transfer to him the real estate and rights to the original San Bernardino location. The brothers had told Kroc they were giving the operation, property and all, to the founding employees. In his anger, Kroc later opened a new McDonald's restaurant near the original McDonald's, which had been renamed the Big M because the brothers had neglected to retain rights to the name. Kroc felt that no one would want to eat at a restaurant called "Kroc's" and therefore was adamant about obtaining the rights to "McDonald's".<ref name=":0" />

After Kroc opened the nearby McDonald's, the Big M eventually closed.<ref>{{cite book|title=Grinding It Out|url=https://archive.org/details/grindingitoutmak00kroc|url-access=registration|year=1977<!--|first=R. -->|last=Kroc|page=[https://archive.org/details/grindingitoutmak00kroc/page/123 123]|publisher=H. Regnery |isbn=978-0-8092-8259-3}}</ref> It is alleged that as part of the buyout Kroc promised, based on a handshake agreement, to continue the annual 1% royalty of the original agreement, but there is no evidence of this beyond a claim by a nephew of the McDonald brothers. Neither of the brothers publicly expressed disappointment over the deal. Speaking to someone about the buyout, Richard McDonald reportedly said that he had no regrets.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/16/business/richard-mcdonald-89-fast-food-revolutionary.html|title=Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary|last=Gilpin|first=Kenneth N.|date=July 16, 1998|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 21, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Kroc maintained the [[assembly line]] "Speedee Service System" for hamburger preparation that was introduced by the McDonald brothers in 1948. He [[standardization|standardized operations]], ensuring every burger would taste the same in every restaurant. He set strict rules for franchisees on how the food was to be made, portion sizes, cooking methods and times, and packaging. Kroc also rejected cost-cutting measures like using soybean filler in the hamburger patties. These strict rules also were applied to customer service standards with such mandates that money be refunded to clients whose orders were not correct or to customers who had to wait more than five minutes for their food.

By the time of Kroc's death in 1984, McDonald's had 7,500 outlets in the United States and in 31 other countries and territories.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ray-Kroc|title=Ray Kroc {{!}} American businessman|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=May 29, 2019}}</ref> The total system-wide sales of its restaurants were more than $8 billion in 1983, and his personal fortune amounted to some $600 million.<ref name=NYTobit/>

==Baseball==
Kroc retired from running McDonald's in 1973.  While he was looking for new challenges, he decided to return to baseball, which was his lifelong favorite sport. One day, while sitting in his yacht in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], he read in the newspaper that the [[San Diego Padres]] were for sale.<ref>{{cite web|last=Castrovince|first=Anthony|title=How the Padres nearly moved to D.C.|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/padres-nearly-became-the-washington-stars|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|website=[[MLB.com]]|date=December 20, 2021|access-date=August 16, 2024}}</ref> The team had been conditionally sold to Joseph Danzansky, a [[Washington, D.C.]] grocery-chain owner, who planned to move the Padres to Washington.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chandler|first=Bob|title=Bob Chandler's Tales from the San Diego Padres|year=2006|publisher=Sports Pub.|location=Champaign, IL|isbn=978-1-59670-024-6|page=71|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8NgXMYfIfBoC&q=%22Bob%20Chandler's%20Tales%20from%20the%20San%20Diego%20Padres%22&pg=PA71|access-date=February 10, 2015|ref=chandler2006}}</ref> However, the sale was tied up in lawsuits when Kroc purchased the team for $12 million, keeping the team in San Diego.<ref name=chandler2006p73>[[#chandler2006|Chandler 2006]], p. 73.</ref><ref name=lockwood10021984>{{cite news|last=Lockwood|first=Wayne|title=Ray Kroc's dream finally materializes|date=October 2, 1984|newspaper=The San Diego Union|page=Baseball-12}}</ref> In Kroc's first year of ownership in [[1974 San Diego Padres season|1974]], the Padres lost 102 games yet drew over one million in attendance, the standard of box office success in the major leagues during that era.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-25 |title=Ray Kroc saved baseball for San Diego 50 years ago today |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/01/25/ray-kroc-saved-baseball-for-san-diego-50-years-ago-today/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-01-27 |title=1974: Ray Kroc gives S.D. Padres a second life |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2019/01/27/1974-ray-kroc-gives-sd-padres-a-second-life/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref> Their previous highest attendance figure was 644,772 in [[1972 San Diego Padres season|1972]].<ref name=chandler2006p73/> The ''[[San Diego Union-Tribune|San Diego Union]]'' said Kroc was "above all, a fan of his team".<ref name=lockwood10021984/>

On April 9, 1974, while the Padres were on the brink of losing a 9–5 decision to the [[Houston Astros]] in the season opener at [[San Diego Stadium]], Kroc took the public address microphone in front of 39,083 fans. "I've never seen such stupid ballplaying in my life," he said. The crowd cheered in approval.<ref name=lockwood10021984/><ref>[[#chandler2006|Chandler 2006]], pp. 74–76.</ref> In 1979, Kroc's public interest in future [[free agent]] players [[Graig Nettles]] and [[Joe Morgan]] drew a $100,000 fine from Commissioner [[Bowie Kuhn]]. Frustrated with the team, he handed over operations of the team to his stepson-in-law, [[Ballard F. Smith|Ballard Smith]].<ref>{{cite news|title=All in family|date=September 25, 1976|newspaper=The Herald-News|page=A-14|agency=AP|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-news/155713356/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref><ref name=bock/> "There's more future in hamburgers than baseball," Kroc said.<ref name=bock>{{cite news|last=Bock|first=Hal|title=Miller Presaged Kroc Escapade|date=August 27, 1979|newspaper=Lawrence Journal-World|agency=Associated Press|page=14|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RaUyAAAAIBAJ&pg=6674%2C6538077|access-date=February 10, 2015}}</ref>

After his death, the Padres in 1984 wore a special patch with Kroc's initials: RAK.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://miscbaseball.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/ray-kroc-san-diego-padres-owner-and-man-who-built-mcdonalds/|title=Ray Kroc, San Diego Padres Owner and Man who Built McDonald's|work=Misc. Baseball|date=March 2, 2010}}</ref> They won the NL pennant that year against his hometown team [[Chicago Cubs]] and played in the [[1984 World Series]], which they lost to the [[Detroit Tigers]]. Kroc was inducted posthumously as part of the inaugural class of the [[San Diego Padres Hall of Fame]] in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|title=Padres Hall of Fame|work=padres.mlb.com|url=http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/sd/history/sd_padres_hof.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816175529/http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/sd/history/sd_padres_hof.jsp|archive-date=August 16, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Personal life==

=== Philanthropy and awards ===
The Kroc Foundation supported research, treatment and education about various medical conditions, such as [[alcoholism]], [[diabetes]], [[arthritis]] and [[multiple sclerosis]]. It is best known for establishing the [[Ronald McDonald House]], a [[nonprofit organization]] that provides free housing for parents close to medical facilities where their children are receiving treatment.<ref name=NYTobit/><ref name="legacy">{{cite news |last=Pompilio |first=Natalie |date=October 12, 2013 |title=Joan Kroc, Unconventional Philanthropist |work=[[Legacy.com]] |url=http://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-trends/article/joan-kroc-unconventional-philanthropist |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref>

In 1973, Kroc received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org |publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]] |url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#business}}</ref>

=== Politics ===
A lifelong [[U.S. Republican Party|Republican]], Kroc believed firmly in self-reliance and staunchly opposed government welfare and the [[New Deal]]. Kroc donated $255,000 to [[Richard Nixon]]'s [[Richard Nixon 1972 presidential campaign|reelection campaign in 1972]], and he was controversially accused by some, notably Senator [[Harrison A. Williams|Harrison Williams]], of making the donation to influence Nixon to veto a [[minimum wage]] bill making its way through Congress.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://people.com/archive/the-mc-donalds-man-what-ray-kroc-hath-wrought-around-the-world-vol-3-no-19 |title=The McDonald's Man: What Ray Kroc Hath Wrought Around the World |first=Ralph |last=Novak |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=19 May 1975 |access-date=July 18, 2017}}</ref>

=== Family ===
Kroc met Ethel Fleming in 1919, married in 1922, and then moved to [[Chicago]], divorcing in 1961. Together, they had Kroc's only child, daughter Marilyn (1924–1973).<ref>{{cite book |last=Mattern |first=Joanne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a-XPBQAAQBAJ&dq=ethel+fleming&pg=PA7 |title=Ray Kroc: McDonald's Restaurants Builder |publisher=Abdo Publishing |location=Minneapolis, Minnesota |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-62968-890-9 |page=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Marilyn Janet “Lynn” Kroc Barg |url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/90263124/marilyn_janet-barg |website=Find a Grave}}</ref> He married Jane Dobbins Green in 1963, divorcing her in 1968.<ref name="legacy" /> [[File:Joan-b-kroc-philanthropist-by-bill-cramer.jpg|thumb|Joan B. Kroc in 1987]]
He married his third wife, [[Joan Kroc|Joan Smith]] ([[Birth name#Maiden and married names|née]] Mansfield) in 1969. Joan Kroc was a [[philanthropy|philanthropist]] who significantly increased her charitable contributions after Ray Kroc's death. She donated to a variety of causes that interested her, such as the promotion of peace and preventing [[nuclear proliferation]].<ref name="legacy" /> Upon her death in 2003, her remaining $2.7 [[billion]] estate was distributed among a number of nonprofit organizations, including $1.5 billion donation to [[The Salvation Army]] to build 26 [[Kroc Center]]s, along with a $200 million donation to [[National Public Radio]] as she believed deeply in the power of public radio.<ref name="Cicarelli" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kroc Leaves NPR Record Gift |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1494600 |access-date=2020-11-06 |website=NPR |language=en}}</ref> In addition to that, she also donated to community centers serving socially deprived neighborhoods throughout the country.<ref name="Sullivan">{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Paul |date=January 20, 2017 |title=Kroc's Giving, Like McDonald's Meals, Was Fast and Super-Sized |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/your-money/ray-joan-kroc-mcdonalds-fortune-philanthropy.html |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref>

=== Health ===
In 1980, following a [[stroke]], Kroc entered an alcohol rehabilitation facility.<ref name="LATIMEs1">{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Scott|title=Dismayed by Nuclear Arms Race : McDonald's Fortune Fuels Joan Kroc's Peace Effort|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-13-mn-15799-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|date=October 13, 1985 |access-date=January 24, 2017}}</ref> He died four years later of [[heart failure]] at a hospital in San Diego on January 14, 1984, at the age of 81.<ref name="NYTobit">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1005.html|title=Ray A. Kroc dies at 81. Built McDonald's Chain|last=Pace|first=Eric|author-link=Eric Pace|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 15, 1984|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108214615/https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1005.html|archive-date=November 8, 2017|access-date=January 13, 2020}}</ref> He was buried at the [[El Camino Memorial Park]] in [[Sorrento Valley, San Diego]].<ref name="Napoli_Ray_Joan" />

==In popular culture==
Kroc's acquisition of the McDonald's franchise as well as his "Kroc-style" business tactics are the subject of [[Mark Knopfler]]'s 2004 song "[[Boom, Like That]]".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Bulletin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wrYxAQAAIAAJ|year=2004|publisher=J. Haynes and J.F. Archibald}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Franchise Times|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0AgtAQAAMAAJ|year=2005|publisher=Restaurant Finance Corporation}}</ref>

Kroc co-authored the book ''Grinding It Out'', first published in 1977 and reissued in 2016; it served as the basis for a biographical movie about Kroc.<ref>{{cite news|last=Taunton|first=Paul|title=Head honcho Ray Kroc was a bully, and other things we learned from Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's|url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/books/book-reviews/five-takeaways-from-ray-krocs-grinding-it-out-the-making-of-mcdonalds|work=[[National Post]]|date=August 11, 2016}}</ref>

[[Michael Keaton]] portrayed Kroc in the 2016 [[John Lee Hancock]] film ''[[The Founder]]''. The film's depiction of Kroc's franchise development, nationwide expansion, and ultimate acquisition of McDonald's offered a critical view of his treatment of the founding McDonald brothers.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lapin|first1=Andrew|title='The Founder': Michael Keaton Brings A Ruthless Ray Kroc To Life, With Relish|website=[[NPR]] |date=January 19, 2017 |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/01/19/509550745/the-founder-michael-keaton-brings-a-ruthless-ray-kroc-to-life-with-relish|publisher=NPR|access-date=January 25, 2017}}</ref>

Kroc is featured in the documentary series ''[[The Food That Built America]]'' on the [[History (American TV network)|History]] channel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Food That Built America Podcast|url=https://www.history.com/the-food-that-built-america-podcast|date=2020|access-date=April 26, 2021|publisher=[[History (American TV network)|History]]|language=en}}</ref>

Kroc is featured in [[Tim Harford]]'s [[BBC World Service]] radio show ''[[50 Things That Made the Modern Economy]]'' in the episode, "Fast food franchise", which depicts the boom that his franchisee model provided for the fast food industry.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fast food franchise|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csz2xd|website=[[BBC News]]|access-date=2020-12-23|language=en}}</ref>

Kroc was critical of workers [[Right to sit|sitting]] or leaning while at work. In the 1960s, Kroc used the catchphrase "If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/28/sitting-at-work-employees-rest-worker-rights |title='Not for employee use': why are US retail workers being denied chairs? |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 28, 2023 |accessdate=2024-11-02 |last1=Demopoulos |first1=Alaina }}</ref> According to ''[[Jacobin (magazine)|Jacobin]]'' writer Alex N. Press, the catchphrase has become popular with managers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jacobin.com/2021/10/standing-sitting-workers-america-california-aldi |title=Stop Forcing Workers to Stand on the Job |publisher=[[Jacobin (magazine)|Jacobin]] |accessdate=2024-11-02}}</ref>

==See also==
* {{annotated link|Den Fujita}}
* [[History of McDonald's]] 
* [[List of ambulance drivers during World War I]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last1=Boas|first1=Max|first2=Steve|last2=Chain|title=Big Mac: The Unauthorized Story of McDonald's|url=https://archive.org/details/bigmacunauthoriz00boas|url-access=registration|year=1976|location=New York|publisher=E. P. Dutton|isbn=978-0-525-06675-0}}
* Byers, Paula K., and Suzanne M. Bourgion (eds.). (1997). ''Encyclopedia of World Biography''. Detroit: Gale Research. {{ISBN|978-0-787-62221-3}}. s.v. "Kroc, Raymond."
* {{cite book|last=Emerson|first=Robert L.|title=The New Economics of Fast Food|year=1990|location=New York|publisher=Van Nostrand Reinhold|isbn=978-0-442-23431-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/neweconomicsoffa0000emer}}
* {{cite book|last=Kincheloe|first=Joe L.|title=The Sign of the Burger: McDonald's and the Culture of Power|year=2002|publisher=Temple University Press|location=Philadelphia|isbn=978-1-56639-931-9|oclc=47140812|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jo88ePT5m0UC}}
* {{cite book|last1=Kroc|first1=Ray|last2=Anderson|first2=Robert|title=Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's|year=1977|location=Chicago|publisher=Henry Regnery Company|isbn=978-0-8092-8259-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wm8hAQAAIAAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Love|first=John F.|title=McDonald's: Behind the Arches|year=1986|location=New York|publisher=Bantam Books|isbn=978-0-553-05127-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ujjPqahQ2F0C|access-date=June 12, 2011}}
* {{cite book|last=Mattern|first=Joanne|title=Ray Kroc: McDonald's Restaurants Builder
|publisher=ABDO|year=2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3DWEZGzpymAC|access-date=June 12, 2011|isbn=978-1-61613-559-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Reiter|first=Ester|title=Making Fast Food: From the Frying Pan into the Fryer|year=1991|location=Buffalo|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press|isbn=978-0-7735-0843-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Simpson|first=Janice Claire|title=Ray Kroc: Big Mac Man|year=1978|location=St. Paul|publisher=EMC Publishing|isbn=978-0-88436-434-4}}
* [[A&E Network|Biography]]: [https://www.amazon.com/Biography-Kroc-Fast-Food-McMillionaire/dp/B000KE6GWC ''Ray Kroc, Fast Food McMillionaire''] (1998) video

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}
* {{Find a Grave|3207}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20000620032910/http://www.time.com/time/time100/builder/profile/kroc.html ''TIME'' Magazine profile]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060418050630/http://www.flitetime.net/pads.html  "Flying Baseballs"]}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-bus}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Harry J. Sonneborn]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=CEO of [[McDonald's]]|years=1967–1973}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Fred L. Turner]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{McDonald's}}
{{San Diego Padres Hall of Fame}}
{{San Diego Padres owners}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kroc, Ray}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1984 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:American chief executives in the food industry]]
[[Category:American people of Czech descent]]
[[Category:Philanthropists from Illinois]]
[[Category:American businesspeople in the real estate industry]]
[[Category:American Red Cross personnel]]
[[Category:American restaurateurs]]
[[Category:American salespeople]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Illinois]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from San Diego]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:Fast-food chain founders]]
[[Category:Illinois Republicans]]
[[Category:McDonald's people]]
[[Category:People from Oak Park, Illinois]]
[[Category:San Diego Mariners executives]]
[[Category:San Diego Padres owners]]
[[Category:World Hockey Association owners]]
[[Category:20th-century American philanthropists]]