Bess Myerson
American model, city commissioner, TV show celebrity; first Jewish-American and first Miss New York elected Miss America (1924-2014)
Bess Myerson (July 16, 1924 – December 14, 2014) was an American model and television actress. She was also a former Miss America 1945. She was the only Jewish Miss America.[1] She won the pageant not long after World War II ended.[1]
Bess Myerson | |
---|---|
![]() Myerson in 1957 | |
Miss America 1945 | |
Preceded by | Venus Ramey |
Succeeded by | Marilyn Buferd |
Miss New York 1945 | |
Preceded by | Bobby MacAdam |
Succeeded by | June Jenkins |
Commissioner of New York City Department of Consumer Affairs | |
In office 1969–1973 | |
Appointed by | John V. Lindsay |
Preceded by | Gerard Maxwell Weisberg as Commissioner of Public Markets |
Personal details | |
Born | The Bronx, New York City, U.S. | July 16, 1924
Died | December 14, 2014 Santa Monica, California, U.S. | (aged 90)
Nationality | United States |
Height | 5'10" |
Spouse(s) | Allan Wayne Arnold M. Grant |
Children | Barra Grant |
Alma mater | Hunter College |
Occupation | Model, city commissioner, TV show celebrity |
Known for | Only Jewish American and first Miss New York elected Miss America |
She was seen often on television in the 1950s and 1960s.
She became a city commissioner in 1969. Her career, however, stalled in the late 1980s due to scandal.
Myerson was born in The Bronx, New York City. She had ovarian cancer in th 1970s and dementia at the end of her life. She died in Santa Monica, California, aged ninety.[2]
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Bess Myerson Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved Feb 15, 2015.
- ↑ "Bess Myerson Dies". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved Feb 15, 2015.