February 12 in A.A. History

In 1945, the Alcoholic Foundation’s service office in New York City sent a letter to all known A.A. groups explaining that, due to paper rationing for the World War II effort, the War Production Board had ordered a reduction in the weight of paper used for the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. To further conserve materials, the margins were trimmed to a minimum, which, along with the lighter paper, reduced the book’s overall size. During the war, two limited-quantity printings were produced—the 8th and 9th editions; both contained the notice shown to the right.