The first
Yesterday I read that Bess Myerson, the first Jewish Miss America, had died at 90.
Which led me to wonder why virtually all the articles used that phrase, “the first Jewish Miss America.” Was there ever a second? The answer is no:
Myerson was urged by the pageant director to change her name to sound less Jewish and, unlike most Miss Americas before her, Myerson did not pose with Ford cars or model Catalina bathing suits. “Those companies didn’t want a Jewish woman representing them,” Myerson recalled in an interview.
Here’s Myerson in her heyday:
RIP.
[NOTE: It reminds me of JFK’s being referred to as “the first Catholic president.” Actually, to this day he’s still the only Catholic president.]
I don’t remember ever paying attention to what faith she had. That was long before I had any interest in women.
I was probably 20 before I realized that Cohen, Rosen, and Levi were Jewish names. The people with those names I knew were just people. Ben Levi had the best shoestore in my hometown. How could anyone be prejudiced against someone like that. I remember seeing her on TV, but I never knew she was Jewish. She just seemed to be a smart attractive woman. Isn’t that the way it is supposed to be?
Forget the cars and the bathing suits — there was always Ajax cleanser!
expat, I had a similar experience — I was most of the way through high school before I realized that many of my classmates were Jewish, and it likewise never occurred to me that the ones with Irish and Italian surnames were likely to be Catholics like me. I just wasn’t tuned in to religious affiliations, for some reason.
As for Bess Myerson, based on this photo it seems that Catalina missed out on a great opportunity to have a lovely woman model and promote their bathing suits! I hope they lost sales over it.
A beautiful woman !!!
Need some help here.
I remember Bess Meyerson as a model on a particular TV show in the 1950s, but what was the show? I want to say Queen for a Day but I don’t think that’s correct. The other show which comes to mind is one that was hosted by Bill Leyden (can’t even remember the show’s name). Better information anyone?
Like others above, I never thought of her as Jewish (not that it would have mattered one way or the other). She was just a strikingly beautiful woman. QED by the fact that we remember her in spite of her long absence from the public eye.
There was a much pride about her among Jews as there was about Hank Greenberg!
@ T I ve got a secret (????)
As Richard Saunders said above, her being crowned Miss America was a very big deal for Jews — from her obit in the Miami Herald:
T,
Was it a show called The Big Payoff? Found this in the NY Times — For eight years, she appeared on a game show called “The Big Payoff,” modeling mink coats and announcing prizes.
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I am one of those people that has never given the Miss America pageant (or the oscars) one second of attention. However, Meyerson has a lovely face set off by a sparkling smile; no matter what her religion or ethic origin she is beautiful.
There was a family named Steinberg lived behind us, growing up. Presbyterians. as we were. I do recall one (1) Jewish girl in my high school. May have been more, though.
For a minority group to remain on the outside, it has to work at it. This young woman was talented and beautiful and was trying to achieve something that most young girls would see as laudable. Now, you could make a good argument that Jews are no longer a minority group which should be the objective. Years ago, Jews disappeared from sociology books on race and ethnicity.
I’ve often noticed how many Asian parents in America give their children Anglo first names Like Susan Li, Fred Fukyama, and Joe Chan. They want their kids to achieve. On the other hand, many black parents give their kids first names that are seen as black or unique. It’s an attempt to be separate.
The left is working hard to keep minority groups as victims. They don’t want them to assimilate (“acting white).
I never even realized she was Jewish. I was Too busy admiring gods handywork.
I mainly remember her from television game shows and such in the 50s and 60s. And I remember her for being pinched for shoplifting, which was sad and scandalous at the time.
MollyNH and Ann,
Thanks. Not I’ve Got a Secret because I remember that show very well. While she served as a panelist, the show I remember had her modeling (I especially remember mink coats). Ann may be correct, but I sadly admit I don’t even remember The Big Payoff as a name.
Update: I think Ann is correct. I checked Wiki and they noted that the show’s theme song was A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody. That most definitely rings a bell.
Amazing isn’t it? The stuff that bumps around in the corners of our mind!
Thanks
““Those companies didn’t want a Jewish woman representing them,” Myerson recalled in an interview.”
Excuse me. Last time I checked, the Jews are the most successful ethnic group in this country.
Illuminati:
Back then, there was a lot of discrimination against Jews. For example, there were quotas to reduce the number of Jews in colleges, later replaced by regional diversity policies which did the same thing. Jews were limited in their participation in many other fields, as well as socially. Jews succeeded in spite of discrimination, not because there was none.
By the time of Myerson’s reign as Miss America, this had certainly not ended; it was some years after that that things improved significantly.
“Jews succeeded in spite of discrimination, not because there was none.”
A few years ago I worked with an Irish born ultrasound technician in America who absolutely hated the British. He talked about how a million Irish men, women, and children died in the Potato Famine while the English stood by.
The weird thing is she died December 18 but no one reported her death to the world. The article I first read about it said they confirmed her passing through court records or something like that. That’s not very common for someone who was once so famous.