June 20 in A.A. History

In 1944, Alcoholics Anonymous National Secretary Margaret “Bobbie” B. [near right] announced in a bulletin to A.A. groups that the demand for copies of Bill W.’s presentation to the New York State Medical Society and Dr. Harry Tiebout’s paper to the American Psychiatric Association was so great that both articles would be published in a pamphlet titled “Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous” [far right: as published, undated].

In 1946, Drs. C. Nelson Davis [far left] and C. Dudley Saul [near left] established The C. Dudley Saul Clinic for alcoholics at St. Luke’s Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This clinic was the first private facility of its kind in the United States. 

    After Dr. Saul’s death in 1947, Dr. Davis moved the clinic to Malvern, Pennsylvania, renaming it the Malvern Institute [right, 2017]. Both doctors were early advocates of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and traveled together to promote the organization, believing in the benefits of a 12-step program for recovering alcoholics.

    Additionally, Dr. Saul founded the 4021 Clubhouse [left, 1972] in Philadelphia for A.A. meetings, which remains active today.