Bess Myerson Birthday Highlights
Birth Name
Place Of Birth The Bronx, New York, USA Age 99 years old
Birth Date July 16 1924
Bess Myerson Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Politician, Model, Television actress Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $3,000,000
Children Barra Grant Parents Louis Myerson , Bella Myerson Siblings Helen Myerson, Sylvia Myerson, Joseph Myerson
About Bess Myerson Bess Myerson is very popular for being the first Jewish Miss America in the country.Bess Myerson was born in the year 1924 and died in the year 2014. Throughout her life, she has been in the entertainment industry and also served as a city commissioner.Bess Myerson was a part of a family that migrated from Russia as Jewish immigrants. She was the second youngest in a family of four children and came from a very humble background. She was a very musically inclined child from the beginning and learned the piano from the age of nine. She won the Miss America pageant as a Jewish woman at the age of 21, which made history during that period.She remained loyal to her music for a very long time while pursuing modeling. She eventually became a voice that spoke against antisemitism and racism. She soon moved to politics, involving herself in it full time. Bess Myerson was also involved in a political scandal, that shook the nation at that time. Keep reading to know more such facts about this celebrity.Bess Myerson is an American television celebrity, model, and politician who was active between the periods 1945 and 1987. She started her modeling journey by winning the Miss New York City competition and from there, went on to win the Miss America Pageant in 1945. It is to be noted that she was the first Jewish woman to win this title.After this, she gained a lot of popularity and went on to act and host television series and game shows. She then was elected to be the commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs of New York City. From here, her political career boomed and she was in office until the year 1987.Her political life was always controversial and she was caught in charges of conspiracy and fraud and was forced to resign her position. After this, she faded off into the background. She died peacefully on December 14, 2014, in Santa Monica, California. She was 90-years-old when she passed away due to age-related causes. It is said that her death was confirmed on public records only after three weeks. She was put to rest at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica.Bess Myerson’s Net Worth, Earnings & Spending HabitsWhat was Bess Myerson’s net worth?Sources say that her net worth was about $3 million when she was at the peak of her professional life. There are no sources that talk about her net worth after she resigned from her position.Height, Age & Physical AttributesHow tall was Bess Myerson?Bess Myerson’s height was 5 ft 8 in (178 cm).How old was Bess Myerson?When Bess Myerson died in December 2014, she was 90-years-old.Childhood And EducationBess Myerson’s family moved to The Bronx in the US as Jewish immigrants from Russia. Her father, Louis Myerson did a variety of jobs, as a house painter, a carpenter, and a handyman. Though she was born in the southern section of The Bronx in New York City, the family soon moved to an apartment complex in the northern part of The Bronx.She had two sisters and a brother who died even before she was born. There is not much information available about her mother, Bella Myerson.In an interview, she once mentioned that she was made to play Olive Oyl, a tall and lanky cartoon character, in a school play.She started learning the piano when she was just nine years old and her love for music remained for decades. In fact, she started giving piano lessons for kids for just fifty cents an hour and she also worked as a music counselor in a summer camp, all to make some extra money and explore music.She joined the New York High School of Music and Art for her arts degree in 1937 and she completed the course in 1941. She proceeded to then graduate from Hunter College, a public university in New York and received her Bachelor of Arts in music.After winning the Miss America Pageant, it is said that she also took graduate courses from Columbia University and Juilliard University.Family, Romance, And RelationshipsWho were Bess Myerson’s partners?In October 1946, when she was just 22, she married a discharged U.S Navy Captain called Allan Wayne Arnold. They had a baby girl named Barbara who was born in 1948. Myerson was not very happy in the marriage. As a result, the couple divorced in 1957, after 11 years of being together.Later, she remarried an attorney named Arnold Grant, who ended up adopting her girl. This marriage also did not last and it is said that the couple divorced sometime in the early 1970s.Some sources say that she was romantically involved with a married contractor named Carl Andrew Capasso while she was in politics and that was the starting point of the controversy and charges that she faced later on.Career And Professional HighlightsBest Known ForBess Myerson is largely known for two things, her Miss America title, won as the first Jew of the nation, and the ‘Bess Mess’.The ‘Bess Mess’ was a series of controversies and fraud charges that Bess had to face during the 1980s. This was the time she was the Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs under Ed Koch.It is said that she became romantically involved with a sewer contractor named Carl Andrew Capasso. It did not help that he was married. She started socializing with the judge who was handling Capasso’s divorce and suddenly the child support payments of Capasso were reduced.Investigators later came to know that she had also hired the daughter of the judge. All this led to her invoking her Fifth Amendment rights. She had to resign from her position.It is to be noted that during this time, she was also caught shoplifting from Pennsylvania and she pleaded guilty and had to pay a fine for this. All this did more damage to her public image.Though she was finally acquired in the case, her public image and her political life went for a toss and she had to step away from the media’s attention.Charity WorkIt is said that Bess Myerson contributed significantly to the Jewish Museum of Florida, FIU to build Bessie’s Bistro. This was in memory of her parents who lived in that vicinity.It is also said that contributed a lot to the growth of the Jewish community. She was also vocal in her support against racism of all kinds.Bess Myerson’s Hobbies And InterestsBess Myerson was a musician by heart and she loved playing the piano.Other Interesting Bess Myerson Facts And TriviaDid you know that during the pageant, she was asked to change her name slightly so that people did not realize she was a Jew? However, she staunchly refused to do that and participated with her original name.Bess Myerson had very little interest in getting popular with her title. In fact, she wanted to win so she can buy a piano with the winning money of $5,000.Myerson was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the 1970s and she beat it successfully. In 1981, she had a mild stroke and also came out of it successfully.As a young girl, she started her career in the Bronx then moved to different places, and ended up finally in California, where she remained until her death in December 2014.The starting point of her career was the Miss New York City Competition that she participated in, in the year 1945. It is said that an amateur photographer ended up taking snapshots of her and sending them to the pageant without her knowledge.She was not very keen on participating in a beauty competition and it is said that she was embarrassed at the thought. However, she ended up liking the process and after she won this, she was selected to participate in the Miss America pageant. She actually borrowed a bathing suit to participate in the Miss New York Pageant.On August 15, 1945, the same day that Japan surrendered in World War II, she became the first Jewish woman to win the Miss America title in the Atlantic City.During her tour as Miss America, she saw a lot of signs that were discriminating against the Jews in country clubs and restaurants. This gave her something solid to talk about in all her speaking tours. She became vocal against antisemitism and racism in the country.Her speech on tolerance was named ‘You Can’t Be Beautiful And Hate’ and she gave her first speech in Chicago City.She tried becoming a full-time musician and gave recitals to different groups, including the New York Philharmonic, and appeared for shows in places like the Carnegie Hall. However, she soon realized that people liked looking at her more than hearing her play.During the 1950s, she was hired to be the Lady in Mink in the very popular ‘The Big Payoff’ game show on television. Later on, she became a panelist in other game shows like ‘Name’s The Same’ and ‘I’ve Got A Secret’.Between the years 1954 and 1968, she was the host of the television broadcast of the Miss America competition too. She was also the announcer of the Jackie Gleason show between 1952 and 1973.Her political journey kick-started when she was appointed the Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs of the City of New York by then-Mayor, John V. Lindsay. She slowly stepped down from all her entertainment commitments and became a full-time politician.She held this position until 1973 and became an expert in the consumer protection laws of the state. When Ed-Koch was campaigning for becoming the New York Mayor in 1977, she remained his close public companion, campaigning for him.In 1980, she tried her hands at the democratic nomination for New York’s Senate race. She competed against congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman and lost the Democratic primary against her.After Ed Koch became the mayor, she served as the Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs until 1983.We would love your help! If you have a photo of Bess myerson, either of them alone or a selfie that you would be happy to share, please send it to [email protected]If you have knowledge or information that you think would help us improve this article, please contact us.
Bess Myerson Birthday Highlights
Birth Name
Place Of Birth The Bronx, New York, USA Age 99 years old
Birth Date July 16 1924
Bess Myerson Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Politician, Model, Television actress Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $3,000,000
Children Barra Grant Parents Louis Myerson , Bella Myerson Siblings Helen Myerson, Sylvia Myerson, Joseph Myerson
Bess Myerson is very popular for being the first Jewish Miss America in the country.Bess Myerson was born in the year 1924 and died in the year 2014. Throughout her life, she has been in the entertainment industry and also served as a city commissioner.Bess Myerson was a part of a family that migrated from Russia as Jewish immigrants. She was the second youngest in a family of four children and came from a very humble background. She was a very musically inclined child from the beginning and learned the piano from the age of nine. She won the Miss America pageant as a Jewish woman at the age of 21, which made history during that period.She remained loyal to her music for a very long time while pursuing modeling. She eventually became a voice that spoke against antisemitism and racism. She soon moved to politics, involving herself in it full time. Bess Myerson was also involved in a political scandal, that shook the nation at that time. Keep reading to know more such facts about this celebrity.Bess Myerson is an American television celebrity, model, and politician who was active between the periods 1945 and 1987. She started her modeling journey by winning the Miss New York City competition and from there, went on to win the Miss America Pageant in 1945. It is to be noted that she was the first Jewish woman to win this title.After this, she gained a lot of popularity and went on to act and host television series and game shows. She then was elected to be the commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs of New York City. From here, her political career boomed and she was in office until the year 1987.Her political life was always controversial and she was caught in charges of conspiracy and fraud and was forced to resign her position. After this, she faded off into the background. She died peacefully on December 14, 2014, in Santa Monica, California. She was 90-years-old when she passed away due to age-related causes. It is said that her death was confirmed on public records only after three weeks. She was put to rest at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica.
Bess Myerson Birthday Highlights
Birth Name
Place Of Birth The Bronx, New York, USA Age 99 years old
Birth Date July 16 1924
Bess Myerson Birthday Highlights
Birth Name
Place Of Birth The Bronx, New York, USA Age 99 years old
Birth Date July 16 1924
Birth Name
Place Of Birth The Bronx, New York, USA Age 99 years old
Birth Date July 16 1924
Birth Name
Place Of Birth The Bronx, New York, USA Age 99 years old
Birth Date July 16 1924
Bess Myerson Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Politician, Model, Television actress Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $3,000,000
Children Barra Grant Parents Louis Myerson , Bella Myerson Siblings Helen Myerson, Sylvia Myerson, Joseph Myerson
Bess Myerson Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Politician, Model, Television actress Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $3,000,000
Children Barra Grant Parents Louis Myerson , Bella Myerson Siblings Helen Myerson, Sylvia Myerson, Joseph Myerson
Child Star? no Occupation Politician, Model, Television actress Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $3,000,000
Children Barra Grant Parents Louis Myerson , Bella Myerson Siblings Helen Myerson, Sylvia Myerson, Joseph Myerson
Child Star? no Occupation Politician, Model, Television actress Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $3,000,000
Children Barra Grant Parents Louis Myerson , Bella Myerson Siblings Helen Myerson, Sylvia Myerson, Joseph Myerson
