Famous for becoming the first woman master plumber in 1951 at the age of 21

Lillian was William J. Baumbach first child and her mother was Louise Ann Carter (Baumbach) Lillian was born at Georgetown hospital Washington D.C. 11:30pm January 4th 1930. She died January 31, 2000 at the age of 70. 

Later that same year Lillian at the age of 21 married George William Jacobs 23, September 12, 1951, they had two children, Wendy and Lydia. George died August 11, 1995. Lillian was briefly married to a Howard Lamb.

Her father William James Baumbach (my father) was an entrepreneur and an inventor, who owned W. J. Baumbach, Inc., a plumbing and heating company in Arlington Virginia.

Lillian became the pen-pal of more than 250 men in the United States and overseas, 75 letters from Korea alone included election as pin-up girl for an infantry company. Lillian was also on two television shows a New York TV program, the TV game show "What's My Line?", A radio broadcast and wrote a magazine article (Helpful Plumbing Hints for Housewives.) One of her favorite experiences was her interview with Walter Cronkite. Her life story and copies of newspaper articles from 1951 can be found here.

The "What's My Line?" panel was not able to guess her "Line" I have been looking for many years, but have been unable to find a recording of the episode that Lillian appeared on. to this day, I will watch the reruns of the TV show in hopes of finding it.

Pretty Plumber Pen Pal of 250 Men

Washington Evening Star. Thursday, May 24, 1951 By Brian Bell, Jr.

Lillian Ann Baumbach, 21-year-old miss from Arlington, VA and the country’s first woman master plumber, has become the pen-pal of more than 250 men in the United States and overseas.

Pretty Lillian first hit the news in February with news of her entrance into a previously masculine profession. Since then the mail has been coming in batches.

The wire services spread Lillian’s fame-with picture-to the far corners of the glove, and she’s been receiving letters from every section of the United States, Alaska, Australia, German, Korea and France.

Arlington’s post office knows Miss Baumbach’s address without hesitating and the mail’s still pouting in. The letter carriers have even delivered envelopes addressed simply “The pretty Plumber.”

Calm About Rise to Fame.

In addition to here voluminous correspondence, Lillian has been on two local television shows, a New York TV program and a radio broadcast; has written a magazine article (Helpful Plumbing Hints for Housewives); has been a cover girl for a national plumbing magazine and has received gifts-including a light-weight wrench-from manufacturers in her trade.

Lillian, who sticks close to the service manager’s desk as her father’s plumbing business, 4147 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, and leaves the heavier work to the men, is taking her sudden rise to fame calmly.

I’ve had a lot of fun with all these letters,” she said, leafing through the many envelopes, “but Dad doesn’t seem to be impressed.

“I had to get my cousin (Virginia Smith) to help me answer all the letters. And we’re just about caught up with the latest batch.”

Lillian’s favorite letter was from a soldier in Korea, who complained the radiator in his tank leaked and wanted advice. Lillian may have her master plumber’s certificate, but her answer was strictly feminine: “Patch it with a bobby pin and some well-chewed gum.”

Rations Her Photos.

Almost all the letter-writers have asked for pictures of the attractive plumber, but Lillian has been rationing her photos with care. She’s also passed up some interesting invitations - a week end at the Naval Academy, a television show in Chicago and numerous dinner dates.

Her overseas mail - 75 letters from Korea alone-has included election as pin-up girl for an infantry company, complaints from an

Australian soldier that it’s too far from Brisbane to Arlington and a photograph request from a

Netherlands soldier in Korea. 

Other interesting correspondence has been from a lady in Colorado, who thought they were related; an ex-high school classmate in Anchorage, Alaska, a soldier in a plumbing school at Fort Belvoir, a sailor in San Diego, Calif., who wanted her opinion-and got it-on what type of heating unit to use in his house and an offer from a Sarasota (Fla.) real estate man to sell her a good site for a plumbing company.

Lillian refused an offer from a Grantville (Pa.) boy to become her plumber’s assistant.

Miss Baumbach’s social invitations have not been restricted to the mails. An Arlington woman telephoned Lillian’s father to propose a match between her son and the pretty plumber, but that was quickly vetoed.

The saddest letter Lillian received was from a man in Pennsylvania, who had sent her an earlier series of letters. His latest message was that he had found the “one girl in the world for him” and he hoped Lillian would understand if they stopped corresponding. Lillian understood.

Miss Becomes a Master

Arlington County Gets First Woman Plumber. Lillian took the master plumbing examination with six male plumbers, only two of whom passed.

ARLINGTON COUNTY GETS FIRST WOMAN PLUMBER

By Tom Burke

A 21-year-old Arlington girl, Lillian Ann Baumbach, became the first woman licensed as a Master Plumber in Arlington County, last week. As far as can be determined Miss Baumbach, daughter of W.J. Baumbach, founder of the W.J. Baumbach Plumbing and Heating Co., of 4147 Wilson Blvd., is the only female Master Plumber in the entire Washington area.

At present Miss Baumbach, who lives at 4439 N. 15th St., is service manager of her father’s company.

An only child, the attractive Washington-Lee High School graduate, indicated an early desire to follow in her dad’s footsteps. She scorned dolls for monkey wrenches when she was six years old and by the time she was 12 was a regular plumber’s helper on jobs with her dad.

At 4 p.m., today Miss Baumbach will be awarded the Master Plumber’s certificate she qualified for in an examination given January 18 by Director of Inspections Norbert C. Melnick. County Manager A.T. Lundberg will award the certificate. Miss Baumbach took the examination with six male plumbers, only two of whom passed.

Her only other talent, Miss Baumbach admits, is her fishing ability. She declared that she loves fishing on the Chesapeake Bay on her father’s motor boat at every opportunity.

While a student at W-L High, she was interested in athletics more than home economics and was a mainstay on the girls’ softball team.

She has attended a course conducted by her father at the High School one night a week for the past several years. It is a plumbing course designed to train future Master Plumbers.

Cutest Master Plumber Plans Joint Life with Auto Repairman

The Evening Star DC August 01, 1951

Miss Baumbach To Become Bride Of Arlington Man

The area’s most charming master plumber soon will put down her monkey wrench long enough to pool talents for life with an automobile serviceman.

Miss Lillian Anne Baumbach, 21, who made national news in February when she qualified as a master plumber, will marry George William Jacobs, 23, of 831 North Woodrow Street, Arlington, on September 12.

Their engagement was announced by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William J. Baumbach, 4439 North Fifteenth Street, Arlington.

Comely Miss Baumbach found herself an overnight celebrity when news of her unusual proficiency leaked out. Newspapers interviewed her, television programs featured her and hundreds of admirers sent her fan mail.

But Mr. Jacobs said his affection long pre-date his future wife’s fame, for it was in 1948 that they met. It just happened that a road detour sent Mr. Jacobs by her home and she was sitting outside, and he became interested. The rest was easy.

Miss Baumbach doesn’t expect to quit plumbing after the happy event. She will continue to work at her father’s Arlington shop.

Mr. Jacobs works in the service department of Liberty Auto Body, Inc.,

2115 M Street N.W. He is a graduate of Massanutten Military Academy and attended Virginia Military Institute and William and Mary College.

The wedding will take place at the First Presbyterian Church, Wilson Boulevard and Glebe Road, Arlington.

Lady Plumber Began at Age 2

By Louise Daniels

When you’ve been doing something since you were two years old, you’ve been at it for quite a while, even if you haven’t turned 30.

That’s the way with Lillian Jacobs. She’s been a plumber as far back as she can remember, and maybe farther.

As well as anyone around seems to know she is the only lady plumber in the country master plumber, that is. And she unplugged her first stopped-up pipe before her third birthday party.

IT DIDN’T matter that she didn’t have a license because only one person knew about it at the time. An aunt was visiting her family, the W.J. Baumbach. Lillian and her aunt were home alone one day when the shower drain acted up Quick as a wink the toddler found the “plumber’s friend” and fixed the clogged pipe good as new.

“I’ve been at it ever since, “Mrs. George W. Jacobs, who is the same Lillian a few years later, said the other day as she bounced a cherubic three-month-old daughter on her knee in her home at 4839 Arlington Blvd. The daughter, incidentally, isn’t even an apprentice plumber-yet.

Lillian Baumbach Jacobs’ career started logically enough because her cousins and uncles and father-he owns the W.J. Baumbach plumbing firm--all are plumbers and she heard lots of plumber talk around the house.

HER FATHER and Lillian have always been great pals. She was his small shadow wherever he went in the early days. At first as an observer - where her nuisance value must have been considerable-she went on jobs with him. Later she served her formal apprenticeship, then moved on to journey-man and later passed her written examination and became a master plumber.

From the very first Lillian was looking far ahead, even beyond today. In case there ever was need for it she wanted to be able to step into

her father’s boots and head the Baumbach firm. This she could only do if she had a master plumber’s license.

When she began, she said, few people guessed that she was a girl. “I always dressed like a boy with overalls and my hair tucked under a cap,” she explained. Looking at her today it’s hard to think that even the distraught owner of a gushing pipe could have been so deceived. She is petite, feminine and extremely pretty.

THE WORST trial in a plumber’s life, Mrs. Jacobs remembered is the customer who calls in the middle of the night. It’s usually a leaky faucet that has gotten on someone’s nerves. Lillian Jacobs is still amused by the woman who phoned her one day and said that her diamond ring had fallen down the washstand drain. Mrs. Jacobs gave her full instructions about not running the water until she could get there. “Oh”, the customer explained, “it happened six months ago.”

Lillian Jacobs hasn’t been going out on plumbing jobs for several years now. She spends her time working in the office of the firm. For a while she was the buyer for all their construction jobs. “It is the office work that interests me most,” she said, “but I had to learn the business from the ground up.” 

George Jacobs, her husband, attended Virginia Military Institute and William and Mary College. He is an auto body repair man and never has been a plumber. Wendy Joy is their 4-year-old daughter and Lydia Anne is the baby. When Lillian Jacobs isn’t caring for her family or working in the office of her father’s firm she is apt to be sewing or knitting. She likes hand work but prefers big work like slip covers. Maybe it reminds her of the old days when things had to be cut to fit too-only not in glazed chintz.

When something goes wrong with the plumbing in their home what does Lillian Baumbach Jacobs, master plumber, do? Why, she wrings her hands and phones for a plumber, of course!

Added 04-14-15 picture of Lillian on the phone, From the Library of Virginia's collection.

February 18, 1951

Caption: “Arlington, VA. - Lillian Ann Baumbach, the first woman Master Plumber in the Arlington area, takes a call from a customer in her capacity as service manager of the W.J. Baumbach Plumbing and Heating Co., her father’s business. Lillian, who certainly doesn’t look the part, is mighty handy with a wrench in her own right. She’s just 21 and still single.”

Lillian's two daughters 

Wendy and Lydia