San Antonio Boy
Conrad Hilton is often associated with Texas, but the truth is that he was born and raised in San Antonio, New Mexico, in a community near the Rio Grande, surrounded by stark mountains and vast deserts. He was welcomed into the world on Christmas Day, 1887, the second out of nine children.
Conrad Hilton circa 1949. Photo by Everett / Shutterstock
As the firstborn son, he was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and quickly learn business skills so that he could take over the family shop one day. Conrad opened up about his childhood and the early stages of his career in his 1957 autobiography, Be My Guest.