Bess Myerson
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Bess Myerson (born July 16, 1924 in Bronx, New York) became the first Jewish woman to win the Miss America pageant in 1945. She appeared in various television shows in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s and 80s, she was involved in New York City politics.
While competing in beauty pageants, Myerson refused, despite entreaties, to employ a pseudonym that "sounded less Jewish." She faced prejudice even after winning the Miss America title, with many sponsors and events long associated with the pageant refusing to deal with her. She later campaigned for civil rights, in particular, working with the Anti-Defamation League.
In 1954, Myerson was a panelist on The Name's the Same television game show, and from 1958 through 1967 was a panelist on I've Got a Secret. She also worked as an actress on other shows.
She has survived ovarian cancer—a very lethal disease—and was diagnosed in 1973. She also suffered a stroke many years later.
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[edit] Marriages
Myerson married Allen Wayne, a doll company executive, in 1947. They had one daughter, Barbara, before divorcing in 1958. Her second marriage was to Arnold Grant, a tax lawyer, in 1962. They divorced in 1967. Myerson and Grant remarried in 1968 before divorcing again in 1971.
[edit] Politics
Myerson was New York City's first Commissioner of Consumer Affairs (under Mayor John Lindsay), later serving as Commissioner of Cultural Affairs under Mayor Ed Koch. In 1977, she was a frequent public companion of Ed Koch.
In 1980, Myerson ran for the Democratic nomination for New York's U.S. Senate seat against Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, Queens District Attorney John Santucci, and former New York City mayor John Lindsay. Myerson lost to Holtzman by a slim margin. Meanwhile, Alfonse D'Amato had defeated Jacob Javits, the incumbent, in the GOP primary. The ailing Javits ran as a Liberal, splitting the left of center opposition to d'Amato, who narrowly defeated Holtzman. After her loss, Myerson reasoned that she seemed "too tall and beautiful" to be a Senator.
[edit] Later years
In the 1980s, Myerson's life was darkened by a messy legal controversy. Her lover, Andy Capasso, who had been convicted of tax fraud, was accused of bribing a judge by giving her daughter a job in Myerson's department. Myerson was herself indicted and resigned her positions with the city of New York. She was ultimately acquitted. The scandal is the subject of a book by Alexander (1991). In recent years, she has promoted social causes and engaged in philanthropy.
[edit] References
- Dworkin, Susan, 1987. Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson's Own Story. ISBN 1-55704-000-1
- Shana Alexander, 1991. When She Was Bad. Dell.
[edit] External links
- Queen of the Jews movie by Bill Condon on Movie Jungle
- Bess Myerson on the Jewish-American Hall of Fame site
- Jewish Women's Archive
- [Robert Slater, Elinor Slater, Great Jewish Women]
- Time, October 28, 1946
| Preceded by Venus Ramey |
Miss America 1945 |
Succeeded by Marilyn Buferd |
