Harold J. Cohen; AT&T; Solicitor General and Art Collector

Harold J. Cohen, 83, former solicitor general for AT&T; and a collector and donor of Native American art. Born in Indianapolis, Cohen earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from Harvard University. He began his career in Washington with the federal government and was the first telecommunications chief of the Federal Communications Commission. After two years in private law practice, he joined AT&T; in 1952 as assistant vice president. He rose to become the company’s solicitor general before it was broken up in the 1970s. During his retirement in California, Cohen painted and helped his wife, Rena, found the Opera Buffs Inc., which helps exceptional singers embark on careers in opera. The couple collected Native American art, particularly black on black pottery from New Mexico. In 1995, they gave the core of the collection, featuring vases and watercolors by Maria and Julian Martinez, among others, to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. On Tuesday in Los Angeles.