October 29 in A.A. History

In 1881, Rowland G. Hazard, Jr. [right] was born into a prominent and immensely wealthy Rhode Island industrial family residing in a colony of estates in Peace Dale (South Kingston), Rhode Island. He was the oldest of five children born to Rowland Gibson Hazard and Mary Bushnell Hazard. An unbroken line of Hazard men named Rowland dated back to 1763. His father, grandfather, and great-great-grandfather had shared the same name, prompting him to adopt the suffix “III” to distinguish himself from his namesakes. The Hazard family’s colonial roots trace back to 1635, with its members being large landowners, manufacturers, and individuals of note in science and literature. They were widely respected as achievers and philanthropists.
    In 1934, Rowland would play a prominent role in helping Edwin “Ebby” T. get sober in the Oxford Group.

	In 1929 [Black Tuesday] The U.S. stock market crashed, leaving Bill W. broke and $60,000 in debt [~$1,100,000 in 2025]. He and his benefactor, Frank Shaw, parted ways. Later—possibly in November—Bill’s friend Dick Johnson offered him a job in Montreal with the stock brokerage firm Greenshields & Co. [left: Greenshields & Co. legal notice, in Montreal’s The Gazette, p. 26; right: Aldred Building, Montreal, Quebec—home of Greenshields and Co., 1930].     By Christmas, the W―—s would be in Canada.

In 1941, Bill W. spoke in Evansville, Indiana, praising James D. “J.D.” H. as the founder of the first A.A. group in Indiana, established in Evansville on April 23, 1940, approximately eighteen months prior.

In 1943, Don F. traveled from Omaha, Nebraska, to make a 12th-Step call on Judge Ray H. at his Des Moines office [left: Des Moines, looking east down Walnut Street from 9th Street, c. 1940s?]. Also present were Bill A. and Herbert L. It turned out that the judge had been dry on his own for a month, while Don F. had only been sober for two weeks.
    An immediate stream of lively, witty, and engaging correspondence began between Ray H. and the staff of the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City. Within a month, the letters from Iowa were printed on stationery bearing an “Alcoholics Anonymous” letterhead. Ray adopted the pseudonym “Hildegarde” and began sending the Foundation “News Flashes” and "Bedtime Stories" about the happenings in Des Moines A.A. By its third meeting, the group had grown to 17 members and secured its own P.O. box.