Someone You Should Know: Lady Who Came Up With The Name 'Big Mac'
(CBS) -- It's probably the most famous sandwich in America, and one woman can claim to have played a role in inventing it.
CBS 2's Harry Porterfield says Esther Glickstein Rose is someone you should know.
For 37 years, Esther has been coaching volley ball for the Glenview Park Department.
But many years ago, she was a part of one of the most successful marketing strategies the world has ever seen.
After graduating from Von Steuben High School in 1964, Esther quickly found a job with an up-and-coming hamburger company as an advertising secretary.
One day, she says, a product development manager approached her with a question.
"He said I need a name for this new bigger hamburger. He described it to me, and off the top of my head I said, 'Big Mac,'" she says.
Esther says the company tried a couple of other ideas instead: The Blue Ribbon Burger and The Aristocrat. She disliked both.
"I went on with my life and then I was in McDonald's one day," she says.
She saw it on the menu.
"We looked up, and I said to my husband, 'Big Mac, they're using my name.' And I do have a letter from the legal department (saying) I named the Big Mac."
She got a plaque and some coupons.
"The greatest satisfaction that I got is that it makes people happy when they meet me," she says.
McDonald's USA was not able to confirm Esther's story about the Blue Ribbon burger and The Aristocrat, but it said Esther was one of the earliest fans of the Big Mac and they are thankful to her and others for helping to make it an iconic sandwich.
