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Bess Myerson became the first Jewish woman to win the Miss America pageant in 1945. Later in life 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. Throughout the late 1970s and the beginning of his mayoral ambitions, Myerson 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 J. Santucci, and former New York City mayor John Lindsay. Myerson lost to Holtzman by a slim margin. {Via Wikipedia}

Bess Myerson, full-length portrait, seated on top of an upright piano, facing front.