Conrad Hilton
Encyclopedia
Conrad Nicholson Hilton (December 25, 1887 – January 3, 1979) was an American businessman and investor
. He is well known for being the founder of the Hilton Hotels
chain.
. His father, Augustus Halvorsen "Gus" Hilton, was an immigrant from Norway
, and his devout Catholic
mother, Mary Genevieve (née Laufersweiler), was an American of German
descent. 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, Baron Hilton.
Hilton served Goss military (New Mexico Military Institute
), and 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 New Mexico Legislature
, when the state was newly formed. He 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.
The most enduring influence to shape Hilton's philanthropic philosophy beyond that of his parents was the Roman Catholic Church
and his 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.
. His first hotel purchase was the 40-room Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas, in 1919, an investment decision made after his plan to invest in a bank in the oil-boom town fell through; the hotel did such brisk business that rooms changed hands as much as three times a day. 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, along with 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, was published in 1957 by Prentice Hall
. In 1966, Hilton was succeeded as president
by his son Barron
and was elected chairman of the board
.
, 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. Gabor insisted in her 1991 autobiography One Lifetime is Not Enough that she only became pregnant by Hilton after he raped her during their marriage.
In 1976, Hilton married Mary Frances Kelly. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1979.
Hilton's devout Catholic
beliefs included believing deeply in marriage "'til death do us part". Even though it was Barron who divorced him, he still wouldn't officially marry someone else until her death in the mid 1970s. This was primarily why he divorced Gabor, as he didn't think about it long enough to consider his beliefs. According to him on his episode of the A&E Network
show Biography
, if he had waited another hour before proposing to Gabor, he would not have.
. He left $500,000 to each of his two surviving siblings and $10,000 to each of his nieces, nephews and to 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
, who spent much of his career helping build the Hilton Hotels Corporation, contested the will, despite being left the company as acting President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors. A settlement was reached and, as a result, Barron Hilton received 4 million shares of the hotel enterprise, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation received 3.5 million shares, and the remaining 6 million shares were placed in the W. Barron Hilton Charitable Remainder Unitrust
. Upon Barron Hilton's death, Unitrust assets will be transferred to the Hilton Foundation, of which Barron sits on the Board of Directors as Chairman.
On December 25, 2007, Hilton announced that he will leave about 97% of his fortune (estimated at $2.3 billion), to a charitable unitrust that which will eventually be merged with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. By leaving his estate to the Foundation, Barron is donating not only the fortune he has amassed on his own, but he is also returning the Hilton family fortune amassed by his father, Conrad, to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
, where it would have gone over 30 years ago had Barron not contested his father's will.
Investor
An investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...
. He is well known for being the founder of the Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
chain.
Early life
Hilton was born in San Antonio, New MexicoSan Antonio, New Mexico
San Antonio is an unincorporated community in Socorro County, New Mexico, United States, roughly in the center of the state. The entire population of the county is around 18,000; the population of San Antonio is hard to pin down because the area is somewhat ill-defined.San Antonio is nowadays...
. His father, Augustus Halvorsen "Gus" Hilton, was an immigrant from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and his devout Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
mother, Mary Genevieve (née Laufersweiler), was an American of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
descent. 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, Baron Hilton.
Hilton served Goss military (New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute is a state-supported educational institution. NMMI is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. It is sometimes referred to as the West Point of the West and it is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States. NMMI includes a...
), and St. Michael's College (now the College of Santa Fe
College of Santa Fe
Santa Fe University of Art and Design is an institution of creative and performing arts based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The university offers programs in creative writing, theatre, art, graphic design, moving image arts , music, and photography, based on a liberal arts core curriculum...
), and the New Mexico School of Mines (now New Mexico Tech). He was a member of the international fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
. In his early twenties, Hilton was a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
representative in the first New Mexico Legislature
New Mexico Legislature
The New Mexico Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of New Mexico. It is a bicameral body made up of the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico Senate....
, when the state was newly formed. He served two years in the U.S. Army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. While he was in the army, his father was killed in a car accident.
The most enduring influence to shape Hilton's philanthropic philosophy beyond that of his parents was the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and his 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.
Career
As a young boy, Hilton developed entrepreneurial skills working at his father's general store in Socorro County, New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. His first hotel purchase was the 40-room Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas, in 1919, an investment decision made after his plan to invest in a bank in the oil-boom town fell through; the hotel did such brisk business that rooms changed hands as much as three times a day. He went on to buy hotels throughout Texas. The first high rise hotel he built was the Dallas Hilton
Dallas Hilton
The Dallas Hilton, also known as Hilton Hotel and today operating as the Dallas Hotel Indigo, is a historic structure located at the corner of Main Street and S. Harwood Street in downtown Dallas, Texas . The hotel is a contributing property in the Harwood Historic District and Main Street District...
, which opened in 1925. This was followed by the Abilene Hilton in 1927, Waco Hilton in 1928, and El Paso Hilton
Plaza Hotel (El Paso)
The Plaza Hotel, formerly the Hilton Hotel, is a landmark skyscraper located at 106 Mills Avenue in El Paso, Texas.-Sheldon Hotel site:The hotel was constructed on the site of the Sheldon Hotel, which burned in 1929...
in 1930. He built his first hotel outside of Texas in 1939 in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. It is today known as the Andaluz Hotel. During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
Hilton was nearly forced into bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and lost several of his hotels. He was retained as manager, however, and eventually bought them back. He formed the Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Worldwide is a global hospitality company. It is owned by the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm. As of July 2011 Hilton brands encompass 3,750 hotels with over 600,000 rooms in 84 countries...
in 1946 followed by Hilton International Company
Hilton Hotels Corporation
Hilton Worldwide is a global hospitality company. It is owned by the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm. As of July 2011 Hilton brands encompass 3,750 hotels with over 600,000 rooms in 84 countries...
, 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
Mayflower Hotel
The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, known locally as simply The Mayflower, is a historic hotel in downtown Washington, DC located on Connecticut Avenue NW, two blocks north of Farragut Square . It is the largest luxury hotel in the U.S. capital and the longest continuously operating hotel in the...
in Washington, D. C., the Palmer House
Palmer House
The Palmer House Hilton is a famous and historic hotel in downtown Chicago.-History:There have been three Palmer House Hotels at the corner of State and Monroe Streets in Chicago....
in Chicago, and the Plaza Hotel
Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel in New York City is a landmark 20-story luxury hotel with a height of and length of that occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza, from which it derives its name, and extends along Central Park South in Manhattan. Fifth Avenue extends along the east side of Grand Army Plaza...
and Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, along with 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
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
(1954), Barat College
Barat College
Barat College of the Sacred Heart was a small Catholic college located in Lake Forest, Illinois, 30 miles north of Chicago. The college was named after Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart...
(1955), Adelphi College (1957), Sophia University
Sophia University
There are several rankings below related to Sophia University.-General Rankings:The university was ranked 61st in 2010 in the ranking Truly Strong Universities by Toyo Keizai...
, Tokyo (1963), and the University of Albuquerque
University of Albuquerque
The University of Albuquerque was a Catholic university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which closed in 1986. Its former campus on Albuquerque's westside now houses St. Pius X High School, a Catholic high school....
(1975). Hilton's autobiography, Be My Guest, was published in 1957 by Prentice Hall
Prentice Hall
Prentice Hall is a major educational publisher. It is an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc., based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6-12 and higher-education market. Prentice Hall distributes its technical titles through the Safari...
. In 1966, Hilton was succeeded as president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
by his son Barron
Barron Hilton
William Barron Hilton I is an American business magnate, socialite, and hotel heir. He is the former co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain, and the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers...
and was elected chairman of the board
Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
.
Personal life
In 1925, Hilton married Mary Adelaide Barron. They had three children: Conrad Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton, Jr.Conrad Hilton, Jr.
Conrad Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton, Jr. was an American socialite, hotel heir, businessman, and TWA director. He was one of the sons of Conrad Hilton .-Early life:...
, William Barron Hilton
Barron Hilton
William Barron Hilton I is an American business magnate, socialite, and hotel heir. He is the former co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain, and the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers...
, and Eric Michael Hilton, before divorcing in 1934.
In 1942, Hilton married actress Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
. They had one child: Constance Francesca Hilton, before divorcing in 1946. Gabor insisted in her 1991 autobiography One Lifetime is Not Enough that she only became pregnant by Hilton after he raped her during their marriage.
In 1976, Hilton married Mary Frances Kelly. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1979.
Hilton's devout Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
beliefs included believing deeply in marriage "'til death do us part". Even though it was Barron who divorced him, he still wouldn't officially marry someone else until her death in the mid 1970s. This was primarily why he divorced Gabor, as he didn't think about it long enough to consider his beliefs. According to him on his episode of the A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
show Biography
Biography (TV series)
Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987...
, if he had waited another hour before proposing to Gabor, he would not have.
The Hilton family fortune
In 1979, Hilton died of natural causes at the age of 91. He is interred at Calvary Hill Cemetery, a Catholic cemetery in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. He left $500,000 to each of his two surviving siblings and $10,000 to each of his nieces, nephews and to his daughter Francesca. The bulk of his estate was left to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is an American non-profit charitable foundation, established in 1944 by hotel entrepreneur Conrad N. Hilton. It remained relatively small until his death on January 3, 1979 when it was named the principal beneficiary of his estate...
, which he established in 1944. His son, Barron Hilton
Barron Hilton
William Barron Hilton I is an American business magnate, socialite, and hotel heir. He is the former co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain, and the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers...
, who spent much of his career helping build the Hilton Hotels Corporation, contested the will, despite being left the company as acting President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors. A settlement was reached and, as a result, Barron Hilton received 4 million shares of the hotel enterprise, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation received 3.5 million shares, and the remaining 6 million shares were placed in the W. Barron Hilton Charitable Remainder Unitrust
Charitable remainder unitrust
A charitable remainder unitrust is an irrevocable trust created under the authority of . This special, irrevocable trust has two primary characteristics: Once established, the CRUT distributes a fixed percentage of the value of its assets to a non-charitable beneficiary ;...
. Upon Barron Hilton's death, Unitrust assets will be transferred to the Hilton Foundation, of which Barron sits on the Board of Directors as Chairman.
On December 25, 2007, Hilton announced that he will leave about 97% of his fortune (estimated at $2.3 billion), to a charitable unitrust that which will eventually be merged with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. By leaving his estate to the Foundation, Barron is donating not only the fortune he has amassed on his own, but he is also returning the Hilton family fortune amassed by his father, Conrad, to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is an American non-profit charitable foundation, established in 1944 by hotel entrepreneur Conrad N. Hilton. It remained relatively small until his death on January 3, 1979 when it was named the principal beneficiary of his estate...
, where it would have gone over 30 years ago had Barron not contested his father's will.
Legacy
- Conrad Hughes Hilton (the son of Richard HiltonRichard HiltonRichard Howard "Rick" Hilton is an American entrepreneur and hotelier. He is the Chairman and co-founder of Hilton & Hyland, a real estate brokerages firm based in Beverly Hills that specializes in homes and estates in Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Bel-Air, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and...
), and Conrad Nicholson Hilton III (son of Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Jr.Conrad Hilton, Jr.Conrad Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton, Jr. was an American socialite, hotel heir, businessman, and TWA director. He was one of the sons of Conrad Hilton .-Early life:...
), are named after him. - The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was established in 1944 by Conrad N. Hilton. Its mission is the alleviation of human suffering worldwide.
- Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian PrizeConrad N. Hilton Humanitarian PrizeThe Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is an American non-profit charitable foundation, established in 1944 by hotel entrepreneur Conrad N. Hilton. It remained relatively small until his death on January 3, 1979 when it was named the principal beneficiary of his estate...
created in 1996 by The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. - The Conrad N. Hilton CollegeHilton College of Hotel and Restaurant ManagementThe Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management is one of twelve academic college of the University of Houston. The college, consisting of several facilities, includes a full-service Hilton Hotel. The College currently offers multiple programs that include: Bachelors of Science...
is a hospitality school of the University of HoustonUniversity of HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
named after Conrad Hilton. - The Conrad N. Hilton Chair in Business Ethics, The Hilton Distinguished Entrepreneur Award, and the Conrad N. Hilton Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship at the College of Business Administration Loyola Marymount UniversityLoyola Marymount UniversityLoyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
- Conrad Hilton is the great grandfather of Paris HiltonParis HiltonParis Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
and Nicky HiltonNicky HiltonNicholai Olivia "Nicky" Hilton is an American businesswoman, fashion model, socialite, celebutante, heiress and fashion designer. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton and younger sister of Paris Hilton....
. - In 2009, a fictional version of Hilton (portrayed by actor Chelcie RossChelcie RossChelcie Claude Ross is an American character actor. He served in Vietnam as an officer in the United States Air Force, and earned an MFA from the Dallas Theater Center.-Filmography:*Skokie *On the Right Track...
) appears in six episodes of the third season of the AMC television series Mad MenMad MenMad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
.
Autobiographies
- Be My Guest, Autobiography of Conrad Hilton (Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1958)
- Inspirations of an
Other sources
- Dabney, Thomas Ewing The Man Who Bought the Waldorf: The Life of Conrad N. Hilton (Duell Sloan & Pearce; 1950)
- Bolton, Whitney The Silver Spade; the Conrad Hilton Story. with a foreword by Conrad Hilton (New York: Farrar, Straus and Young; 1954)
- Comfort, Mildred Houghton Conrad N. Hilton, Hotelier (Minneapolis: T.S. Denison & Company, Inc., 1965)
- Oppenheimer, Jerry House of Hilton: From Conrad to Paris: A Drama of Wealth, Power, and Privilege (Three Rivers Press. 2007)
- Alef, Daniel Conrad N. Hilton: Reveled in Hotel Deals (Titans of Fortune Publishing. 2009)
External links
- Biography: Conrad Hilton, The Innkeeper to The World (Video)
- Biographical Essay by Cathleen Baird (2004) (PDF, 24 pages)
- http://www.hrm.uh.edu/ Conrad N. Hilton College at University of Houston
- Conrad Hilton's Secret of Success
- Conrad Hilton, Collector of Hotels (New York Times Magazine, 1949)
- Innkeeper to the World (TIME, 1963)
- The Key Man (TIME, 1949)
- Waldorf-Astoria as Hotels No. 16 (TIME, 1949)
- Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
- San Angelo's Heartbreak Hotel History of second Hilton hotel built in San Angelo, TX in 1928, and Conrad Hilton's bankruptcy (San Angelo LIVE! Magazine, 2007)
- Mad Men: See the Real Conrad Hilton - image slideshow by Life magazine