Conrad Hilton Jr.

Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr. was born in Dallas, Texas. His parents were Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels, and Mary Adelaide Barron. Hilton had three younger siblings: Barron, Eric, and Francesca. He is a grand-uncle of Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton.[1]

Growing up he did not take interest in the family business and he dropped out of Loyola University in Los Angeles to join the Navy.[2] His father enrolled him at École hôtelière de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland but he was suspended after six months.[3][4] In 1951, he became the vice president of the Hilton Corporation and manager of the Bel Air Hotel.[5][6] In his later years, he was a director and chairman of the executive committee of the Hilton International Company.[7]

Hilton died at the age of 42 from a sudden heart attack due to alcoholism on February 5, 1969.[7] His funeral was held at St. Paul's Church in Los Angeles.[7] He is interred in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.[8]

Hilton dated various Hollywood starlets and gained a reputation for being a playboy.[9]

Hilton had an affair with his stepmother, Zsa Zsa Gabor, according to claims made by Gabor after his death.[10] Gabor stated in her 1991 autobiography One Lifetime Is Not Enough, that their affair began when her marriage to Hilton's father was on the rocks and ended during his marriage to Elizabeth Taylor.[11]

In October 1949, Hilton met Taylor at Mocambo nightclub in Los Angeles.[12] The couple were married in highly publicized ceremony at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills on May 6, 1950.[13][14] They had a tempestuous 8-month marriage due to his gambling, drinking, heroin addiction, and abusive behavior.[3][15][16] During one of his violent outbursts, Hilton kicked Taylor in the stomach and caused her to have a miscarriage.[17][18][19] Taylor announced their separation in December 1950;[20] she was granted a divorce on grounds of mental cruelty on January 29, 1951.[12]

In September 1951, actress Betsy von Furstenberg announced her engagement to Hilton.[21][22] They planned to marry the following spring but they were never married.[23]

In May 1954, Hilton was arrested on drunk charges and received two years of probation.[24][25][26]

In the 1950s, Hilton dated actresses Terry Moore, Mamie Van Doren, Arlene Solof, and Jeanne Carmen.[27][28] In 1957, he dated actresses Natalie Wood and Joan Collins at the same time.[29][30][31] Shortly after, he dated Mexican actress Silvia Pinal, whom he met at the opening of a hotel in Acapulco.[32]

In 1958, Hilton married Patricia McClintock, an oil heiress from Oklahoma. They had two sons, Conrad Nicholson Hilton III and Michael Otis Hilton.[33] Their marriage deteriorated as Hilton became addicted to the sleeping pill Seconal and mixed it with hard liquor.[3] McClintock sued for divorce on February 10, 1964.[34] She charged Hilton with "causing her extreme mental and physical suffering" but they later reconciled.[35] In August 1967, McClintock filed for divorce again, accusing Hilton of "repeated acts and threats of violence."[36] The divorce was never granted but they were separated at the time of Hilton's death.[37]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Conrad Hilton Jr..

• Los Angeles Times, Historical Collection