The founder of the Hilton Hotel chain was Conrad Hilton. An American born of German parents, Conrad Hilton had an extraordinary life. Not only was he an educated man, having graduated with honors from the New Mexico School of Mines, but he was also a war hero in World War I, and served as a Representative to the State of New Mexico.
Prior to his service in the military, Conrad had helped his father to build a small inn. Upon his release in 1919, Conrad decided to become a hotelier, and purchased the Mobley Hotel in Cisco, Texas. This first purchase spurred Conrad on to purchase other hotels across Texas, and he formed the Hilton Hotel Corporation in 1946. Even though the Great Depression had caused Conrad to lose several of his hotels, he was quickly able to purchase them back and the Hilton Hotel chain grew even stronger. In 1948, the Hilton International Company was formed. Now, with more than 200 hotels worldwide, the Hilton Hotel chain is one of the world's largest luxury hotel chains.