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Janet Langhart Cohen (born December 22, 1941), is an African-American model, television journalist and author. She also has been known as Janet Floyd and Janet Langhart. She is the spouse of former Defense Secretary William Cohen. She is President and CEO of Langhart Communications.
Biography
She was born Janet Leola Floyd in Indianapolis and raised in an Indianapolis housing projects by a mother, who was African-American, and worked as a maid and hospital ward secretary Her father, Sewell, a white man, served in World War II and abandoned his family after the war.
She was married to Melvin Anthony Langhart for one year. Her second marriage was to Dr. Robert Kistner from 1978-1989; Kistner committed suicide one year later in 1990. Kistner was a Harvard Medical School professor who specialized in the treatment of endometriosis.
On February 14, 1996 she married U.S. Senator William Cohen. She and Cohen first became mutual admirers in 1974 during an interview in Boston, when he was a Congressman from Maine, but did not meet in person until she worked for BET in Washington and Andrew Young set up a news interview for her. They remained friends, and after both became single again, they began dating when Langhart asked Cohen to take care of a dog that had turned up at the BET offices. The couple were married in the U.S. Capitol on Valentine's Day 1996. Cohen is a Republican, Langhart is a Democrat.
When her husband became Secretary of Defense, Langhart was known as "First Lady of The Pentagon" due to her active and visible public role while Cohen was in office. She spurred several initiatives aimed at morale and well-being of military and civilian employees of the Defense Department, including the Military Family Forum, the Pentagon Pops concert series, the Secretary of Defense Annual Holiday Tour (an entertainment revue), and her own series of interviews on Pentagon TV, Special Assignment. She was given a volunteer position as "First Lady of the USO" and helped recruit celebrities and civilians to work with the organization.
In 1999, she founded Citizen Patriot, a non-profit dedicated to recognizing "those who serve, protect, and defend the United States of America." The group presents a periodic CPO Award, which has been given to Jack Valenti and John McCain, and has organized events including a Homeland Defense Tour, which brought USO-like appreciation events to first responders at the September 11 attacks sites and other domestic locations, and a Citizen Patriot tour to military locations overseas.
Media career
Langhart began her career in Chicago as a model, where she worked for Marshall Field's and the Ebony Fashion Fair, and she was named Miss Chicagoland. At 28, she became the first black "weathergirl" for WBBM-TV. She became a noted black television journalist at a variety of outlets, and interviewed personalities including Rosa Parks and David Duke. She became friends with Muhammad Ali and F. Lee Bailey, and considered Martin Luther King a personal mentor. Her multiracial background hampered her at times, as she was allegedly "too black for a white audience, too white for a black audience."
She worked on a television show called 9 Broadcast Plaza alongside Richard Bey. She was fired from Entertainment Tonight in 1990 after she asked Arnold Schwarzenegger, apparently violating an agreement he had with producers, about his father Gustav Schwarzenegger's war service for Nazi Germany. "I was terminated by The Terminator", she remarked. Later, she was a commentator on Black Entertainment Television. She has also worked for the Boston Globe and WCVB-TV in Boston and she has been a spokeswoman for U.S. News and World Report and Avon Cosmetics.
Writing
Langhart is the author of a memoir, My Life in Two Americas; From Rage to Reason.
With her husband William Cohen (former Senator and former Secretary of Defense) in February 2007 she released Love in Black and White. It is a memoir about race, religion, and the bonds Langhart and Cohen share over similar life circumstances and backgrounds.
She is currently working on a symbolic one-act play of an imagined conversation between Nazi child victim Anne Frank and child victim of the Jim Crow southern United States, Emmett Till.
- Langhart Communications biography
- Citizen Patriot organization, founded by Janet Langhart

Cohen and Langhart as they celebrated their anniversary on Valentine's Day in 2004.
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Janet Floyd News and Information
RSS news is based on the words "Janet" and "Floyd" so the information provided can be unrelated to "Janet Floyd" specifically.
From the AD by Janet Wood: Bombers post big win over LR Hall Baxter Bulletin, AR - Sophomore Miranda Manchester, and freshmen Nicole Bolt and Anna Floyd rounded out the scoring. The Bomber golf team will play in their state tournament ... |
What's happening in Southern Indiana Louisville Courier-Journal, KY - Candidates for public office in Floyd County will make presentations. Providence Junior-Senior High School "12 Angry Jurors. ... |
Events calendar Monterey County Herald, CA - Featuring the art exhibit, "A Beautiful Mess," by Janet Roberts. Recently diagnosed, currently treated or recovering women are invited to "reinvigorate your ... |
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW – Ray of Light Theatre Begins New Season ... SanFranciscoSentinel.com, CA - Rebecca Pingree (Janet Weiss) – Bay Area Appearances include Gertrude in Berkeley Playhouse Theatre’s “Seussical”, Hope in Altarena Playhouse’s “Urinetown” ... |
Artworks on display at pottery show Standard Freeholder, Canada - "Two of our new potters this year are Lisa Li, from Ottawa, and Andre Floyd, from Hudson," said Marlin. "Lisa's pots are fun and whimsical, ... |
From the AD by Janet Wood: MH girls' golf team finishes as ... Baxter Bulletin, AR - Sloane Zimmerman, Molly Elders, Miranda Manchester, Nicole Bolt, and Anna Floyd (a freshman who was medalist for the Lady Bombers with a 90), ... |
Alumni plan a first-class affair San Diego Union Tribune, United States - “I thought it was such a shame that we never all got together – it's something that's long overdue,” said Floyd, 72. Contact: Janet Justice Jensen, ... |
Metro Roundup: Smith, Alexander take firsts in Race for Cure Terre Haute Tribune Star, IN - ... Jennifer Wilson 26:00, Jacob Craig 26:36, Maeghan Pilman 26:37, Kourtney Clark 26:38, Myra Bosworth (first-place survivor) 26:38, Floyd Bosworth 26:39, ... |
Real estate transactions Green Bay Press Gazette, WI - South Overland Road, Floyd Janssen estate, Glen Smits, personal representative to Justin and Kristina Crabb, $65000, April 14. ... |
![]() MTV.com | Metallica Are #1 For Third Week In A Row, As Death Magnetic Nears ... MTV.com - The second soundtrack from "Sex and the City," called Volume 2: More Music — a collection featuring Ciara, Craig David, Janet Jackson, Ingrid Michaelson and ... |
Janet Floyd Archive References
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