April 22 in A.A. History

In 1957, Broadcasting Telecasting magazine, known as “The Business-weekly of Radio and Television” [right: masthead], published an item titled “‘Mr. Hope’ on WWJ-TV” [left], a show airing in Detroit, Michigan. The article described the program as follows:

    … a public service program instituted by WWJ-TV, which describes the plight of the problem drinker. Designed to tell the public about the work of Alcoholics Anonymous, Mr. Hope frequently features a panel of physicians and businessmen to discuss drinking problems and to encourage individuals with such difficulties to turn to the [sic] AA.

In 1974, Time magazine published a cover [right] story titled “Alcoholism: New Victims, New Treatments,” which stated:

    Most of the methods owe a large debt to Alcoholics Anonymous, the oldest, the big­gest (650,000 to 750,000 members) and still the most successful organization by far for helping alcoholics.… And, write Sociologists Harrison Trite and Paul Roman: “Despite lay leadership, A.A. has apparently achieved a success rate that surpasses those of professional therapies.”

    The issue had two related articles titled “Behavior: The Effects of Alcohol” and “Behavior: The Price of Alcoholism: Five Case Histories.”

In 2004, Robert Holbrook “Smitty” S., Jr [left], 85, died. He was the son of Anne and Dr. Bob S. and the last living witness to the first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous’ co-founders, his father and Bill W.

In 2012, Ruth O., 97, of Toms River, New Jersey died with 68 years and 8 days of sobriety. At the time of her death, she may have had the longest sobriety among all previous members. She was well-known for “Ruth’s Prayer” [right]. She also knew and assisted Dr. William D. Silkworth, who wrote the letters in “The Doctor’s Opinion” in the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

In 2022, Нэргүй архичин үйлчилгээний гарын авлага (Mongolian A.A. Service Manual), approved by the 13th Mongolian A.A. Conference, went into effect. Subsequently, the Mongolian General Service Board elected Tseegii to represent Mongolia at the World A.A. Service Meeting in October.

April 22–24

In 1949, the Second Annual Tri-State Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous [left: program cover], encompassing West Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado, was held in Amarillo, Texas. Headquarters for the event was the Herring Hotel; additional activities took place at the Washington Club, at 2024 Washington St.

April 22–27

In 1968, at the 18th Annual General Service Conference, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• To conduct a survey among A.A. members in order to gather more meaningful information regarding the effectiveness of the A.A. program of recovery.
• The first World Service Meeting be held in New York City, in the fall of 1969.
• Approved a proposition to issue the World Directory in two editions—one for the United States and Canada, the second for other countries.
• Quebec be granted a third bilingual Delegate to be elected as a member of Panel 19. The… newly designated Conference area to be called the Northeast area of Quebec.
• Since the language of the General Service Conference is English, and since [it] is not equipped to provide translators,… it is desirable that Delegates elected to the Conference should have knowledge of English for their own benefit and for the benefit of their areas.
• Stressed the need for better communication between the Delegates, Committee Members, G.S.R.’s [sic] and groups, pointing out that better informed groups will support G.S.O. without the need of a “hard sell” from the Delegate.

In 1974, at the 24th General Service Conference, held at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• That in memory of A.A.’s co-founders, the last talk of each be prepared in pamphlet form and distributed [left: original pamphlet].
• Part I (U.S. and Canada) of the World Directory be divided into three sections, each section subdivided by region…
• Work be scheduled so that Part II of the World Directory (all other countries) may be distributed before summer.
• [Citing Tradition 3,] affirmed that all A.A. groups… be listed in the World Directory [R]eview and return completed draft of Conference Report one week after its receipt.
• Committee members receive agendas for their committee only, but other committees’ agenda be sent upon request.
• The wording of the Eleventh Tradition remain as is, and that delegates explain that “TV” is implicit in the last phrase of the Tradition: “… at the level of press, radio, and films.”

April 22–27

In 1979, at the 29th Annual General Service Conference, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• That the names of “alcohol and pills” groups not be listed in the A.A. directories. 
• [That] “Problems Other Than Alcohol” be Conference-approved. 
• The Twelve Steps of A.A. be [added] in the pamphlet “Too Young?”… 
• The pamphlet for the older alcoholic be approved… “Now It’s Time to Start Living”.… 
• The biographies of Dr. Bob and Bill W. be… separate books [vs] a joint biography. 
• [That] no… ceiling be set on the number of G.S.O./GV staff eligible to vote, but that the delegates never have less than 66⅔% of the total Conference votes.

April 21 in A.A. History

In 1939, Hank P. wrote to Janet Blair, a non-alcoholic editor of Alcoholics Anonymous in Peekskill, New York, enclosing a signed first printing of the first edition of the book in grateful appreciation of her editorial contributions.

In 1946, The New York Times Magazine published an article titled “The Sick Person We Call an Alcoholic" [left], about Mrs. Marty M., a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. In the article, she “tells what we can do to help those who would quit but can’t.”
[Marty, a lesbian, used the title “Mrs.” to protect her privacy, as prejudice against homosexuality was prevalent in the 1940s. Both she and the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism, which she helped establish, faced significant challenges during that time, and revealing her sexual orientation would have damaged both.]

Today in A.A. History—April 21–25 

In 1954, at the 4th General Service Conference, held at the Hotel Commo­dore in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• Unanimously, that the name The Alcoholic Foundation be changed to The General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous, Inc.; and
  
• “that Delegates come to the Conference being only tentatively instructed for the following reasons:
  1. that each Delegate bring to the Conference the thinking of his area, and
  2. that the maximum wisdom of the Conference be achieved and voted through the exchange of these ideas at the Conference.”

Today in A.A. History—April 21–26

In 1964 , at the 14th General Service Conference, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, the Atlantic Province Area was split into 1) New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and (2) Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
    The following were among other advisory actions:

• That the responsibilities and functions of Conference Committees be explained thoroughly, prior to the selection of committeemen, at future Conferences [and] that consideration be given to the possibility of scheduling a workshop sessionon the functions of Conference Committees.
• That all members of the [Agenda] committee receive copies of all correspondence on agenda matters[,]… be informed of the action taken on their recommendations to the Policy Committee [and]… review background material on previous Conferences’ actions, as a guide in preparing recommendations for the 1965 Conference agenda.
• That all Grapevine committee members henceforth be kept informed during the year on all Grapevine matters of Conference importance.
• Approved an agreement between Bill W., co-founder, and A.A. World Services, Inc., covering royalties derived from Bill's writings.

Today in A.A. History—April 21–26

In 1969, at the 19th General Service Conference, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• Recommended that the story of a young A.A. be added to the next reprint of the book “Alcoholics Anonymous,” and that the present stories be edited, when necessary, in order that current readers will be able to identify.
• Recommended that the General Service Conference approve the following resolution of the… General Service Board of Trustees:
  “We will endeavor to avoid participation on radio and TV programs, unless
  • We are given adequate time for preparation.
  • Our presence will serve an A.A. objective.
  • The primary discussion is appropriate for A.A.—not concerned with crime, sex, controversy or any other sensationalism.
  • We are satisfied our anonymity is guaranteed.”
• Approved the final draft of the “A.A. Service Manual,” a new revision of the “Third Legacy Manual,” with the understanding that minor editorial changes can still be made.
• [Added] to the Conference Charter:… Article 1… “…The Twelve Steps,” the sentence now to read: “…The [GSC] is the guardian of the world services, and of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
• Disapproved the proposal for a suggested change… for regional trustees which would increase the voting body to all delegates and eliminate the trustees from voting.

In 1975 , at the 25th Annual General Service Conference, held at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions

• A two-year moratorium (until 1977) be placed on discussion of special-purpose groups.
• A paragraph dealing with the problems of the use of mood-changing pills by A.A. members who hold group office should not be added to an appropriate A.A. pamphlet, because it was felt that this decision is up to local autonomy.
• Each delegate receive only the agenda pertinent to his or her committee, but may receive any others on request.

Today in A.A. History—April 21–27

In 1966 , at the 46th General Service Conference, held at the Crowne Plaza in New York City, the following were among the advisory actions:

• “Washington State East Area 92” and “Western Washington State Area 72” be approved as the new names for these areas.
• The [parts of the] title of the chart[s] on page[s] S23 [and S46] of The A.A. Service Manual be changed from “Struture of the Fellowship” to “The General Service Conference Structure (U.S. and Canada)” to more accurately describe what is depicted.

April 20 in A.A. History

In 1936, Frank Buchman, founder of the Oxford Group, was featured on the cover of Time magazine [right]. However, the accompanying article was not favorable. Near the end, it stated:

    Until a religion grows up, it is a cult. Buchmanism is about 20 years old, a mere infant in the range of religious history. It still rallies around one man and its methods are still highly unorthodox.

In 1941, Lois W. left for a six-week cruise to South America with Fan Williamson, a descendant of Albert V. Moore, who founded the shipping company Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc. Fan invited Lois on this trip as a gesture of gratitude for helping her son, Chris, get sober while living with Bill and Lois at 182 Clinton St. in Brooklyn. Lois described Fan as “kind and charming,” while  Bill affectionately referred to her as “Ironsides.” They had met Fan while staying in the Green Pond cottage that Chris had lent them during their two years of homelessness, which began in April 1939 and was just coming to an end. Notably, Fan and Lois were the only passengers on the ship [left: the USS Mermactide, a Moore-McCormack ship that sailed from New York City to South America and back around this time].
    Helen Griffith—no relation to Bill—had recently sold Bill and Lois a house in Bedford Hills, New York, on very generous terms, effective May 1st. Since that was also the departure date for Fan and Lois, Helen allowed them to move into the house early. They named the place “Bi-Lo’s Break.” Bill stayed there during Lois’s cruise, relying on the fireplace as his only source of heat. Unfortunately, he caught a “bad cold,” which would lead to a near disaster that Lois did not learn about until her return.

 

In 1970, as he did every April, Bill W. [right] addressed the assembled General Service Conference delegates and many guests at the opening dinner held at the Hotel New Yorker in New York City. Bob H., the General Manager of the General Service Office at the time, later recalled what happened:  

He started to speak, and of a sudden he just stopped, right in the middle of the sentence. And he just stood there for a little bit, and then said, “I’m sorry. I can’t continue.” And he went and sat down. Everybody was really taken aback at this, because if there was one thing Bill could always do, it was speak—eloquently and articulately and persuasively.

Today in A.A. History—April 20–22

In 1951, the first experimental General Service Conference (GSC) convened at the Hotel Commodore [left, c. 1940] in New York City, with 37 area delegates, 15 trus­tees, and 10 staff members from the Alcoholic Foundation Office and Grapevine. The Conference recognized that only half of the Areas were represented; as a result,

    Disposition of a number of problems was deferred until next year when representatives of the second panel will join the Conference.

Among the six advisory actions was this unanimously-approved one:

    [T]hat in future years A.A. textbook literature should have Conference approval.…

This was followed by a note:

    [This would not preclude the continued [printing of] documents by non-Foundation sources. No desire to review, edit or censor non-Foundation material is implied.

Today in A.A. History—April 20–24

In 1960, the 10th GSC convened at the Roosevelt Hotel [left, c. 1940] in New York City.
    The Board reported that A.A. Publishing, Inc. had been renamed A. A. World Services, Inc.
    “The Sense of the Meeting” report was titled “Need For Improved Internal and External Communications Was Dominant Theme.”
    Advisory actions included:

    that A. A World Services undertake a thorough study of the immediate and long-range needs for A. A. literature in languages other than English.

Today in A.A. History—April 20–26

In 1986, the 36th General Service Conference convened at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City.
    Three new Class A Trustees were elected to the Board, each bringing a record of service and experience in their fields: Dr. John Smith (public health), Amos Reed (corrections), and John King (social work) [right, respectively].
    Among the 81 Advisory Actions were:    

• the Grapevine produce a trial tape in Spanish and a trial tape in French…;
  
• a definitive book on A.A. history from 1955-1985 be prepared…;
  
• as the preface to the Big Book clearly states that the text was written in 1939 and that it has not been changed, no further explanation regarding out-of-date phrases and/or gender-oriented pronouns or chapter titles is necessary;
  
• a story of a gay alcoholic not be included in the Big Book.

April 19 in A.A. History

In 1939,  John Henry Fitzhugh “Fitz” M. [right] received a copyright affidavit for Al­coholics Anonymous. Although he had been informed that this was an urgent matter and had received, by April 12, instructions along with the books and funds needed to file, he did not complete the filing until a week later. The instructions also specified that the book be registered to Works Publishing Company; however, he listed the owner as “Wm. G. W▓▓▓, trading as Works Publishing Co.” and the author as “Wm. G. W▓▓▓.”

In 1941, Dave W., Bob E., and Cal S. held the first A.A. meeting in Seattle, Washington, at the New Washington Hotel [left, c. 1910].

In 1941, an article about Alcoholics Anonymous by Lowel Lucas was published in the Jacksonville (Florida) Journal. Earlier that month, A.A. member Tom S. had visited the Journal and spoken with the city editor, informing him about the national A.A. movement and its local initiatives. This article was the result of that conversation. Lucas forwarded inquiries from the paper that arose from the article to Tom. The first responses came from Charlie P., Bruce H., and Hugh C.. As a result, the Central Group of A.A. was established, meeting at 2747 Riverside Ave. [right] in Jacksonville. All four founding members died sober.

 

In 1943, Florence R. K. died of pneumococcal meningitis.
    She got sober in New York City as Florence R. around March 1938 and remained sober until at least April 1939, when the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, was published; the name change of the publishing company from The One Hundred Men Corporation to Works Publishing, Inc. was due to her getting sober and joining A.A. She wrote “A Feminine Victory” for the first edition of that book. While writing her story, she prayed for inspiration to present it in a way that would encourage other women to seek the help she had received. Later that year, Florence moved to Washington, D.C., to assist Fitz M. (“Our Southern Friend”) in starting an A.A. group there.
    In a letter to Bill W. in 1939^*, Fitz wrote, “She is in love with a hellion 15 years younger than she who feeds her beer—so says her landlady.” She ended up marrying him but then she disappeared. Eventually, Fitz was called to a morgue to identify her body.

---

^* This letter is in the Washington [D.C.] Area Intergroup Association (WAIA) archives.

April 18 in A.A. History

Today in A.A. History—April 18–22

In 1956, at the 6th General Service Conference, at the Commodore Hotel in New York City, the Conference…

    … unanimously approved of Bill’s new book [A.A. Comes of Age].

    The Conference also approved a motion…

    … asking that General Service Headquarters designate Thanksgiving Week each year as “A.A. Gratitude Week” and that this action be noted in the annual pre-Thanksgiving appeals to the groups for funds to help support worldwide services.

During the final session, Bill W. proposed consideration of four principles “that might someday permeate all of A.A.’s services,” namely “Petition, Appeal, Participation, and Decision”—foreshadowing Concepts III, IV, and V.

Today in A.A. History—April 18–23

In 1966, at the 16th General Service Conference, held at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City, the ratio of Class B [alcoholic] trustees to Class A [non-alcoholic] trustees was changed to give Class B trustees a super-majority of two-thirds, rather than the previous simple majority. For 11 years, Bill W. had pursued this change, debating it endlessly at ten consecutive General Service Conferences. In a 1958 letter to Class A Trustee Harrison M. Trice, Bill outlined four reasons why he believed A.A. needed a majority of alcoholic trustees:

1. the increased press of work with which A.A. has no business saddling the nonalcoholic members;…
2. the increasing importance of proper determination of the A.A. policy and its administration, which the nonalcoholics have, wrongly, I think, disclaimed all ability to handle;…
3. the need for wider representation geographically of alcoholic trustees; and…
4. it is unsound psychologically for a movement of the present size and maturity to take a childish and fearful view that a majority of alcoholics cannot be trusted to sit on our most important board…

In 1977, at the 27th General Service Conference, at the Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City, the Conference approved Floor Action #3, which recommended that

    The publication of a facsimile of the first edition of the Big Book should not be undertaken, as it would destroy the sentimental value of the actual first edition.

Today in A.A. History—April 18–24

In 2021, the 71st General Service Conference was held online [right: Class A Trustee and A.A. Grapevine chair Michele Grinberg speaking from “the floor”]. With the COVID-19 pan­demic continuing into its second year, the Conference coordinators had time to prepare for the likelihood of an online format. Among the recommendations made during the Conference were:

• Change “men and women” in the Preamble to “people.”
• “A Fifth Edition of… Alcoholics Anonymous, be developed;…” “A Fourth Edition of… Alcohólicos Anónimos, be developed…”
• Revise Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions: on p. 117, replace “opposite sex” with “partner;” on p. 66, replace, “No one wants to be angry enough to murder, lustful enough to rape, gluttonous enough to ruin his health” with “No one wants to commit the deadly sins of anger, lust or gluttony.”
• On p. 12 of “Questions and Answers on Sponsorship,” change “… be of the same sex” to “… be avoided whenever a romantic entanglement might arise between sponsor and sponsee.”
• “A draft version of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous (Fourth Edition), be translated into plain and simple language…”
• Develop a process for polling the General Service Conference between annual meetings, enabling online discussion and debate, broader participation, and greater efficiency.
• Implement a three-year trial of “The Equitable Distribution of Workload Process… for the 72nd General Service Conference…”
• U.S./Canada General Service recognize online groups and encourage their participation, superseding a 1997 Advisory Action designating online groups as “International Correspondence Meetings.” Form a GSB committee to explore possibilities for participation of online groups in the U.S./Canada General Service structure.”
• Add guardianship of the Twelve Concepts to the Purpose statement of the Current Conference Charter, which already names the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions.

April 17 in A.A. History

In 1937, Albert “Abby” G. [right] was admitted to Akron City Hospital in Ohio by Dr. Bob S., marking his first day of sobriety. The first Cleveland group met at his house [left] on May 11th, while he was still in Akron. His story, “He Thought He Could Drink Like a Gentleman,” appears in the 2nd and 3rd Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous.

In 1939, a week after the first printing of Alcoholics Anonymous, the dust jackets were printed, adding $147.47 [~$3,393 in 2025] to Works Publishing’s bill. Copies shipped prior to this may have been enclosed in glassine wrappers—thin, almost transparent paper coverings—or other types of non-descript wrappers. No copy with such a cover is known to exist, but it would be extremely valuable if one were ever to appear [left: 1st ed. without, with dust jacket].

In 1941, Herman “Tex” A. [near right, at Hole in the Ground] established the Hole in the Ground Group, the second A.A. group in the Los Angeles, California, area. He was the older brother of Sybil C. [far right, at Hole in the Ground], the first woman in A.A. west of the Mississippi River, having joined A.A. one week after she did. Both had been attending meetings in Los Angeles when Tex remarked, “I’m just sick of picking up guys in Long Beach and driving them thirty-five miles [~56 km] to Los Angeles, so I’m starting a group at the halfway point.” This decision displeased the “down town boys,” who “excommunicated” Tex, but he just laughed it off. He appointed Sybil as the coffee maker and greeter for the new group, and she delivered her first “shaky” lead there.
    On 7 December 1941, the group would move to 6909 Rugby Ave., Huntington Park, California.

In 2018, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (AAWS) launched a YouTube channel [left] featuring three videos: “Doors,” “My World,” and “I Have Hope,” all available in English, French, and Spanish.

April 16 in A.A. History

In 1934, James “Jim” R. returned to Baltimore, Maryland, from the Keswick Colony of Mercy [right], a religious recovery mission in Whiting, New Jersey, where he had sobered up on 7 Jun 1933, more than ten months earlier. This was over fifteen months before Bill W. entered Towns Hospital for the last time.

    Upon his return, the memory of Jim’s past behavior led his wife to insist that he demonstrate a full year of sobriety before moving back into their home at 2936 St. Paul Street [left]. He spent the next year living with his brother and, still sober, was later reunited with his family. During this time, he began working with other alcoholics. In 1940, he would become a co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous in Baltimore.

In 1939, the Cleveland Indians’ Ralston “Rollie” H. [right] got sober, becoming A.A.’s 77th member. In Akron, Dr. Bob S. hospitalized him under a false name to protect his identity. Over the course of the previous ten years, Rollie had drunk himself off four different teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Browns.

In 1940, Ruth Hock responded to a letter that John D. Rockefeller, Jr. had forwarded to the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City. On March 28, Dave W. from Seattle, Washington, had written to Rockefeller, presumably after reading news reports about the February 8 dinner he hosted on behalf of Alcoholics Anonymous. This marked the beginning of a lengthy correspondence between Ruth and Dave, who would later become one of the three founding members of Seattle's first A.A. group.

In 1940, on his one-year sobriety anniversary, Rollie H. caught Bob Feller’s opening day no-hitter—the first one since 1909—and drove in Cleveland’s only run with a triple. This was presumably the occasion for him to break his anonymity, although there were no traditions or prevailing customs regarding anonymity at the time. His story was reported in newspapers nationwide. Since his alcoholism was a well-known matter of public record, his sobriety became big news, at least on sports pages [left: one such article].

In 1945, September Remember [right], a novel by Eliot Taintor about A.A., was published by Prentice-Hall. Chapter XXI, “Boomerang,” was serialized in the March and April 1945 issues of the A.A. Grapevine under the titles “The Pleasures of Pre-Publication Reading” and “from ‘September Remember’: a Novel about A.A.,” respectively. [“Eliot Taintor,” referred to in the A.A. Grapevine as “a writing team, one of whom is an A.A.,” was actually a pseudonym for Ruth F. and Gregory M., a married couple.]

In 1973, Dr. Jack Norris, Chair of the General Service Board, presented [left] Presi­dent Richard Nixon with the 1,000,000th copy of Alcoholics Anonymous at the White House.

In 2005, Nancy F., 97, died in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, after 57 years of sobriety [right: gravestone]. She joined A.A. in June 1945 at the age of 38, struggling to stop drinking. When she arrived, she didn’t believe in God and was resistant to hearing anything about Him. Later, she became a Quaker and taught English to migrant workers. Once sober, she attended high school in her 50s and went to college in her 70s, where she studied for 9½ years and graduated cum laude with a degree in behavioral science. Her story, “The Independent Blonde,” appeared in the second edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. She remarked, “We had several writers around and they wrote my story. I didn't write the story—someone wrote it for me. I don’t even remember being interviewed. I never thought much about my story, to tell you the truth. I don’t even think I knew it was in the Big Book.”

April 15 in A.A. History

In 1950, Melvin “Mel” B. [near right] got sober in Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) while a patient at the state hospital in his hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska. He attended his first 12-step meeting in 1948. Mel was the principal author of Pass It On [far right], A.A.’s authorized biography of co-founder Bill W. He also published more than 50 articles in the A.A. Grapevine and authored at least seven A.A.-related books.

In 1961, the “All-Day” 4th Annual New York A.A. Convention took place at the Engineering Societies’ Building [left, 2008], located at 29 W. 39th St. in New York City. It was sponsored by the Southeastern District of the New York State General Service Committee, now known as Area 49, SouthEastern New York (SENY).

April 14 in A.A. History

In 1959, in response to a letter to someone named Russ, Bill W. wrote a widely circulated defense of closing A.A. meetings with the Lord’s Prayer. Bill explained his reasoning:

    [T]here will always be those who seem to be offended by the introduction of any prayer whatever into an ordinary A.A. gathering. Also, it is sometimes complained that the Lord's Prayer is a Christian document. Nevertheless this Prayer is of such widespread use and recognition that the arguments of its Christian origin seems to be a little farfetched. It is also true that most A.A.s believe in some kind of God and that communication and strength is obtainable through His grace.  Since this is the general consensus it seems only right that at least the Serenity Prayer and the Lord's Prayer be used in connection with our meetings. It does not seem necessary to defer to the feelings of our agnostic and atheist newcomers to the extent of completely hiding our light under a bushel.

In 1967, Bill W. wrote Robert “Bob” F. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, enclosing a note [right] for Barry C., one of the main contributors to The Little Red Book, on the occasion of Barry’s 27th anniversary.

April 13 in A.A. History

In 1940, in Pennsylvania, with the cooperation of Dr. William Turnbull, superintendent of Philadelphia General Hospital (PGH) [right, 1940s], the Philadelphia Group of A.A. began regular visits to the psychopathic ward of PGH, where they recruited Art McM. and Bud M. as members. The group persuaded Dr. John F. Stouffer, the chief psychiatrist, of A.A.’s effectiveness. He, along with Drs. C. Dudley Saul [below, near left] and A. Wiese Hammer [below, far left], kept statistics on the Philadelphia Group, which met every Saturday^* until the hospital closed in the late 1970s.

---

^* My source states that the first meeting was on 10 April 1940, but that seems incorrect since it was a Wednesday. I assume the decision was made at the regular Thursday night meeting of the Philadelphia Group on April 11, with the hospital meetings beginning the following Saturday, April 13.

April 12 in A.A. History

In 1946, at the regular meeting of the Philadelphia Psychiatric Association, three papers on alcoholism were presented, two of which were discussed.
    The first paper [right: 1st page], “The Problem of Alcoholism,” by Dr. Baldwin L. Keyes, began with the statement:

    The enormity of the problem presented by alcoholism staggers the imagination.… It has been shown that the cost of care for alcoholism in one year in the United States far exceeds $12,000,000 [~$140 million in 2025]… and exceeds two thirds of the cost of care of all bodily ills.

    The second paper [right: 1st page], “The Conditioned Reflex Treatment of Alcoholism,” by Dr. Walter L. Voegtlin, reported on the results of a specific aversion therapy that achieved a total abstinence rate of 51.5% for four or more years in a study of 1,526 patients conducted “before the war [World War II].”

    The third paper [far right: 1st page], “Alcoholics Anonymous,” by Dr. C. Nelson Davis, posed the question:

    “How does it [A.A.] work?” I do not know, nor have I heard a satisfactory explanation.

    Dr. Davis also briefly described six of the many mechanisms that make up “a composite of many fundamental principles of medicine, psychiatry, and religion,” as follows.

(1) Acceptance of alcoholism as a disease.…
(2) Friendship.…
(3) Personal contact.…
(4) Group therapy in open meetings.…
(5) Individual psychotherapy in closed meetings.…
(6) Stimulation of the ego.…

    Finally, he summarized the personal experiences of three members of the original A.A. group in Philadelphia:

    These members gave convincing and graphic accounts of their experiences in recovery achieved in connection with their associations in Alcoholics Anonymous. In its simplest form, the therapeutic situation includes (a) admission of alcoholism; (b) personality analysis and catharsis; (c) adjustment of personal relations; (d) dependence on some higher power, and (e) working with other alcoholic patients.

[Left:Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry Society Transactions, Vol. 57, where these papers can be found.] 

April 11 in A.A. History

In 1939, The New York Times published a small ad [right] prepared by Hank P. for the book Alcoholics Anonymous. It appeared on page 2 and cost $200 [~$4,600 in 2025]. This investment proved beneficial in two ways: it generated a significant number of direct responses, and 2½ months later, The New York Times published a positive review of the book, which was among Hank’s hoped-for outcomes.

In 1939, after Bill W. set aside one copy of the first printing of Alcoholics Anonymous as a Christmas gift for Lois and sent two copies to the Library of Congress as part of the copyright registration process, he and Hank P. sent the next 29 copies to the authors of the stories in the back of the book. The following 40 copies were sent to non-alcoholic subscribers of Works Publishing’s stock. This left only 40 copies availble for sale, which, at the list price of $3.50 [~$80 in 2025], would have raised only $140 [~$3,200 in 2025] for the Alcoholic Foundation.

In 1939, Margaret “Marty” M. [left: at Blythewood Sanitarium, 4 Jul 1938] attended her first A.A. meeting at the home of Bill and Lois W., located at 182 Clinton Street in Brooklyn.

In 1941, Bill and Lois W. moved into their own home [right] in Bedford Hills, which they named “Bil-Lo’s Break.” This followed nearly two years of living in 52 different places—according to Lois’s count—after the mortgage holder foreclosed on the Burnham home at 182 Clinton Street in Brooklyn, where Lois had been born and lived until 1929, except for the last two years before the 1929 stock market crash. In 1944, they renamed their Bedford Hills home “Stepping Stones.”

April 10 in A.A. History

In 1939, Alcoholics Anonymous [right] was published in a run of 4,650 copies (some say 4,730). The publisher, Cornwall Press, was instructed to use the thickest paper available. This large, bulky volume became known as the “Big Book,” a name that has endured. Bill W. later wrote that the intention behind the thick, substantial paper was to assure alcoholics that they were getting their money’s worth. Given Works Publishing's financial situation, Cornwall Press decided to minimize its risk by binding only 1,000 copies, leaving the rest loose. Works Publishing was billed $1,783.15 [~$40,750 in 2025], of which nearly half—$884.26—had already been paid. Bill and Hank P. drove to the Cornwall Press bookbinder’s office in New York City to pick up 112 copies, returning the next day for three more. Bill set aside the first copy from the first box to give to Lois for Christmas.

    Apparently, little thought was given to copyright before the book was published. Once copies became available, Ruth Hock sent a package to Fitz M.—who, along with Florence R., was in Washington, D.C., trying to establish the first local A.A. group—containing two copies of the first printing of the first edition and a letter with instructions [left: application for copyright registration]:

    We are forwarding to you today, two copies of “Alcoholics Anonymous” and a check for $2.00 [~$46 in 2025], and wonder if you would do something which would be very helpful at this end. It is important that “Alcoholics Anonymous” be registered at the Copywright [sic] Office in Washington, D.C. in the name of Works Publishing Company at the earliest possible moment…
    The two books for copywright [sic] purposes are coming forward to you marked special handling, special delivery, so will you rush them through for us?
    A book for you and also one for Florence are also in the mail, but regular delivery.
    Will you let us know the minute you have “Alcoholics Anonymous” registered?

In 1958, the International Conference of Young People in A.A. (ICYPAA) issued a press release [right] for its inaugural conference, scheduled to take place at the Niagara Hotel in Niagara Falls, NY, on 26–27 Apr 1958.

In 1979, Barry L. signed a notarized letter [left] donating his original spiral-bound multilith copy of Alcoholics Anonymous, which had been given to him by Lois W.—he had been a close companion of hers. Barry stated that he would keep the copy until his death, at which point it would be transferred to A.A. World Services, Inc.

April 9 in A.A. History

In 2021, Kansas City Group #1 of Kansas City, Missouri, celebrated its 80th anniversary with an online-only event [right: flyer].

April 8 in A.A. History

In 1932 , Bill W. formed a stock-buying syndicate with two Wall Street figures—Arthur Wheeler and Frank Winans. Gardner Swentzel, married to his wife’s sister, Kitty, had introduced Bill to these two men. All three partners believed it to be a good time to buy stocks. Bill was to be manager of the syndicate. Each would put up capital for the venture.
     Aware of Bill’s growing drinking problem, Winans insisted on a clause voiding the contract and forfeiting Bill’s stake should he drink. As it happened, Bill had recently been fired after a drunken brawl with a cab driver. He had given his wife Lois his $2,000 severance check, but now he took it back to invest with the syndicate. Bill managed to stay sober for only five weeks, and therefore lost his entire $2,000 investment.

In 1939, the first copies of Alcoholics Anonymous were about to be printed by Cornwall Press. Frank Amos [near right] wrote to Willard Richardson [far right] to inform him of their imminent arrival. Knowing that Richardson was ill, he advised him to stay home until he was fully recovered. He also mentioned that he had already asked A. LeRoy Chipman [left] to take delivery of the books that were to be sent to Rockefeller Center. Amos requested that Richardson immediately send five books to:

    Dr. [Harry Emerson] Fosdick; Rev. M. J. Lavelle, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral; Mrs. [E. L.] Ballard [whom Richardson had solicited for funds the previous October]; Mrs. Charles L. Burke, of 375 Riverside Drive [who had given the Foundation an “anonymous” contribution of $50 [~$1,100 in 2025] the previous summer or fall; Mr. [Albert] Scott [another Rockefeller associate and trustee].

     He also suggested that each book be inscribed on the front flyleaf with a note such as “Compliments of the ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.”

    At the bottom of this typed letter, Amos added a handwritten postscript: “You may want to place a copy in Mr. [John D. Rockefeller] Junior’s [right] hands.”
    All three of these men—Amos, Richardson, and Chipman—were associates of Mr. Rockefeller, as well as Class A (non-alcoholic) trustees of the Alcoholic Foundation.

In 1947,  after a challenging year of discussions regarding policy and structure, Bill W. submitted a 43-page report titled “Our AA General Service Center—The Alcoholic Foundation of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” to the Trustees of the Alcoholic Foundation. The report outlined the Foundation’s history and recommended establishing an experimental General Service Conference, as well as renaming the Foundation the “General Service Board.” It reflected Bill’s concerns expressed in a letter to the Trustees dated 10 July 1946, as he sought to lay the groundwork for A.A.’s “coming of age.”
    Initially, the Trustees reacted defensively, ultimately becoming outright negative, as they perceived no need for change. Their passive resistance evolved into solid opposition.

In 1950, Illustrated magazine [left: cover] (London, UK) published Willi Frischauer’s article, “Alcoholics Anonymous,” which included 8 photographs spread over 3½ pages [below: the 3½ pages].