January 18 in A.A. History

In 1939, The Alcoholic Foundation Board of Trustees met. They unanimously agreed to add two trustees to the board, one Class A (non-alcoholic) and one Class B (alcoholic), and then unanimously elected Dr. Leonard V. Strong (Bill W.’s brother-in-law) and Harry B. (whose story is “A Different Slant” in the 1st edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous) to fill the positions. Dr. Strong would serve on the board until October 1954 (as secretary), then become a trustee emeritus until July 1960. Harry was also elected as the second chairman of the board (following William “Bill” R.). He would soon return to drinking and be replaced in December 1939, serving less than a year. From that time until 2024, the Chairman of the Board was always a Class A Trustee. The trustees appointed their own successors and were, as Bill W. said, “chartered to do everything under the sun.”
    Bill gave a lengthy report on the book, tentatively titled 100 Men. The minutes note that “the Alcoholic Foundation does not have any legal connection whatsoever with the organization or operation of this to-be-formed publishing company,” although they agree to accept “a contribution of $0.35 per volume sold if and when the book is published and put on sale” [emphasis added]. However, “the sentiment [of the board] to render all such possible assistance [as individuals] was unanimous, …” and at least three of the Class A trustees would purchase stock in Work Publishing, Inc. within days.

In 1948, a United Press “Wire Brief” on page 2 of The Sunday Morning Star of Wilmington, Delaware, reported on what they called A.A.’s “first international conference”:

DETROIT—The first international conference of members of Alcoholics Anonymous opened here last night in perhaps the driest convention on record. Some 3,000 delegates from throughout the midwest and two Canadian provinces toasted their first meeting with a soft drink punch in an unannounced part of the city.

 In 1950, The Fort Payne (Alabama) Journal published a short, unsigned article about two glimpses “inside” Alcoholics Anonymous by two of its members in two different places. The first talk was described as “very fine and impressive;” the second as “a soul stirring [sic] address along the lines of what Alcoholics Anonymous has meant to him and what it can mean to others.” Of A.A. itself, the author said, “We have nothing but praise” and called it “a great organization doing a great work. And we believe it to be an inspired one.”

Hank P.

In 1954, Henry “Hank” P. [left], 58, died at Mercer Hospital in Trenton, New Jersey, after a long illness at Glenwood Sanitarium. Lois W. said it was from alcoholism. Ruth Hock wrote, “If it weren’t for Bill W. the Big Book would never have been written. If it weren’t for Hank P. the Big Book would never have been published.” Hank is credited in a number of sources with writing Chapter 10, “To Employers,” in Alcoholics Anonymous. He also hand-wrote a key portion of Bill’s story as an edit to the multilith manuscript master copy.