August 22 in A.A. History

In 1945, the first Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) meeting in Scotland took place. This event was highlighted in an article [right, highlighted] titled “Alcoholics Anonymous Come to Scotland” published by Scotland’s The Sunday Mail:     Six men who met in a Church vestry in Perth this week-end made Scottish history—when they formed the first Scots branch of Alcoholics Anonymous.     Most unorthodox movement in the world—in began in America—Alcoholics Anonymous has as its only members people who are addicted to alcohol.     They set out as drunkards to help cure one another, to the extent of being prepared at a moment’s notice to go out at any time of the day or night to help a “brother” in distress.
	The two most likely churches for this event are St. Matthew’s (West Church) [far left] or St. John’s Kirk [near left].

In 1985, Francis “Barry” L. Jr. [left: a middle-aged Barry], 66, died at his home in Manhattan. He would be buried [right: gravestone] in Weatherford, Texas, where he grew up.

    Barry earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and Journalism from Texas Wesleyan College in Fort Worth, Texas, where he taught those subjects for two years in the early 1940s. He later completed his doctorate at Yale University.
    In 1944, he relocated to New York City, where he got sober in 1945. He became one of the first openly gay members of Alcoholics Anonymous and played a crucial role in discussions about inclusivity within the organization, particularly concerning LGBTQ+ members. He was also involved in early efforts to establish special meetings for gay men in 1945.

Barry testified before the U.S. Congress and appeared on television to advocate for legislation addressing alcoholism. He authored Living Sober [left: 1st ed., 1st pr. cover] (1975) and the pamphlet “Do You Think You’re Different?” [right: cover of current printing] (1977), which included two stories by gay authors.

    Additionally, he co-authored Lois’s book Lois Remembers [right] and worked as a staff writer at the General Service Office (GSO) of A.A., where he recorded and wrote many of the early General Service Conference final reports. He also worked on the A.A. Grapevine staff. Barry retired from GSO 18 months before his death.

    He became a trusted friend of Bill and Lois Wilson, growing particularly close to Lois after Bill’s death in 1971. In 1978, Lois presented Barry with a copy of the original manuscript [left: 1st page of “How It Works”] of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. The following year, Barry signed a notarized letter gifting the manuscript to A.A. World Services, while retaining possession for the remainder of his life—a fact he discussed publicly shortly before his death in 1985.
    His final major public appearance was at the 8th International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous, celebrating its 50th anniversary in Montreal, Quebec, just a month prior to his death.