Celebrating 40 Years of Academic Excellence

(Left to right) Clare Sullivan Jackson (’85), chair of the College’s 40th Anniversary Committee; Dean John Bowen, Mayor Bill White and University of Houston President Renu Khator pose with the Mayor’s official proclamation declaring Sept. 3 as “Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management Day.” This proclamation kicks off a year-long celebration to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the College. (Photo by Michael Scott)

Houston Mayor Bill White proclaimed Sept. 3, 2009, as “Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management Day,” officially kicking off a year-long celebration to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the College. Since that storied dinner at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel on Oct. 28, 1969, when Conrad N. Hilton gifted $1.5 million to create the Conrad N. Hilton “School” of Hotel and Restaurant Management, the Hilton College has evolved into a world leader in hospitality education with a world-class academic facility, a state-of-the-art teaching hotel, a cadre of outstanding faculty and an ever-changing curriculum that keeps pace with the needs of the hospitality industry.

Building On a Dream

To learn more about the first 40 years of the Hilton College, click here to read the special anniversary issue of the Dean’s Report that was mailed to alumni, donors and industry partners in September. From our great faculty and our many graduates to our industry friends and those who have supported the College through their contributions of time and financial support, this report is but a “snapshot” of some of the people and milestones that make our first 40 years such a remarkable story.

40th Anniversary Events

Clare Sullivan Jackson (’85) is the chair of the 40th Anniversary Committee and is working with alumni, students and staff on a number of events that will be held over the next year to celebrate this historic milestone. These events include alumni socials for chapters throughout the country, football tailgating and a spring open house slated for April 22—and later that evening a black-tie dinner with a celebrity guest chef. The open house will coincide with the completion of a $12.5 million renovation to our hotel and the reopening of our newly renovated library and hospitality industry archives that is named after the Massad Family for their generous gift to renovate the library and archives.

For dates and updates on related anniversary activities, go to our Alumni Calendar to learn more about upcoming events you won’t want to miss!

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