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1918: Bill W. and Lois Burnham
[right: in their wedding attire, 1918]
were married.
At the time, Bill was stationed at Ft. Adams near Newport, Rhode Island. Spurred by rumors that Bill’s unit might soon be deployed overseas, they moved their wedding date up from the originally scheduled February 1. The ceremony took place at the Swedenborgian Church of the New Jerusalem in Brooklyn, New York, officiated by Rev. Julian Smyth [left].
Rogers Burnham
[right], Lois’s brother and Bill’s childhood friend, served as best man. Lois’s
sister, Katherine “Kitty”
[left], along with four friends from Packer Institute, were bridesmaids. Her
childhood friend, Elise Valentine Shaw, was matron of honor, while her
sister Barbara served as maid of honor. Unfortunately, Bill’s mother, Emily
Griffith Wilson, had the flu and was unable to come from Boston,
Massachusetts; his sister Dorothy stayed behind to care for her. Also
absent, likely due to the sudden change in date, were Fayette and Ella
Griffith, Emily’s parents, who had raised Bill and Dorothy in East Dorset,
Vermont, since Bill was about ten years old.
As one of Bill’s biographers noted,
But nothing, not even a lack of family on the groom’s side, could dim the quiet glow of the occasion, a young lanky soldier beside his bride—and no one who was at the church or at the reception on Clinton Street was apt to forget them.
1945: The first documented Black Alcoholics Anonymous group was established in St. Louis, Missouri, with five members in attendance. Proud of their achievement, they named themselves the “AA-1 Group.” They elected Torrence S. as their secretary.
However, they avoided publicity, meeting only in private residences, not in any public venue. They wrote to Margaret “Bobbie” B.
[right], National Secretary of the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City, that “to
retain
[sic]
publicity about our group as it might cause controversial debates about
racial issues within AA.” The existence of this Black A.A. group remained
almost totally secret. Eventually, Father Ed Dowling
[left],
spiritual advisor. a significant figure in St. Louis A.A., and a long-time
friend to the Black community, may have played a crucial role in helping
this group gain acceptance within the larger community.
1954: On Bill and Lois W.’s 38th wedding anniversary, Lois suffered a heart attack that severely limited her activities for a year.
1968: Bill and Lois W. celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary [right: Bill & Lois, 1960s].
1971: Bill W., 75, co-founder of A.A.. 36 years sober, died at the Miami Heart Institute in Miami Beach, Florida on his and Lois’ 53rd wedding anniversary. Bill was the architect and author of the Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous: Recovery, Unity and Service. He wrote the documents that explained them. It was an amazing accomplishment, as he had no training as a writer, organizer, or administrator.
At the time, Bill was stationed at Ft. Adams near Newport, Rhode Island. Spurred by rumors that Bill’s unit might soon be deployed overseas, they moved their wedding date up from the originally scheduled February 1. The ceremony took place at the Swedenborgian Church of the New Jerusalem in Brooklyn, New York, officiated by Rev. Julian Smyth [left].
Rogers Burnham
[right], Lois’s brother and Bill’s childhood friend, served as best man. Lois’s
sister, Katherine “Kitty”
[left], along with four friends from Packer Institute, were bridesmaids. Her
childhood friend, Elise Valentine Shaw, was matron of honor, while her
sister Barbara served as maid of honor. Unfortunately, Bill’s mother, Emily
Griffith Wilson, had the flu and was unable to come from Boston,
Massachusetts; his sister Dorothy stayed behind to care for her. Also
absent, likely due to the sudden change in date, were Fayette and Ella
Griffith, Emily’s parents, who had raised Bill and Dorothy in East Dorset,
Vermont, since Bill was about ten years old.As one of Bill’s biographers noted,
But nothing, not even a lack of family on the groom’s side, could dim the quiet glow of the occasion, a young lanky soldier beside his bride—and no one who was at the church or at the reception on Clinton Street was apt to forget them.
1945: The first documented Black Alcoholics Anonymous group was established in St. Louis, Missouri, with five members in attendance. Proud of their achievement, they named themselves the “AA-1 Group.” They elected Torrence S. as their secretary.
However, they avoided publicity, meeting only in private residences, not in any public venue. They wrote to Margaret “Bobbie” B.
[right], National Secretary of the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City, that “to
retain
[sic]
publicity about our group as it might cause controversial debates about
racial issues within AA.” The existence of this Black A.A. group remained
almost totally secret. Eventually, Father Ed Dowling
[left],
spiritual advisor. a significant figure in St. Louis A.A., and a long-time
friend to the Black community, may have played a crucial role in helping
this group gain acceptance within the larger community.1954: On Bill and Lois W.’s 38th wedding anniversary, Lois suffered a heart attack that severely limited her activities for a year.
1968: Bill and Lois W. celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary [right: Bill & Lois, 1960s].
1971: Bill W., 75, co-founder of A.A.. 36 years sober, died at the Miami Heart Institute in Miami Beach, Florida on his and Lois’ 53rd wedding anniversary. Bill was the architect and author of the Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous: Recovery, Unity and Service. He wrote the documents that explained them. It was an amazing accomplishment, as he had no training as a writer, organizer, or administrator.
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