March 13 in A.A. History

In 1887, James “Jim” R. was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Mary Fisher and Joseph R. He was the first son and the third of eight children. He would get sober on 7 June 1933, more than 18 months before Bill W., and would co-found Alcoholics Anonymous in Baltimore in June 1940.

In 1895, Henry “Hank” P. [right: as a young man] was born in Marion, Iowa, to Mary Giffen and Daniel P., a family that had lived in the area for several generations. He was the second of three children and the first son.
    In November 1935, Hank would become the first person in New York City to achieve sobriety with the help of Bill W. He is considered by many to be the “forgotten” co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, particularly for his role in writing and publishing the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. His story in the first edition of that book was titled “The Unbeliever.”