Harry J. Sonneborn, 77, the first president and chief executive of McDonald`s Corp., arranged the loan that enabled Ray Kroc to buy out the founders of the hamburger chain.

A resident of Theodore, Ala., he died at home on Sept. 21.

Mr. Sonneborn was vice president of Tastee Freez in the 1950s when he learned about McDonald`s. Ray Kroc, a former salesman of milkshake mixers, had bought a franchise from Dick and Maurice McDonald, who had started the chain in San Bernardino, Calif. in 1940.

Mr. Sonneborn, who arranged for the loan to buy out the brothers, was called by Kroc the financial wizard of the operation. He set up the franchise system that today makes McDonald`s one of the largest holders of real estate in the world.

He was president of the firm from 1959 to 1967 and became a multimillionaire as a result.

Mr. Sonneborn was one of the most respected collectors of Americana and historical documents in the world. At one time, he owned one of only two annotated copies of the U.S. Constitution as well as original copies of the constitutions of all the states. He also owned the document from German President Paul von Hindenburg making Adolf Hitler dictator of Germany.

He was a very serious man with a dry sense of humor, his wife, Aloyis, said. He was a real love.

Survivors, besides his wife, include a son, Dr. Robert; a daughter, Judith Bach; and four grandchildren.

Services were held in Mobile, Ala.

Harry J Sonneborn