January 19 in A.A. History

In 1939, the first published reference to Alcoholics Anonymous anywhere was in The Hackettstown (New Jersey) Courier-Post in an article titled “There Is Hope.” It was written by Silas B. a noted journalist, book editor, and author who had been the third member of A.A. in New York City, but who would also suffer a “spectacular slip” within a year. In the article,  he tells Hank P.’s story without naming anyone and without providing information on how to contact A.A.

In 1940, Dorothy S. of Cleveland, Ohio wrote to Ruth Hock describing Larry J. as a brilliant newspaperman who, at 40, was down and out “owing to John Barleycorn.” She asked the Alcoholic Foundation office in New York City to help Larry start a group in Houston, Texas, which they did.
    Larry’s story began in Cleveland in late 1939. Weighing 100 lbs [45 kg], he had been found in freezing weather with no coat, a collapsed lung from tuberculosis, and near death, in terrible physical condition. In a Cleveland hospital he had been slowly recovering from the DT’s, malnutrition, and exposure. Local A.A. members, including Clarence S., Dorothy’s husband, had visited and cared for him regularly. Because of his ailments, Larry had been advised to move to a warm climate. Without ever having attended an A.A. meeting, he boarded a train for Houston, with only a Big Book. As he read it on the train, he had a spiritual awakening and went on to found A.A. in Texas.

In 1944, Bill W. returned from his first major A.A. tour, which he had begun on 24 October 1943.

In 1999, Francis “Frank” M., G.S.O. Archivist since 1982, died in Vero Beach, Florida, 8 days shy of his 65th birthday. Frank, sober since 10 June 1970, was widely known as a dedicated A.A. member and A.A. historian. He was a 21-year employee of the General Service Office—first as an administrative assistant and, until his retirement in 1998, as G.S.O.’s Archivist. Frank often referred to himself as “the Happy Archivist.” In his many talks about the G.S.O. Archives, he emphasized that the primary reason for having archives is so “we don't forget where we’ve come from.”

In 2015, Dr. Ernest “Ernie” Kurtz, 79, author of Not-God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous, died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan.