On January 14, 1940, the Baltimore Sun reported that an announcement was made of the organization of the Baltimore Mortgage Bankers Association; to be headed by Guy T. 0. Hollyday of the Baltimore office of Randall H. Hagner & Co.  The association was the 24th local mortgage organization to be affiliated with the national Mortgage Bankers Association of America.  (Mr. Hollyday was a member of the board of governors of the national association and, in the 1950’s, was head of the Federal Housing Administration.)  Other officers of the new organization included Carroll Wright, of the White-Mowbray Company, vice-president; James W. Rouse, president of the Moss-Rouse Company, secretary-treasurer.  Other members initially included Walter C. Pinkard of Moss-Rouse Company; Hugh F. Watts of the Title Guarantee and Trust Company, and Henry P. Irr.

Unfortunately, and presumably because of World War II, when most able-bodied men went off to war, there is no record of another president of the Baltimore MBA until 1946, when James W. Rouse was elected president.  A succession of Baltimore-area executives led the association (see the MMBA Past President List on our website).  The association facilitated the exchange of ideas among members and continued to be an active advocate for the mortgage profession by lobbying the state legislature and executive branch; as well as local governments as the need arose.  For many years, the Association has engaged the services of a professional lobbyist to assist and guide our lobbying efforts.  We have also been fortunate to have the services of a pro-bono attorney to assist with legal matters.

In 1973, the Association changed its name to the Maryland Mortgage Bankers Association, Inc. (MMBA), and incorporated for the first time.  The new organization represented all Maryland mortgage lenders except those in Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties, which were represented by the Metropolitan Washington Mortgage Bankers Association.

In 1990, the MMBA elected its first female president.  In the summer of 2002, the MMBA entered the digital age, launching its first website.

In December of 2016, the MMBA agreed that the Maryland Association of Mortgage Professionals (MAMP), the organization representing mortgage brokers, would be merged with and into the MMBA.  Both organizations recognized there were now very few differences between the mission of the two Associations and that by combining forces, they could have a more effective voice in Annapolis and a stronger organization. The name chosen for the combined organizations is the MARYLAND MORTGAGE BANKERS AND BROKERS ASSOCIATION (MMBBA).

Prepared by past presidents:  Barbara E. Schmitt and Charles F. Reid, III