Betty Furness

In the 1960s Furness was apppointed President Johnson's Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs and brought a new high visibility to consumer rights and corporate responsibility. In 1973 she shifted her focus to local consumer affairs when she was named commissioner of New York City's Dpeartment of Consumer Affairs and functioned as chairwoman of New York State's Consumer Protection Board. She pioneered as one of the first consumer affairs reporters in TV broadcasting, serving as correspondent for NBC News from 1974 to 1992, covering issues ranging from the underreporting calories by food companies to faulty auto tires.