Conrad Hilton

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Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Sr.

Born December 25, 1887(1887-12-25)
Socorro County, New Mexico, USA
Died January 3, 1979 (aged 91)
Santa Monica, California, USA
Occupation Hotelier
Known for Hilton Hotel
Spouse Mary Adelaide Barron (1925 - 1934),
Zsa Zsa Gabor (1942 - 1947)
Mary Frances Kelly (1976 - 1979)
Children Conrad Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton, Jr. (deceased)
William Barron Hilton
Eric Michael Hilton
Constance Francesca Hilton

Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Sr.[1] (December 25, 1887 – January 3, 1979) was an American hotelier and founder of the Hilton Hotel chain.

Contents

[edit] Biography

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Please improve this article if you can (December 2007).

Conrad Nicholson Hilton was born in San Antonio, Socorro County, New Mexico Territory (now New Mexico) to Augustus Halvorson "Gus" Hilton (born August Halvorsen Hilton) (Søndre Hilton, Ullensaker, Akershus, Norway, August 21, 1854 – San Antonio, Texas, January 19, 1919), a Norwegian of German descent, and his wife (married in Fort Dodge, Iowa, February 12 1885) Mary Genevieve Laufersweiler (Fort Dodge, Iowa, December 3, 1861 – Long Beach, California, August 26, 1947), a German-American[2].

Conrad's siblings were:

  • Felice A. Hilton (December 6 1885–February 12 1968)
  • Eva C. Hilton (December 29 1889–1979)
  • Carl H. Hilton (January 1892–1957)
  • Julian Hilton (1895–1897)
  • Rosemary J. Hilton (June 20 1898–November 27 1995)
  • August H. "Boy" Hilton (1901–1929)
  • Helen A. Hilton (January 30 1906–February 22 2003)

Conrad Hilton was educated at the New Mexico Military Institute, at St. Michael's College (now the College of Santa Fe), and at the New Mexico School of Mines (now New Mexico Tech). In his early twenties, he was a Republican representative in the first legislature of the newly-formed State of New Mexico.

Shortly after the United States entered World War I in 1917, Conrad Hilton enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to Officers' Training Command, Presidio of San Francisco. Second Lieutenant Hilton arrived in France, February 14, 1918. His unit, the 304th Labor Battalion, saw limited combat. Conrad Hilton was discharged at Camp Dix (now Fort Dix), New Jersey on February 11, 1919. While Conrad was in the army, his father Gus had been killed in a car accident.

In concert with his father, Conrad Hilton had helped build up an inn as well as a General Store in Socorro County, New Mexico, but he then moved to Texas. He entered the hotel business by buying the Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas, in 1919. He went on to buy hotels throughout Texas. The first high rise hotel he built was the Dallas Hilton (now the Hotel Indigo), which opened in 1925. His first hotel outside of Texas was the La Posada de Albuquerque, which he built in 1939 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He formed the Hilton Hotels Corporation in 1946 followed by Hilton International Company in 1948. The company expanded into credit cards (Carte Blanche), car rentals, and other travel services.

During the Great Depression Hilton was nearly forced into bankruptcy and lost several of his hotels. He was retained as manager, however, and eventually bought them back.

During the post-war period, the 1950s and 1960s, Hilton Hotels' worldwide expansion facilitated both American tourism and overseas business by United States corporations. At the same time it promulgated a certain worldwide standard for hotel accommodations. It was the world's first international hotel chain.

In 1966 Conrad Hilton was succeeded as President by his son Barron and was elected Chairman of the Board.

Hilton had three wives and four children:

Conrad Hilton died on January 3, 1979, in Santa Monica, California, at age 91 from natural causes. He is interred at Calvary Hill Cemetery,[3] in Dallas, Texas. Calvary Hill is a Catholic cemetery. [3]

He left US$50,000 each to two of his surviving siblings and US$100,000 to each of his nieces and nephews. The bulk of his estate was left to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which he established in 1944. However, Conrad's son, Barron, contested the will and won in 1988, which resulted in a negotiated settlement with the Foundation. Under the settlement the parties agreed to divide the disputed shares of stock into three parts: Barron Hilton would receive 4 million shares, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation would receive 3.5 million shares, and the remaining 6 million shares would be placed in the W. Barron Hilton Charitable Remainder Unitrust. Upon Barron Hilton's death, or in the year 2009, whichever occurs later, Unitrust assets would be transferred to the Hilton Foundation.

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation's mission is the alleviation of human suffering worldwide. The Foundation created the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize in 1996.

Conrad Hilton's autobiography, Be My Guest, was published in 1957 by Prentice Hall. A copy of the book is placed in every Hilton Hotel room.

He is the great-grandfather of Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton. There are currently two members of the Hilton family named Conrad. One is Paris' younger brother, Conrad Hughes Hilton. The other is Conrad Nicholson Hilton III, son of Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Jr.

The Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston is named after Conrad Hilton, as is the College of Business Administration building at Loyola Marymount University.

[edit] Quotations

  • "Success seems to be connected to action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit."
  • "If you are 100% occupied, you are not charging enough rent."

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ancestry of Paris Hilton
  2. ^ [1] Father: Augustus Holver Hilton (Norwegian) -- Mother: Mary Laufersweiler (German)
  3. ^ Conrad Hilton at Find A Grave [2]

[edit] External links

  • Biographical Essay by Cathleen Baird (2004)[4]
  • Conrad N. Hilton College at University of Houston [5]
  • Conrad Hilton's Secret of Success [6]


Preceded by
Burhan Asaf Belge
1937-1941		 Husbands of Zsa Zsa Gabor
1942-1947		 Succeeded by
George Sanders
1949-1954