June 2 in A.A. History

In 1944, Marty M. [left] wrote a letter on lavender* stationery from her 48th Street address in New York City to Paul H., Esq. [right, 1956], at “Man. Ave, N.W.” [Massachusetts Avenue NW], Washington, D.C. In the letter, she said in part:

    I don’t remember whether I told you anything of my pet project when I was there – [inserting above the line] or you were here – making alcoholism respectable. In any case, I worked out a practical feasible place for beginning a campaign of education on a nation-wide scale. It needed scientific backing and it needed funds. Both have since been provided by Yale, where, as you probably know, Drs. Haggard & Jellinek of the Laboratory of Applied Physiology have established 1) a Section on Alcohol Studies, 2) a summer school of Studies in Alcohol, 3) the Quarterly Journal of Studies in Alcohol, 4) The Yale Plan – which has opened two free clinics, one in Hartford, one in New Haven, for alcoholics. Apparently, they were just getting ready for project no. 5 – an educational campaign – when my plan turned up, they accepted it – and me.

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^* Marty chose lavender as the color for the National Council on Alcoholism stationery. This versatile, aromatic shrub is celebrated for its beautiful purple flowers and soothing fragrance, and it has a wide range of uses. Lavender flowers symbolize purity, calmness, devotion, and serenity, while the color purple is associated with royalty, elegance, and luxury. Historically, lavender has been used in rituals, perfumes, and even in ancient Roman baths; the name itself derives from the Latin word lavare, meaning “to wash.” Additionally, amethyst, a lavender-hued type of quartz, was believed by early Greek and Roman cultures to protect its owner from drunkenness. I am uncertain whether Marty was aware of any of this.