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].

 

April 7 in A.A. History

In 1939, Ruth Hock [left] wrote to Edward Blackwell, president of Cornwall Publishing, instructing him on where to deliver the first copies of Alcoholics Anonymous once printing was completed. She requested 6 copies be sent to Frank Amos [near right] and 12 to Willard Richardson [far right], both of whom were non-alcoholic trustees of the Alcoholic Foundation. Ruth added, “It is Mr. [Hank] P[—–]’s understanding that these will be delivered on Monday, April 10th, without fail.” Amos planned to take all 6 copies to Ohio where he was going the following day, while Richardson requested 2 for himself and the remaining 10 for the Foundation.

    On the same day, Hank wrote to both men, informing them to expect the book on Monday and asking for payment as soon as possible. Knowing that Richardson was ill, Amos contacted A. LeRoy Chipman [left], another non-alcoholic trustee, and requested that he accept delivery on behalf of the Alcoholic Foundation.

In 1941, Ruth Hock reported that the Alcoholic Foundation had received 1,500 letters asking for help following the publication of Jack Alexander’s article “Alcoholics Anonymous: Freed Slaves of Drink, Now They Free Others” in the March 1 issue of The Saturday Evening Post [right: cover].

    It was clear that Ruth, Bill W., and Margaret “Bobbie” B. [left] could not handle the mail on their own. Form letters would not suffice; each letter required a thoughtful, personal reply. Fortunately, they had anticipated this challenge. In preparation for the expected influx, Lois W., Bill’s wife, organized everyone who could type into teams and scheduled those who could not type to answer the phones. Despite their efforts, they were overwhelmed by the volume of requests, which ultimately reached 8,000. It took them 5 to 6 weeks to respond to all the letters.

In 1944, David “Dave” B. [right] got sober in A.A. He became a founder of A.A. in the province of Quebec and served as a Class B (alcoholic) Trustee from 1962–64. His story, “Gratitude In Action,” appeared in the 4th edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

April 6 in A.A. History

In 1960, A funeral Mass was held for Father Edward P. “Ed” Downing, S.J. [right]. In 2016, Magnificat published an article about him that said, in part,

    He was an old-school priest, made of the kind of fine cloth that prefers to disguise itself as sacking.  His funeral was packed.  From society matrons in mink coats to Skid Row drunks, people came from around the country to pay homage.
    “I really haven’t done anything,” Father Dowling once said. “It’s really simple. I just happened to be around.”

He was buried in St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Florissant, Missouri, near St. Louis.

April 5 in A.A. History

In 1960, an editorial in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, published on the eve of Father Ed Dowling’s funeral, stated:

The Rev. Edward Dowling, S.J., was a kindly man who never allowed kindliness to keep him from speaking his mind. He made friends wherever he went, especially among newspaper people. He left the city room for the Jesuit Seminary, but he was like the old firehorse. Crippling arthritis restricted his activities but a cane always got him to a Newspaper Guild meeting, to a party for a Pulitzer Prize winner, or any journalistic bull session which promised to bring out the “inside story” of what made the wheels turn. Eddie Dowling did not vaunt his kindliness; he used it quietly to help those who needed help. They will remember him as long as those who only learned from him that the world is never too gloomy for cheerfulness—even though it always is a little better with a dollop of bourbon and a touch of branch water.

April 4 in A.A. History

 In 1894, Margaret Mary Pennington was born in Baltimore, Maryland. While abroad, she would meet Count Victor Von Lüttichau of Germany and marry him in Switzerland. The Count would die around 1946, and in 1948, she would marry Dr. William D. Marbury, who had a practice in Washington, D.C.
    As Margarita Von Lüttichau, she would play a crucial role as an intermediary between Carl Jung [near right] and Bill W. [far right], the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. She would become a student of Jung and a protégé of Bill’s, acting as a bridge between their ideas and writings. After World War II, she would frequently travel between the U.S. and Switzerland, introducing the writings and concepts of each to the other.

April 3 in A.A. History

In 1940, the fifth meeting of the Philadelphia Group of A.A. in Pennsylvania, organized by non-alcoholic Drs. A. Weise Hammer [near right] and Dudley Saul [far right], took place at Saint Luke’s Hospital. The meeting was open to the public and attracted thirty attendees.

In 1941, Florida’s first A.A. group was formally organized in Miami.
    The first A.A. contact from Florida was Horace S., a loner in Daytona Beach, who reached out to the Alcoholic Foundation in November 1939. By July 1942, he had moved to Connecticut, leaving no A.A. members behind.

    In 1940, Frank P., a New York A.A. member residing in Miami, became the local contact. In April of that year, Roger C. sought help from the Alcoholic Foundation. Later, in November, Joe T.’s wife also contacted the Foundation, which connected Roger and Joe with Frank P. Together, they began addressing inquiries about A.A. in the Miami area, with support from the ubiquitous traveling salesman and A.A. member Irwin “Irv” M. [left]. That same month, Charlie C. wrote to the Foundation to inquire about starting a meeting in nearby Fort Lauderdale, where he moved in December. Carl C. was recruited in December 1940, and informal meetings began in Miami.

In 1958, in a letter to Marjorie W., Bill W. [right] expressed “his most succinct later understanding of [his so-called ‘white light’] experience [in Towns Hospital in December 1934]”:

What I really meant was this: I was catapulted into a spiritual experience, which gave me the capability of feeling the presence of God, His love, and His omnipotence. And, most of all, His personal availability to me. Of course this is the ABC of the conversion experience—something as old as man himself. So maybe an awareness of God and some sense of relation to him constitutes a fourth dimension. At least this was true for me, one who had no belief or such sensibility whatever.

In 1960, Father Edward “Ed” Dowling, S.J. [left], 61½, died peacefully in his sleep from a heart attack early this Sunday morning in Memphis, Tennessee. Fr. Ed struggled with compulsive overeating, consuming excessive amounts of starch, butter, salt, and sugar. His weight reached 240 lbs [~110 kg], but he later managed to lose 60 lbs [~27 kg] using strategies based on the Twelve Steps. Unfortunately, by this time, he had already caused permanent damage to his heart and arteries. The first sign of medical problems occurred in June 1952, when he suffered a retinal stroke—a blood clot blocking an artery to his retina—that resulted in his hospitalization.

April 2 in A.A. History

In 1966, Dr. Harry M. Tiebout [right] died from heart disease in Greenwich, Connecticut. An early supporter of Alcoholics Anonymous, he served as the head psychiatrist at Blythewood Sanitarium, where Margaret “Marty” M.—author of “Women Suffer Too” in the first and second editions of Alcoholics Anonymous—and “Grennie” C. found sobriety. Marty, Bill W., and other early members were among his patients. His paper, “The Ego Factors in Surrender in Alcoholism,” was published in the December 1954 issue of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol (now known as the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs).

April 1 in A.A. History

In 1926, after three months of courtship, Clarence S. [near right, 1942] and Dorothy Wright [far right] got married.

In 1940, Lawrence “Larry” J. [left] of Houston, Texas wrote the A.A. prayer that was used to begin A.A. meetings in Texas for many years:

Our Father, we come to you as a friend.
You have said that, where two or three are gathered together in your name, there you will be in the midst. We believe you are here with us now.
We believe this is something you would have us do, and that it has your blessing.
We believe that you want us to be real partners with you in this business of living, accepting our full responsibility, and certain that the reward will be freedom, and growth, and happiness.
For this we are grateful.
We ask you, at all times, to guide us.
Help us daily to come closer to you, and grant us new ways of living our gratitude.

Amen.

In 1944, Marty M. [right, 1946] moved to New Haven, Connecticut, to establish the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism (NCEA), which initially had its office at Yale University. During this time, Marty stayed with the Jellineks and attended the Yale Summer School of Alcohol Studies, which had started the year before.

In 1945, [Easter Sunday] Knickerbocker Hospital [left, c. 1940] opened a small ward dedicated to the treatment of alcoholism, making it the first general hospital in New York City to have such a facility. This is significant because many general hospitals at that time would not admit alcoholics; instead, their doctors had to admit them under false diagnoses.

In 1950, The Saturday Evening Post published Jack Alexander’s “The Drunkard’s Best Friend” [right, p. 1], a follow-up to his article about A.A., “Alcoholics Anonymous: Freed Slaves of Drink, Now They Free Others,” which was published on 1 March 1941.

In 1966, Sister Ignatia [far left], born Mary Ignatia Gavin, died at the age of 77 at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Richfield, Ohio. While working with Dr. Bob S. [near left], she treated thousands of early A.A. members at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, Ohio. She was buried in the motherhouse cemetery.

In 1970, A.A.’s General Service Office (G.S.O.) moved from 305 E. 45th St. to 468 Park Ave. S. (formerly 4th Ave.). Box 4-5-9 reported:

    A building between 31st and 32nd Streets, on the west side of Park Ave. South (formerly 4th Ave.), is the new home for G.S.O. and the Grapevine…
    To find us, look for 468 Park Ave. South here in New York City.…“Why the move? The two main rea­sons are: (1) to save money, and (2) to get more space.”

In 1984, Ron R. founded The Twelve Coconuts Group at Kapiolani Park [right: the Twelve Coconuts], Waikiki, Hawaii. He later recalled,

    For about three weeks I went all over town to different meetings with bookmarks that had the 11th Step Prayer on them, I had gotten them from a Catholic Book Store… [I wrote them] up with “New Meeting in Kapiolani Park, Mon. Wed. and Fridays at seven in the morning. April 1st. I did a lot of writing. The first meeting had 32 people.