Conrad Nicholson Hilton (December 25, 1887 – January 3, 1979) was an American hotelier and the founder of the Hilton Hotels chain.
He married first Mary Adelaide Barron in 1925, resulting in three children, Conrad Jr., Barron and Eric.
He second married Zsa Zsa Gabor in 1942, having one daughter together, Francesca.
In 1957, Hilton was initiatied as a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity at New Mexico State University.[1]
Conrad was also an avid philanthropist. He used the family fortune to build a hospitality college, The Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, on the campus of the University of Houston, which opened in September of 1969.
He also left the majority of his estate to The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation he first established in 1944. Its mission, derived from Conrad's last will and testament, directs the organization to "relieve the suffering, the distressed, and the destitute." As of 2023, the Foundation's current assests exceeded 6.7 billion dollars.[2]
Conrad died of pneumonia on January 3rd, 1979, at the age of 91. He was interred at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.[3]
His son Barron followed his father's example, leaving about 97% of his own fortune to that of the Foundation upon his death.
↑Death Record - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/483/conrad-hilton: accessed 21 January 2024), memorial page for Conrad Hilton Sr. (25 Dec 1887–3 Jan 1979), Find A Grave: Memorial #483, citing Calvary Hill Cemetery and Mausoleum, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, USA.
Death
"California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPCQ-D11 : 26 November 2014), Conrad Nicholson Hilton, 03 Jan 1979; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9N8-K4Q : 19 May 2014), Conrad Hilton, Jan 1979; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
Census
"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MML7-9H4 : accessed 21 December 2016), Conrad Hilton in household of August H Hilton, Precinct 7, 25 San Antonio, San Pedro, Socorro, New Mexico Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 140, sheet 4B, family 86, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,003.
"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGS2-JN6 : accessed 21 December 2016), Conrad N Hilton in household of A H Hilton, San Antonio, Socorro, New Mexico, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 248, sheet 5B, family 96, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 918; FHL microfilm 1,374,931.
Military
"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXTC-67F : 12 December 2014), Conrad Nicholson Hilton, 1917-1918; citing Socorro County, New Mexico, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,711,808.
"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V4DC-Q1H : 8 April 2016), Conrad Nicholson Hilton, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
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