| Conrad Nicholson Hilton | |
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| Born | December 25, 1887 Socorro County, New Mexico Territory, USA |
| Died | January 3, 1979 (aged 91) Santa Monica, California, USA |
| Occupation | Hotelier |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Adelaide Barron (m. 1925–1934) Zsa Zsa Gabor (m. 1942–1946) Mary Frances Kelly (m. 1976–1979) |
| Children | Conrad Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton, Jr. (1926-1969) William Barron Hilton (b. 1927) Eric Michael Hilton (b. 1933) Constance Francesca Hilton (b. 1947) |
Conrad Nicholson Hilton (December 25, 1887 – January 3, 1979) was an American hotelier and founder of the Hilton Hotels chain.
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Hilton was born in San Antonio, New Mexico. His father was Augustus Halvorson "Gus" Hilton, an immigrant from Norway, and his mother was Mary Genevieve Laufersweiler, an American with German roots.[1] Hilton grew up with seven siblings: Felice A. Hilton, Eva C. Hilton, Carl H. Hilton, Julian Hilton, Rosemary J. Hilton, August H. Hilton, and Helen A. Hilton.
Hilton attended the New Mexico Military Institute, at St. Michael's College (now the College of Santa Fe), and the New Mexico School of Mines (now New Mexico Tech). He was a member of the international fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon. In his early twenties, Hilton was a Republican representative in the first legislature of the newly formed State of New Mexico. Hilton served two years in the U.S. Army during World War I. While he was in the army, his father was killed in a car accident.[citation needed]
The most enduring influence to shape Hilton's philanthropic philosophy beyond that of his parents was the Roman Catholic Church and its Sisters. He credited his mother with guiding him to prayer and the Church whenever he was troubled or dismayed — from a boyhood loss of a beloved pony to severe financial losses during the Great Depression. His mother continually reminded him that prayer was the best investment he would ever make.[2]
As a young boy, Hilton developed entrepreneurial skills working at his father's general store in Socorro County, New Mexico. His first hotel purchase was the 40-room Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas, in 1919.[3] He went on to buy hotels throughout Texas. The first high rise hotel he built was the Dallas Hilton, which opened in 1925. This was followed by the Abilene Hilton in 1927, Waco Hilton in 1928, and El Paso Hilton in 1930. He built his first hotel outside of Texas in 1939 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is today known as the Andaluz Hotel. 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. He formed the Hilton Hotels Corporation in 1946 followed by Hilton International Company in 1948.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Hilton Hotels' worldwide expansion facilitated both American tourism and overseas business by American corporations. At the same time, it promulgated a certain worldwide standard for hotel accommodations. It was the world's first international hotel chain. In all, Hilton eventually owned 188 hotels in thirty-eight cities in the U.S., including the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D. C., the Palmer House in Chicago, and the Plaza Hotel and Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, and fifty-four hotels abroad. He later purchased the Carte Blanche Credit Company and an interest in the American Crystal Sugar Company, as well as other enterprises.
Hilton received honorary degrees from the University of Detroit (1953), DePaul University (1954), Barat College (1955), Adelphi College (1957), Sophia University, Tokyo (1963), and the University of Albuquerque (1975). Hilton's autobiography, Be My Guest,[4] was published in 1957 by Prentice Hall. A copy of the book is placed in every Hilton Hotel room. In 1966, Hilton was succeeded as president by his son Barron and was elected chairman of the board.
In 1925, Hilton married Mary Adelaide Barron. They had three children: Conrad Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton, Jr., William Barron Hilton, and Eric Michael Hilton, before divorcing in 1934.
In 1942, Hilton married actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. They had one child: Constance Francesca Hilton, before divorcing in 1946.
In 1976, Hilton married Mary Frances Kelly. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1979.
In 1979, Hilton died of natural causes at the age of 91. He is interred at Calvary Hill Cemetery, a Catholic cemetery in Dallas, Texas. He left $500,000 USD each to two of his surviving siblings and $10,000 USD to each of his nieces and nephews and his daughter Francesca. The bulk of his estate was left to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which he established in 1944. His son, Barron Hilton, contested the will since he spent his life working to build the hotel corporation, and won. 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, Unitrust assets will be transferred to the Hilton Foundation.
Conrad Hughes Hilton, the son of Richard Hilton and Conrad Nicholson Hilton III, son of Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Jr. are named after him.
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