Jane Dobbins Green was Ray Kroc’s second wife, married to the businessman who expanded McDonald’s from 1963 to 1968. Before their marriage, she worked as a secretary for actor John Wayne—a connection that places her story in Hollywood as well as American business history. She entered Kroc’s life after he had acquired the McDonald brothers’ company rights and before the restaurant chain began expanding internationally. Her name became attached to a California ranch and a separate pie-shop venture, leaving identifiable traces of a five-year marriage during a pivotal stage of Kroc’s career.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jane Elizabeth Dobbins |
| Birth year | 1911 |
| Birthplace | Walla Walla, Washington |
| Parents | David Dobbins and Grace Duncan Dobbins |
| Employment before marrying Kroc | Secretary to John Wayne |
| Marriage to Ray Kroc | February 23, 1963–1968 |
| Place in Kroc’s marriage history | Second wife |
Her Background Before Ray Kroc
Jane was born in Walla Walla, Washington, in 1911. Biographical historian Bob LeMoine identifies her parents as David and Grace Dobbins in his account of Ray and Joan Kroc.
By the time she met Kroc, Jane had an established working connection to the film industry through her employment with John Wayne. Kroc identifies her occupation directly in his autobiography, Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s, written with Robert Anderson.
LeMoine’s biography, drawing on Lisa Napoli’s research, also records that Jane had been married three times before meeting Kroc. Describing her as Kroc’s second wife therefore refers to his marriage history, rather than her own.
A Courtship That Lasted About Two Weeks
Kroc’s account begins with an introduction through a mutual friend. He recalled having dinner with Jane on five consecutive evenings and marrying her within two weeks.
Their wedding took place on February 23, 1963. Kroc’s first marriage, to Ethel Fleming, had ended in 1961.
After marrying Jane, Kroc wrote that they sold their Woodland Hills home and moved to Beverly Hills. His business responsibilities frequently took him away from California, and he described a regular commuting pattern between Los Angeles and the company’s headquarters in Chicago.
The McDonald’s Years They Shared
Jane married Kroc when the restaurant business was already well beyond its beginnings. Richard and Maurice McDonald had opened their original restaurant in San Bernardino in 1940. Kroc became involved in 1954 and opened his first McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, in April 1955.
The company acquired the brothers’ rights in 1961 for $2.7 million, two years before Jane’s wedding. Her marriage consequently belongs to the period of corporate expansion that followed Kroc’s early work as a franchising agent.
During those five years, McDonald’s continued developing its national menu. The Filet-O-Fish joined the national menu in 1965, and the Big Mac followed in 1968. International expansion began in 1967 with restaurant openings in Canada and Puerto Rico.
These milestones establish the business setting of Jane’s marriage. They do not establish a professional role for her in developing the menu or directing the company.
Where Jane’s Name Appeared
Two places in Kroc’s history connect Jane’s name to his activities beyond the familiar hamburger restaurants.
The J&R Double Arch Ranch
In 1965, during their marriage, Kroc purchased a ranch in California’s Santa Ynez Valley. It became known as the J&R Double Arch Ranch, with the initials referring to Jane and Ray.
The property served as a retreat and a setting for company gatherings. Kroc described plans to use it for McDonald’s seminars and as the headquarters of his philanthropic foundation.
Its name combined a personal reference to the couple with the restaurant company’s distinctive arches. The ranch therefore offers a concrete connection between their married life and the business environment surrounding them.
The Jane Dobbins Pie Shops
Jane’s name also appeared in a restaurant experiment. A 1999 business history records that Kroc opened Jane Dobbins Pie Shops in 1968 and named the venture after his second wife.
In his memoir, Kroc called the concept the Jane Dobbins Pie Tree chain and included it among his unsuccessful projects. His explanation emphasized the difficulty of making an expensive, quality-focused product profitable in a business with restricted sales volume.
The venture was separate from the standard McDonald’s restaurant concept. Being its namesake does not, by itself, establish Jane as its founder or operator.
Why Their Marriage Ended
The marriage ended in 1968 after Kroc resumed his relationship with Joan Smith, whom he had first met in 1957.
Jane and Kroc had been planning a world cruise. In his memoir, Kroc described abandoning the trip because he wanted to pursue his relationship with Joan and obtain a divorce.
He also wrote that Jane remained in their Beverly Hills home and that he had arranged for her financial security. That statement describes his account of the separation; it does not provide a settlement amount or a basis for calculating Jane’s personal wealth.
Kroc married Joan on March 8, 1969.
Jane Dobbins Green and Joan Kroc Were Different People
The distinction between Jane and Joan is essential to understanding Kroc’s personal history.
Joan Smith was the musician Kroc encountered at the Criterion restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1957. Jane was the Hollywood secretary introduced to him several years later.
Their places in the chronology are clear: Ethel Fleming was Kroc’s first wife, Jane Dobbins Green his second, and Joan Smith his third.
The film The Founder features Laura Dern as Ethel and Linda Cardellini as Joan. Jane has no named role in its cast, so the film does not provide a complete account of Kroc’s marriages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Jane Dobbins Green?
She was John Wayne’s secretary and Ray Kroc’s second wife.
When did Jane Dobbins Green marry Ray Kroc?
They married on February 23, 1963, following a courtship of approximately two weeks.
How long were Jane and Ray Kroc married?
Their marriage lasted about five years, ending in divorce in 1968.
Did Jane Dobbins Green found McDonald’s?
No. Richard and Maurice McDonald established the original restaurant, and Kroc later developed its wider franchise business.
Was Jane Dobbins Green the wife portrayed by Linda Cardellini?
No. Cardellini portrays Joan Smith in The Founder, the woman who became Kroc’s third wife.
Conclusion
Jane Dobbins Green’s biography connects Hollywood employment, a brief courtship, and five years alongside Ray Kroc during McDonald’s expansion. Keeping her identity separate from Joan Kroc’s preserves her rightful place in that history.
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