Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration announced that Hilton Worldwide is the title sponsor of the third annual Cornell Icon and Innovator Awards Dinner, a gala that will honor the Hilton family and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation as the recipients of the 2011 Icon of the Industry Award.

Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton Worldwide, will co-present the award with Michael D. Johnson, dean and E.M. Statler Professor of Hotel Administration, at the awards dinner on June 7 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

“Conrad Hilton and the Hilton family are the essential foundations of the company that is now Hilton Worldwide. It is a privilege to participate in honoring them with the Cornell Icon of the Industry Award,” said Nassetta, who has led Hilton Worldwide since the Hilton family sold the company in 2007.  “We proudly adhere to Conrad Hilton’s commitment of creating exceptional guest experiences with business integrity, and we owe our success as the leading global hospitality company to the extraordinary business foundation built by his incredible vision and gifted entrepreneurial spirit.”

The Cornell School of Hotel Administration and Hilton have historic ties that date back more than a half century, when Conrad Hilton purchased the hotel company of E.M. Statler, one of the school’s principal benefactors and also an industry icon.

“We are very proud to continue to build on that foundation and expand on our relationship with Hilton Worldwide,” Johnson said.

The Cornell Icon & Innovator Awards Dinner attracts some of the world’s most influential hospitality leaders and raises funds for the School of Hotel Administration scholarships and programs.  The event began in 2009, and honored J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr.  The 2010 dinner honored Charles “Chuck” Feeney.

The gala already has 40 corporate sponsors, including media partners USA Today and Travel+Leisure magazines, and Amazing Taste, LLC, as strategic marketing and event consultant.