August 3 in A.A. History

In 1911, Earle M. [left] was born in Omaha, Nebraska. At the age of ten, he and his family—his father, mother, and brother—relocated to San Francisco, California, which he would come to regard as home. He later became a distinguished gynecological surgeon. In June 1953, he would get sober, and remain so for 49 years, until his death in 2003. His story, “Physician Heal Thyself” would appear in the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th editions of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

In 1918 [likely date], having crossed the North Atlantic Ocean, the H.M.T. Lancashire^* [right] arrived in Liverpool, England, carrying Bill W. and the Coastal Artillery Corps unit to which he belonged.

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^*Hired Military Transport, i.e., non-commissioned

In 1985, in her column [left, with an edited title], Ann Landers recommended Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and Alateen in the Steubenville, Ohio, Herald-Star:

Dear Ann Landers: My friend was always a heavy drinker, but since his wife died he misses work repeatedly and get dead drunk on weekends.
    I have tried reasoning with him, but he gets angry and orders me out of his house. How can I help him? – No Name In New York
Dear No Name: Trying to reason with a drunk is like trying to blow out a lightbulb.
    When he is sober let the drinker know, in a nonjudgmental way, that you are concerned. Set aside your hostility and remember you are angry at the illness, not him.
    Contact the National Headquarters of the National Council on Alcoholism, 12 West 21st St., New York, N.Y., 10010. They will put you in touch with program and services in your area.
    Alcoholics Anonymous is the most effective organization for drunks who want to stop killing themselves. Al-Anon is a terrific support group for relatives of alcoholics who choose to hang in there. Alateen is a group for teenagers whose parent (or parents) are boozers. The majority of heartwarming thank-you letters I have received over the years have come from people I’ve sent to A.A. and Al-Anon.

In 1989, the Liberty Bell’s Group—“Half cracked but liberated from booze a day at a time”—was started at the First Lutheran Church [right], located at 217 N. Lindsay St., Lake Elsinore, California. An early meeting schedule [left, 2007] showed:

Mon.	Mixed	[Closed] As Bill Sees It
Thurs.	Mixed	[Closed] Big Book study
Fri.	Men Only	[Closed] 12×12
Sat.	Mixed	[Closed] Discussion
Last Sat. of Month	Mixed	Open Birthday Meeting and Pot Luck	6:30

    At some point, the group’s name would be changed to the more grammatically correct “Liberty Bell Group” (losing the possessive).