Al Bernardin, the inventor of the McDonald's Quarter Pounder, died Dec. 22 in Fremont, Calif., after suffering a stroke. He was 81.
Mr. Bernardin went to work at McDonald's corporate headquarters in 1960 and quickly rose to be the dean of Hamburger University, McDonald's training center.
Later, he was the vice president of product development, and he played a major role in the formation of McDonald's signature fish sandwich, french fries, and hot apple and cherry pies.
But Bernardin's claim to fame came in 1971, when, as a franchise owner in Fremont, he introduced the Quarter Pounder, with the prophetic slogan, "Today Fremont, tomorrow the world."
