Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Conrad N. Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels, established the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation as a philanthropic trust in 1944. In 1950, the Foundation was legally established as a nonprofit corporation, separate from Hilton Hotels Corporation. Upon his death in 1979, Conrad Hilton left nearly his entire estate to the Hilton Foundation. His son, Barron Hilton, joined the Foundation in 1950 and served as board chair from 2007 to 2012. Over the years, he has contributed many millions to the work of the Foundation, and following his father’s example, in 2007, Barron Hilton pledged to leave 97% of his estate to the Foundation. Steven M. Hilton, son of Barron and grandson of Conrad, joined the Foundation in 1983 and was named president in 1998, CEO in 2005, and chairman in 2012. He retired as President and CEO at the end of 2015. Other Hilton family members serve on the Foundation board. In 2005, the board of directors resolved to ensure that direct descendants of our founder will forever constitute a majority of the board. The Foundation’s Generations in Giving program was launched to cultivate the philanthropic spirit among successive generations of Hilton family members and prepare them for board service. Today’s board of directors includes several generations of Hilton family members.