March 26 in A.A. History

Other significant events in March
                 (no specific date known)                 

1939: Dr. William D. Silkworth [right] provided the second part of his contribution to the Big Book, “The Doctor’s Opinion.” It was likely a late addition, just before the multilith printing; its pages were numbered 1–4, after which “Bill’s Story” began, restarting the page numbering at 1. In the book’s April 10 publication, “The Doctor's Opinion” occupied pages 1–9, with “Bill’s Story” starting on page 10. Silkworth included twenty-eight paragraphs in this section, nine of which also appeared in his paper “Psychological Rehabilitation of Alcoholics.” This paper was published on 19 Jul 1939, in the June 1939 issue of The Medical Record: A Weekly Journal of Medicine and Surgery, suggesting Silkworth had begun writing it by then. To these nine paragraphs in the paper, he added others describing aspects of Bill W.’s, Hank P.’s, and Fitz M,’s stories in his own words.

1941: Pat C. [left] of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who had sobered up the year before, wrote to the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City. Despite several attempts to connect with others, he reported still being alone. He ordered 100 reprints of Jack Alexander’s article in the current issue of  The Saturday Evening Post. Within days, he began receiving mail forwarded from the Alcoholic Foundation, and a local A.A. fellowship began to grow. The first recruits included Ray McI., a barber, and George W., an attorney. Soon after, they were joined by Norvy M., a musician, and many others.
    Initial meetings were held at the Citizens Aid Building, 404 8th Street South [right, 1927].

1942: Irwin “Irv” M. [left] wrote the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City to report that he, along with three other alcoholics—Bill S., George S., and Louis J.—were forming an Alcoholics Anonymous group in Charleston, West Virginia. The group, the first in the state, was initially attended by three members: “W. T.” S. [presumably the same person as Bill S.], secretary; George S.; and Louis J.
    Within six months, the group would double in size and move its meetings to W. T.’s office. Over the next three months, membership increased to 12, then 16, and eventually 29 members. These new members included individuals who had been active in A.A. in Cleveland, Ohio; New York City; Cincinnati, Ohio; Zanesville, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before relocating to Charleston.
    A year later, on March 22, Bill S. wrote to National Secretary Bobbie B. at the Foundation, recognizing Irv as the “sponsor” of the group. Bill W. would visit in March 1943, and clubrooms would be established in 1944. By June of that year, membership would reach 71.

1945: The first Alcoholics Anonymous group on a military base was the Jefferson Barracks Group at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks [right, during WWII] in St. Louis, Missouri^*.

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^*Interestingly, Ulysses S. Grant was first stationed at these same barracks after graduating from West Point in 1834. Twenty years later, while assigned to the newly established Fort Humboldt in California and separated from his wife and family, Grant began drinking. After one incident, his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Buchanan—with whom Grant had previously crossed paths at Jefferson Barracks—ordered him to “reform or resign.” Grant initially agreed to comply; however, the following Sunday, he was found “under the influence” and resigned, as a matter of honor, on 31 Jul 1854. Buchanan did not report Grant’s drinking, and Grant was not court-martialed. The War Department stated that “Nothing stands against his good name.”

1946: In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia A.A. Group purchased a building at 4021 Walnut Street [left, 1972] from the Philadelphia Fidelity Trust for $27,500 [~$458,000 in 2026] to serve as a clubhouse. The trust company provided a $15,000 [~$250,000 in 2026] first mortgage, and the group raised the remaining $12,500 [~$210,000 in 2026] through member contributions, with most individuals giving less than $100 [~$1,670 in 2026].
    However, due to regulations from the Federal government's wartime Office of Price Administration (OPA^*), the group could not immediately occupy the new clubhouse. As a result, on 1 April 1946 they moved into temporary quarters in the ballroom of the Covington Hotel at 37th and Ludlow Streets. At that time, the group had approximately 600 members. Despite the initial delay, once the clubhouse opened (date unknown), it remained in continuous operation until the COVID-19 pandemic forced a temporary closure. It has since reopened.

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^**The OPA was a U.S. federal agency established in August 1941 to control inflation and manage rationing during World War II. It set ceiling prices on goods, froze rents, and managed ration books for items like gasoline, tires, and sugar. By 1946, it was gone.

2011: Cleveland, Ohio’s The Plain Dealer published an article about Dr. Bob’s Home in Akron, Ohio [right: image published with article, captioned “Dr. Bob’s Home on Ardmore Avenue in Akron in 2002”]:

    In a March 2011 story about Dr. Bob’s Home, the [Akron] Beacon Journal interviewed Collins and Velie about the home’s repairs. The group bought it in the mid-1980s. Collins told the newspaper that people come to the house from around the world to look around and learn. “It happens all the time,” the paper quoted Collins. Visitors walk in, and “they just break out in tears.”
    He told the paper about two visitors who stopped on their way from Mexico City to New York City. Once they walked in the door, they “dropped to their knees and started praying,” the paper quoted Collins.