January 25 in A.A. History

In 1915, Dr. Bob S. and Anne Ripley married after 17 years of courtship [left: Anne in her wedding dress].
    The reason for the delay is unknown. There were years of schooling, an internship and work for Dr. Bob. Anne may have been afraid to marry a drunk and waited until Dr. Bob showed signs of sobriety. They met and corresponded regularly during those 17 years while Anne taught school in Oak Park, Illinois.
    Bob and Anne were married in Chicago, Illinois, at the home of Anne’s mother. They took up residence at 855 Ardmore Ave. in Akron, Ohio. The first three years of their marriage were free of the turmoil that was to come.

In 1971, the U.S./Canada General Service Office (GSO) in New York City announced the death of Bill W., the remaining co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, in Miami, Florida, the previous day.
    Bob H., General Manager of GSO, sent telegrams to central offices [right: p. 1 of telegram to Vancouver (British Columbia) Central Office] and Dr. Jack Norris, Chairman of the General Service Board, wrote a letter addressed to “Dear friends” [“Queraos amigos”].