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Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor

Recognizing industry leaders since 1996, the Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor is an exceptional educational resource for students pursuing careers in hospitality management, for people working in the profession and for individuals interested in one of the world's leading industries.

The more than 60 men and women who’ve been inducted into the Hall of Honor—names like J.W. Marriott, Conrad N. Hilton, Ray Kroc, Ernest and Julio Gallo, Walt Disney and Vernon Stouffer—represent the world’s most successful hospitality companies and most recognizable brands.

Every year, Hilton College hosts a formal reception, induction ceremony and dinner for a new class of inductees. Those events, along with a series of industry-related “Think Tanks,” are planned and executed by a team of student managers.

The Hall of Honor Gallery, located off the main lobby of the Hilton University of Houston, features specially commissioned portraits of each inductee by artist Robert Lapsley. Personal papers, memorabilia and corporate histories are archived and displayed in the Massad Family Library Research Center and Hospitality Industry Archives at Hilton College to memorialize the inductees' achievements and leadership—providing a lasting tribute to the companies they conceived and built during their lifetimes.