Caroline Rose Hunt

Caroline Hunt was a very rich woman. She grew up in a small town. Her father made money from oil. Caroline worked in a store for a while. Then, she started a hotel business. She owned many fancy hotels. She even wrote books. Caroline gave much money to help others. She helped schools and museums. She also helped people with eye problems. She was a very busy and kind leader.

Caroline Rose Hunt was a famous hotel owner. She was once the richest woman in America. She was born on January 8, 1923. Her father made money from oil. Caroline did not know her family was rich as a child. She later went to the University of Texas at Austin. She studied English and art history there.

Caroline worked in many different ways. She worked in her father's office. She also worked as a clerk in a store. At age 55, she started a hotel business. She founded Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in 1979. This company owned many luxury hotels. One famous hotel was the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. She also owned The Mansion Restaurant in 1980.

Caroline was also a writer. She wrote a novel and two cookbooks. She spent much time helping others too. She gave money to museums and schools. She also helped a group called the Retina Foundation. This group studies eye health. Caroline had eye problems herself. She died in 2018 at the age of 95. She died from a stroke.

Caroline Rose Hunt was a very successful businesswoman. She was once the wealthiest woman in the United States. She is best known for starting Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. This company manages many fancy hotels around the world. One of her hotels was the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Today, her company owns the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. She spent many years building this famous business.

Caroline's career changed in a big way when she was older. She did not start her hotel business until she was 55. First, she opened The Mansion Restaurant in 1980. Right after that, she founded Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in 1979. She also opened an antique shop in 1987. This shop led to her own line of skin products called Lady Primrose. She even wrote a novel and two cookbooks.

Caroline grew up in a very large family. She was born on January 8, 1923, in the state of Arkansas. Her father was a man named H. L. Hunt. He made a lot of money from oil. Caroline had six siblings in her family. She lived in the town of Tyler, Texas, while she was growing up. She did not realize her family was so rich until she saw a magazine picture of her father.

She went to several different schools during her life. She attended the Hockaday School in Dallas. Later, she went to Mary Baldwin College in Virginia for two years. Finally, she moved to the University of Texas at Austin. There, she earned a degree in English and art history. In 2013, she was put into the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors Hall of Fame. This was a special honor for her hard work in business.

Caroline also spent a lot of time helping other people. She gave money to many museums and schools. She helped a group called the Retina Foundation of the Southwest. This group works to help people with eye problems. Caroline had these eye problems herself. She also helped the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She died on November 13, 2018, at the age of 95.

Caroline Rose Hunt was a prominent American heiress and hotelier. She was once recognized as the wealthiest woman in the United States. Hunt is most famous for founding Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. This company manages a portfolio of luxury hotels. One notable property in its history was the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Today, the company owns the Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Her business success transformed her from a family heiress into a powerful leader in the hospitality industry.

Hunt's journey into business began later in her life. For many years, she focused on her family and charitable work. She did not hold a job outside her home for a long time. However, she entered the hotel business at age 55. In 1980, she opened The Mansion Restaurant on Turtle Creek. That same year, she founded Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. Her career also included diverse interests. In 1987, she opened an English country antiques shop with a friend. This shop led to the creation of Lady Primrose, a line of bath and skin products. She was also a creative writer. She authored a novel titled *Primrose Past* in 2000 and wrote two cookbooks.

Caroline was born on January 8, 1923. Her parents were Lyda Bunker and the oilman H. L. Hunt. She grew up in the town of Tyler, Texas. Interestingly, she did not realize how wealthy her family was during her childhood. She only discovered the extent of her father's wealth when she saw a *Life* magazine photo. The caption asked if her father was the richest man in the world. She was one of seven children. Her siblings included Margaret Hunt Hill, H. L. Hunt III, Lyda Bunker Hunt, Nelson Bunker Hunt, William Herbert Hunt, and Lamar Hunt.

Her education prepared her for a life of diverse interests. She attended the Hockaday School, which is an all-girl boarding school in Dallas. She then spent two years at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia. Eventually, she transferred to the University of Texas at Austin. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and art history. This background in art and literature likely influenced her later work in antiques and writing.

Throughout her life, Hunt was a dedicated philanthropist. She used her resources to support many cultural and educational organizations. In 1991, she and her sister Margaret funded the restoration of Hilltop. This 1810 building is on the campus of Mary Baldwin College. She also donated to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Her support reached the Library of Congress through the James Madison Council. For ten years, she served on the board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

One of her most personal causes was medical research. Hunt suffered from macular degeneration, a condition that affects vision. Because of this, she served as the honorary chair of the Retina Foundation of the Southwest. This non-profit organization focuses on research into macular degeneration and the restoration of vision loss. In 2013, she received the J. Erik Jonsson Award from the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. This award recognized her long history of donations to United Way organizations.

In 2011, a major change occurred in her business empire. Hunt sold Rosewood and five of its hotel properties. As a result of this sale, Rosewood became a subsidiary of a larger company. This company is owned by the Hong Kong billionaire Henry Cheng. In May 2013, Hunt was inducted into the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors Hall of Fame. This honor recognized her massive impact on the real estate and hospitality sectors.

Caroline Rose Hunt lived a long and impactful life. She was married twice, first to Loyd Bowmer Sands and later to Buddy Schoellkopf. She had five children from her first marriage. Hunt passed away on November 13, 2018, at the age of 95. Her death occurred at the T. Boone Pickens Hospice and Palliative Care Center in Dallas following a stroke. Her legacy remains visible through the many hotels and institutions she helped build and support.