Hughes, Howard Robard, jr.

Hard of hearing, becoming even deafer in his last decades; hereditary deafness ran in his family. Born at Houston, TX; sickly as a child and imprinted by his mother with a pathological fear of disease. Went to school at Prosso's Academy in Houston; in 1919, was stricken by a mystery paralysis but soon recovered. In 1919, transferred to South End Jr. High School in Houston, then was sent to the exclusive Fessenden School in West Newton, MA, 1920-1921. Shifted to the Thacher School (Ojai, CA) 1921-1922. His mother died young in 1922, devastating her son. Although he never finished high school, Hughes' father bought him entrance into Cal Tech, but he transferred to the Rice Institute less than a year later. His father died suddenly in early 1924, and at age 18 Hughes was left an enormous amount of money by his father, who had invented a drill bit widely used in the oil- and gas-drilling industry. He promptly dropped out of college. Seeking a career for himself, he became a producer and director of films (Hell's Angels, Scarface, The Outlaw, and others). As another hobby, built and flew several aircraft to various world records, and built up a major airline. Postwar, his company became a major U.S. defense contractor, and he also became even richer through real estate dealings. There were also reports that he was involved in meddling with national politics and involved with secret operations for the CIA. Beginning in the late 1940s, he became an ever more paranoid, secretive, and drug-ridden recluse, caused in part by avoiding situations where his deafness would be a problem. Died on an aircraft flight over Mexico during a rare venture out of his home. Marriages to Ella Rice (1925) and Jean Peters (1957) were both short-lived and produced no children; he also had affairs with many women in between, including the actress Katherine Hepburn who specifically blamed Hughes' deafness for his withdrawal.