1917-2004
While a child in Europe, Lillian planned a career as a concert pianist and attended the Conservatory of Music in Nice, where she received the Premier Prix de Piano in 1933. After moving to New York, she continued her voice, dance, and dramatic arts studies from 1936-1942.
Lillian was the first woman to receive a chemical engineering degree from Pratt, and in 1948 she was the recipient of the Chemical Engineering Alumni Award. In 1952 she was awarded Women’s Badge No. 143 of Tau Beta Pi.
Shortly after graduation from Pratt, Lillian was a Junior Engineer with Pacific Food Products, Inc., of Brooklyn, then left to open her own firm, Muratex Chemicals, which supplied chemicals to the textile industry. She was the Owner and Manager of this firm from 1949-1953. From 1948 to 1955, she also served as Assistant Manager and Vice President of Murad Textile Print Works. Throughout this time, she continued free-lance textile designing; her work has appeared many times in Interior Design.
During 1949-1951 she developed and introduced water-based pigment binders applicable to natural and synthetic fabrics. The “fad” of guilded drapes, dresses, shoes, bags, etc., was a direct result of this new technique. In 1956 she introduced “Cennini Prints,” an unusual application of water-base pigment prints on natural and synthetic fabrics.
She maintained her interest in music, theatre, and dance throughout her career, particularly the Armenian Theatre and Armenian Dance.
Lillian’s father had a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Moscow Institute of Technology, and her mother an M.D. from Moscow University.
- B.S. in Ch.E., 1947, Pratt Institute
- Graduate Studies, New York University
- Lillian is a Charter Member of SWE
