Bess Myerson, a New York favorite daughter who spent decades of her life under the spotlight, initially as the first, and so far the only, Jewish Miss America in 1945, then as a TV personality and later as a New York public servant, died on Dec. 14 at her home in Santa Monica, California. Myerson, whose civil career ended after a scandal, was 90 at the time of her death.

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Myerson's death was noted as an obscure one, not without the fanfare and the tumult, which hounded at the end of her career in the 1980s.

Myerson was hailed as one of a handful of American pop figures who parlayed their fame and influence into the public arena. From 1969 to 1973, she was appointed New York City's first Consumer Affairs Commissioner, becoming a watershed image in consumer protection law.

Throughout the 70s, she was also with several presidential commissions in the 1960s and 1970s, working as an adviser to three three presidents, fought for various social causes and backed powerful political careers.

She herself wanted to sit on an elected position, vying for Democratic nomination in New York's U.S. Senate, only to be defeated by Elizabeth Holtzman at the primaries by a slim margin.

Born on July 16, 1824, Myerson was born at the Bronx in New York. At the age of 21, the 5'10 beauty with luxuriant brown hair vied for the Miss New York title, which she eventually won. However, she had to fight her way. She was asked to choose a less-Jewish sounding name during the competition but she refused to.  Controversy eventually arose after she won the title when three of the pageant's five sponsors backed out in protest as New York's representative to Miss America.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, Myerson was a celebrity quiz show regular, frequently appearing as a panelist on The Name's the Same and I've Got a Secret.

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