Builders in the 1940s, and to some extent today, were by nature rugged individualists: lone wolves who built and sold their own product, and viewed others in the business as competitors, not partners. So it was not without some irony that on July 20, 1944, a group of builders at the invitation of Hugh E. Prather found themselves in the same room, and agreed to work together as an association. With the allied invasion of Fortress Europe the prior month, victory was in sight as was a post-war economy of scarce materials and a housing shortage for GIs returning from the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific.

On July 31, a ‘general meeting’ at the Highland Park Village Town Hall was held, and the first (12) Directors were elected and installed. Dues were set at $25 for the remainder of the calendar year. On September 1, Grover A. Godfrey was hired as the Association’s first staff member and Executive Officer.

By mid-September, 80 members were enrolled, and the Association’s first permanent offices were secured on the third floor of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce Building. The years that followed are woven into the fabric of the individuals and initiatives that grew our Metroplex into the envy of the nation. In the words of former Executive Officer Edley Cox, ‘Our Association may always take pride in the manner of its founding, and the care and attention of the dedicated men (and women) of vision who made sure things were done, done well and decisively from the very beginning’.

The Association’s role has changed, evolved and multiplied over more than 75 years, but with one unifying theme: to enable our members to build safe, affordable and quality housing for residents in the Dallas area.

We believe that everyone deserves a roof over their head and an affordable place to live. Our members never lose sight of this mission and their role in representing an industry that has been and will continue to be a vital part of the local economy and the American Dream of homeownership.