Maritza Shamlian, who worked at Penn for 47 years serving under three Penn presidents, died July 10. She was 92.

Ms. Shamlian, born in Philadelphia,  was hired in 1944 as a stenographer in the Graduate School of Medicine and was promoted to secretary in 1947. She served four deans while there until 1955, when she transferred to the University’s Development and Public Relations department, where she was a secretary; she was promoted to secretary for the vice president of development in 1958. She went on to serve as secretary to the vice president, assistant to President Gaylord Harnwell, and in 1972, she became secretary to President Martin Meyerson (Almanac September 19, 1972). Ms. Shamlian was promoted to executive secretary to the President’s Office in 1974 and senior executive secretary in 1988. She also worked with President Sheldon Hackney from 1981-1991.

In 1986, her office, which she shared with fellow secretary Cathy Wallis, was the site of the almost nine-hour sit-in that led to a number of new safety measures for women and minorities on campus (Almanac December 9, 1986).

Ms. Shamlian retired from Penn in 1991.   As an Armenian-American, she was active in her community through the church and numerous cultural organizations. She was a life-long member of St. Gregory the Illuminator Church at 16th and Oxford Streets where she sang in the choir for 23 years.

Ms. Shamlian is survived by her brother, George (EE’60, GEE’67) (Doris); niece Susan Pogharian (Mark); nephew, Michael (Karine); and five great-nephews, Daron, Raffi, Haig Mark, Haig Kevork and Nishan.