Stanley Clark Meston

Stanley Clark Meston (7 January 191030 December 1992) was an American architect most famous for designing the original Golden Arches of McDonald's restaurants. In an article about the origin of McDonald's Golden Arches, architectural historian Alan Hess wrote: "Nationwide success and proliferation have obscured the origins and creators of [the arches] in Southern California. Its architect, Stanley Clark Meston, has virtually never been credited with his contribution to American architecture."

Born in Oxnard, California, in 1910, Meston attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High School, taking basic courses in drafting and architectural history. After graduation, he apprenticed in architects' offices before becoming a licensed architect; while working in Earl Heitschmidt's office, Meston worked on the 1937 CBS building in Hollywood by Heitschmidt and William Lescaze. As did several more prominent Los Angeles architects during the Great Depression, he also worked for a time as a set designer, at Universal Pictures. Opening his own Fontana office, which ranged from two to eight employees, Meston's practice was primarily civic, including city office buildings, schools, and county facilities.

Meston's work has appeared in 28 countries and most of the world's principal cities, including Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, and Mexico City. In southern California and its vicinity, projects of his include the Verde Professional Building in Victorville, California; the San Bernardino County West End Courts Building; Wilbur Clark's Desert Inn in Las Vegas; and high schools in Visalia, Los Angeles, Gardena, Inglewood, Glendora, Palmdale, and several other southern California cities.