July 22 in A.A. History

In 1873, William Duncan Silkworth [left, 1908] was born in Brooklyn, NY to Isabelle Duncan and William Silkworth, Sr. 

In 1917, Junius C., Jr. [right, as a midshipman] of Pike, Mississippi, was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy and later became one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 1980, Margaret “Marty” M. [left, at New Orleans in 1980], 75, died at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut, following a stroke. 

    She had been briefly married in her 20s but identified as a lesbian for the rest of her life. Marty had a distiguished career as a magazine editor, art critic, and photojournalist, contributing to such prominent publications as Vogue, Harper’s, and The Tatler [right: covers from Nov 1930]. However, alcoholism ultimately left her unemployable.
    Marty began attending Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) meetings at the home of Bill and Lois W. on 11 April 1939, the day after the pubthe publication of the book Alcoholics Anonymous, making her one of the earliest women involved in the Fellowship. 

    She developed a close friendship with Bill W. and was romantically involved with fellow alcoholic Priscilla P. [left: together at Fire Island, 1948] for 40 years. Priscilla served as an Art Editor at Vogue for 25 years. Together, they owned a home in Greenwich Village, a vacation property at Cherry Grove on Fire Island, and later in life, a residence in Connecticut.

    Marty wrote at least three books: Primer on Alcoholism, Marty M––’s New Primer on Alcoholism, and Marty M–– Answers Your Questions about Drinking and Alcoholism [right: covers], as well as many articles for multiple publications. She played a pivotal role in founding High Watch Farm, the world’s first recovery center based on A.A. principles, and founded the National Council for Education on Alcoholism (NCEA^*). Although she was a frequent and well-known breaker of her anonymity, Marty used her maiden name and the title “Mrs.” to protect her privacy.
    Her personal story, “Women Suffer Too,” appeared in the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th editions of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. Her final public appearance had been two weeks earlier at A.A.’s 7th International Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she had been a featured speaker.

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^*The NCEA evolved into the National Council on Alcoholism (NCA) in 1950, and subsequently became the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) in 1990, which continues to operate today.