Caroline Rose Hunt
Caroline Rose Hunt (January 8, 1923 – November 13, 2018) was an American heiress, hotelier, and philanthropist. Born into the wealthy Hunt family, she was the daughter of oilman H. L. Hunt and Lyda Bunker, and grew up in Tyler, Texas, with six siblings. As a child, she was unaware of her family’s fortune until she saw a magazine picture of her father captioned with a question about whether he was the richest man in the world. She attended the Hockaday School in Dallas, then studied at Mary Baldwin College before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and art history. Before her first marriage, Hunt worked in her father’s Dallas office and later as a sales clerk at Neiman Marcus. She then focused on family and charity work for many years, not holding an outside job until she entered the hotel business at age 55. In 1979, she founded Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, and the following year opened The Mansion Restaurant on Turtle Creek. Under her leadership, Rosewood owned the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles during the 1980s and later the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan. She sold the company and five of its properties in 2011 to a Hong Kong billionaire. Hunt also launched a line of bath and skin products called Lady Primrose, stemming from an antiques shop she opened in 1987. She authored a novel in 2000 and two cookbooks. A dedicated philanthropist, she and her sister funded the restoration of a historic building at Mary Baldwin College. She donated to the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the American Red Cross, The Heritage Foundation, and the Library of Congress, and served for a decade on the board of the Kennedy Center. She was also honorary chair of the Retina Foundation of the Southwest, supporting research into macular degeneration, a condition she suffered from. Hunt married twice, first to a Navy pilot with whom she had five children, and later to Buddy Schoellkopf. She died at age 95 from a stroke in Dallas.
- born
- January 8, 1923
- died
- November 13, 2018
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Founder of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts; at one time the wealthiest woman in the Un
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Caroline Rose Hunt was born on January 8, 1923, in Tyler, Texas, to oil magnate H. L. Hunt and Lyda Bunker. She was one of seven siblings. As a child, she was unaware of her family’s immense wealth until she saw a magazine article questioning whether her father was the richest man in the world. She attended the Hockaday School in Dallas and later Mary Baldwin College before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a degree in English and art history. Hunt worked briefly in her father’s office and as a sales clerk at Neiman Marcus before focusing on family and charity. At age 55, she entered the hotel business, founding Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in 1979 and opening The Mansion Restaurant on Turtle Creek in 1980. Her company owned the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles and later the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. She sold Rosewood in 2011. Hunt also launched a bath and skin products line called Lady Primrose, wrote a novel and two cookbooks, and was a major philanthropist, supporting institutions such as the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the United Way. She served on the board of the Kennedy Center and was honorary chair of the Retina Foundation. Hunt was married twice, with five children, and died of a stroke in Dallas on November 13, 2018, at age 95.
Reader's Guide
Caroline Rose Hunt’s career and philanthropy are rooted in her early life as the daughter of oilman H. L. Hunt, a family whose wealth she only recognized as a child after seeing a magazine article questioning if her father was the richest man in the world. Educated at a Dallas boarding school and later at a women’s college in Virginia before earning a degree in English and art history from the University of Texas, she initially worked in her father’s office and as a sales clerk at a Dallas department store. She did not hold an outside job until age 55, when she entered the hotel business. In 1980, she opened a restaurant on Turtle Creek and founded Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, serving as its honorary chairman until her death. The company owned the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles during the 1980s and later held the Carlyle Hotel in New York City, among other luxury properties. In 2011, she sold Rosewood and five of its hotels to a company owned by a Hong Kong billionaire. Beyond hotels, she launched a line of bath and skin products called Lady Primrose, stemming from an antiques shop she opened in 1987. She also wrote a novel and two cookbooks. Her charitable work included funding the restoration of a historic building on the campus of her former college, donations to the United Way, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the American Red Cross, The Heritage Foundation, and the Library of Congress. She served a decade on the board of the Kennedy Center and as honorary chair of a foundation researching macular degeneration, a condition she personally experienced. Her legacy encompasses a luxury hotel portfolio and extensive contributions to cultural and educational organizations.
Did You Know?
- Caroline Rose Hunt was the daughter of oil tycoon H. L. Hunt.
- She was at one time the wealthiest woman in the United States.
- She founded Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.
- Rosewood Hotels & Resorts owns the Carlyle Hotel in New York City.
- She died on November 13, 2018.
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