Hilton Draws on Leadership from Military Roots
Hilton can trace their roots and history back to Conrad Hilton's military service in World War I
On October 31, 2023, President Biden proclaimed November as National Veterans and Military Families Month to honor veterans and military families. In this edition of our Check-In newsletter, we will highlight how our hotel partners support military members and their families. To start us off, learn more about Hilton Hotels Worldwide's deep military roots can be traced back to their founder, Conrad Hilton.
Hilton’s roots can be traced back to its founder Conrad Hilton and his military service. Conrad Hilton completed Army Officer Training School at the then Goss Military Academy (now New Mexico Military Institute) as a second Lieutenant and then traveled to Europe where he was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps stationed in Paris. While serving in France, Hilton learned he had excellent entrepreneurial talents and a passion for exploring the world. He returned home from the war in 1919, saw an opportunity, and purchased the historic Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas. In 1925, he opened the Dallas Hilton which was the first hotel to carry the Hilton name.
In 1937, Conrad Hilton purchased the Longview Hilton hotel and gave the ownership of the hotel to four longtime Hilton managers who served during World War II. Those four managers spent their entire post-military careers at Hilton. Following the Korean War, the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago offered military personnel and their spouses’ free nights and a cash gift to explore the city.