June 22 in A.A. History

1916: Norwich University cadets, including Bill W. [right: at Norwich], were mobilized to Fort Ethan Allen. 
    Four days earlier, President Woodrow Wilson had ordered the activation of all National Guard units from states not already involved in Brigadier General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing’s “Punitive Expedition” to capture Pancho Villa. As a result of the mobilization, Norwich University readmitted the sophomore class, including Bill, all of whom had been expelled after a hazing incident in February.

2012: The U.S. Library of Congress launched an exhibit titled “Books that Shaped America,” showcasing 88 books that “shaped Americans’ views of their world and the world’s views of America.” Among these influential works is Alcoholics Anonymous [left: from the exhibit], about which the exhibit notes:

    The famous 12-step program for stopping an addiction has sold more than 30 million copies. Millions of men and women worldwide have turned to the program co-founded by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith to recover from alcoholism. The “Big Book,” as it is known, spawned similar programs for other forms of addiction. Shown here is the third edition. The book is now in its fourth edition.

June in A.A. History—day unknown

1953: Bill W.’s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions [right: first edition cover] was published by Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc. Its Foreword states:

    This book deals with the “Twelve Steps” and the “Twelve Traditions” of Alcoholics Anonymous. It presents an explicit view of the principles by which A.A. members recover and by which their Society functions.
    A.A.’s Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole.
    A.A.’s Twelve Traditions apply to the life of the Fellowship itself. They outline the means by which A.A. maintains its unity and relates itself to the world about it, the way it lives and grows.

    Betty L. and Tom P. assisted Bill with the writing, and Jack Alexander handled some of the editing. Bobbie B., A.A.’s National Secretary, likely also contributed, particularly to the Traditions. The work was published in two editions: one priced at $2.25 [~$28 in 2026] for distribution through A.A. groups, and another priced at $2.75 [~$34 in 2026], distributed by Harper and Brothers [left: original Harper brothers: Fletcher, James, John, and Joseph, c. 1860] for sale in commercial bookstores.

1954: [Late] Theta Phi Alpha, a college women’s fraternity, awarded its prestigious Catherine of Siena Medal [right] to Sister Ignatia [left], known as “the ‘angel’ of Alcoholics Anonymous” [below left: report in Texas’s El Paso Herald-Post]. This medal, the highest honor the fraternity offers to non-members, is presented annually “to a Catholic woman who has made the greatest contribution to American cultural and social life.” Sister Ignatia was recognized for being the “first to work with the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous in the hospitalization and assistance of alcoholics.” This award marked the first public recognition of Sister Ignatia, who had previously remained anonymous outside the A.A. community.
    Theta Phi Alpha [right: logo] presents several awards to Catholic women, both members and non-members, at its annual national convention.