Lillian Ann Baumbach Was the First Woman Master Plumber

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The Legacy of The Pretty Plumber

Lillian Ann Baumbach was the first woman master plumber. She had paved the road to lead other women into the profession of plumbing. The professionals look up to her, and women want to be her. 

Lillian Ann Baumbach was not only the first women master plumber in the 1950s, but she was dubbed as the “Pretty Plumber”. When she was just the age of six, she began going on service calls with her father. When she was 12, Lillian was a regular helper on his jobs. She went with him to his service calls and added a bit of spark to her father’s company, Baumbach Plumbers of Arlington. 

woman The Making of A Female Master Plumber

It wasn’t a sight to be seen every day - a woman carrying around a wrench. After all, this was supposed to be a man’s job! It was very rare to see a woman turning wrenches under a bathroom sink or by a toilet at that time. When she graduated from Washington-Lee High School in 1947, she knew exactly what she wanted to do, so Lillian went to take the test to become a Master Plumber

She had received her certification and went on to perform plumbing tasks. However, she didn’t always go to the service calls. She did a lot of estimates and talked on the phone while sending the men out to do the heavy lifting. 

letters The Letters

After she had become the first woman Master Plumber, she began receiving fan letters from across the globe. The letters came, addressed to “The Pretty Plumber”, from all around the world- Australia, Alaska, Korea, and beyond! She accepted these letters and became the Pen-Pal of well over 250 men, many of whom wrote to ask for pictures, plumbing advice, and even propose marriage.

Afterward, she became the military pin-up girl for the Korean War. She was also in two television shows, was featured on the cover of a national plumbing magazine, and did a radio broadcast. She was a jack-of-all-trades type of woman. 

During this time, she got married to George W. “Bill” Jacobs. They lived together for 26 years and had two daughters. She then took over her father’s company and was elected president until her retirement in 1989.  

An Influential Woman 

At 1.1 percent, women are slowly starting to make up some of the plumbing industry statistics. Lillian Ann Baumbach lent a helping hand with this. She was the first of her kind and ran her father’s company successfully. Needless to say, her life had a significant impact on women looking to get into the plumbing industry today. 

Women looking to get into the plumbing industry should be well aware of the perks. The government offers Federal grants to women-owned companies. While there are still significantly more men in the industry than women, Lillian Ann Baumbach’s groundbreaking career in plumbing opened a door for generations of women to follow in her footsteps, becoming licensed and owning their own plumbing companies!  

About Falcon Plumbing

Falcon Plumbing is a successful woman-owned plumbing company in Miami, Florida. They offer personal attention to their customers, 24/7 emergency services, upfront, flat-rate pricing, free estimates (with limitations), and a satisfaction guarantee on their services.