William Barron Hilton was an American business magnate, philanthropist and sportsman.
29 Facts About Barron Hilton
2.
Barron Hilton grew up with three siblings, Conrad Nicholson Barron Hilton, Jr.
3.
Barron Hilton's father was of Norwegian and German descent and from New Mexico while his mother was from Kentucky.
4.
Barron Hilton served in the Navy during World War II as a photographer.
5.
Barron Hilton acquired the Los Angeles-area distributorship of Vita-Pakt Citrus Products, co-founded MacDonald Oil Company, and founded Air Finance Corporation, one of the nation's first aircraft leasing businesses.
6.
In 1954, Barron was elected vice president of Hilton Hotels, running the company's franchise operations and creating the Carte Blanche credit card as a service to the company's customers.
7.
Barron Hilton named his team the Chargers, but denied that he did it to create synergy with his new credit card business.
8.
Barron Hilton moved the team to San Diego in time for the 1961 season and played in tiny Balboa Stadium, which the city had expanded to 30,000 seats.
9.
Barron Hilton began working with the local newspapers to engender support for construction of a state-of-the-art stadium.
10.
Barron Hilton served as AFL president in 1965, and helped forge the merger between the AFL and the NFL, announced in 1966, which created the Super Bowl.
11.
Once charged with the responsibility for Hilton Hotels Corporation, Barron Hilton soon showed his father's genius for cost controls and real estate deals.
12.
Barron Hilton personally introduced two innovations that have become standard features of casinos everywhere.
13.
Presley set a world entertainment record at the Las Vegas Barron Hilton for selling out 837 consecutive concerts.
14.
Barron Hilton was a major influence in pushing Liberace to always outperform his previous shows, with more and more of the entertainer's famous brand of showmanship.
15.
Barron Hilton took a leaseback to manage the properties, collecting lucrative management fees and a percentage of their gross profits.
16.
Barron Hilton continued to expand the domestic hotel chain through franchising and the selective acquisition of management contracts and hotels in emerging markets.
17.
When Conrad Barron Hilton bought the Waldorf-Astoria in 1949, he actually bought the hotel's operating company and its 30-year lease to run the hotel.
18.
Barron Hilton launched Conrad International in the '80s, and Hilton Garden Inn in the '90s.
19.
In contrast to his gamble on gaming, Barron Hilton earned a reputation as a financial conservative.
20.
Barron Hilton continued as chairman of the board through the next decade as his hand-picked successor, Steve Bollenbach, dramatically expanded the company through a series of mergers and acquisitions.
21.
Barron Hilton received 60 percent of the unitrust income, and the foundation 40 percent, during his lifetime, then the fund would transfer to the foundation.
22.
Barron Hilton was born the year Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St Louis across the Atlantic.
23.
Barron Hilton promised himself that he would one day learn to fly.
24.
Barron Hilton took private flying lessons at a field on the north shore of Oahu during his time in the Navy, and got his pilot's license at age 17.
25.
Barron Hilton maintained a small fleet of aircraft at his Flying M Ranch east of the sierras in northern Nevada that includes sailplanes, tow planes, aerobatic aircraft, hot air balloons and classic, restored biplanes.
26.
Barron Hilton flew them all until he retired from the cockpit in 2012 at age 84.
27.
In 1947, Barron Hilton married Marilyn June Hawley; they remained married until she died in 2004.
28.
Barron Hilton had 15 grandchildren, including Richard Hilton's daughters Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton Rothschild, and four great-grandchildren.
29.
Barron Hilton died suddenly of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on September 19,2019.