June 1 in A.A. History

In 1949, Anne Ripley S. [right], 68, the wife of Dr. Bob, died at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, Ohio.
     Before her death, Sister Ignatia performed a secret baptism for her as an act of love. Anne was cherished by the Akron members and by Bill and Lois W. In her final years, she suffered from severe cataracts, which left her nearly blind. The July 1949 issue of the A.A. Grapevine featured a memorial article by Bill, stating that Anne was “quite literally, the mother of our first group, Akron Number One” and that “in the full sense of the word she was one of the founders of AA.”

    After her passing, Anne’s remains were sent to Cleveland for cremation before being buried in Akron [left: gravestone].

In 1962, Henry Berton “Bert” D. founded Harbor House, a treatment center in Memphis, Tennessee, rooted in the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, along with religious beliefs and philosophical teachings. Bert realized that maintaining his sobriety depended on his active involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous. His life was a continuous battle for sobriety, and Harbor House became his life's work. The center continues to operate today [right: Harbor House, Feb 2023].

In 1998, this was the deadline for submitting personal stories to be considered for inclusion in the 4th edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous [left]. A.A.W.S. received 1,222 story submissions.