Bess Myerson (born July 16, 1924) became the first Jewish American and the first Miss New York (1945) to be crowned Miss America in the 1945 pageant. She appeared on various television shows in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s, she was involved in New York City politics. Her daughter and only child is actress, screenwriter and director Barra Grant.