June 3 in A.A. History

1950: Bill W. wrote to Charles W.:

    As to changing the Steps themselves, or even the text of the A.A. book, I am assured by many that I could certainly be excommunicated if a word were touched. It is a strange fact of human nature that when a spiritually centered movement starts and finally adopts certain principles, these finally freeze absolutely solid. But what can’t be done respecting the Steps themselves—or any part of the A.A. book—I can make a shift by writing these pieces [i.e., the essays on the Twelve Steps which would be published in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in 1953] which I hope people will like.

June in A.A. History—day unknown

1926: [July?] Bill and Lois W. set off from home for another six-month journey investigating publicly-held companies. While they could have flown first class on Bill’s expense account, backed by a $20,000 line of credit [~$376,000 in 2026]. But Lois’s concern about Bill’s drinking made her reluctant to stray from a formula that had at least kept him sober enough to be able to accomplish something. So instead, they drove a second-hand de Soto^* that Lois had equipped with curtains, allowing them to sleep by the roadside.

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^*The de Soto Motor Co., sold rebranded Zimmerman cars exclusively from 1913 to 1914. The DeSoto brand, established by Walter Chrysler in 1928, came later. Thus, a used de Soto [left: ad for 1913 de Soto Six 55] in 1926 would have been 12 to 13 years old. According to Diary of Two Motorcycle Hobos, in a note she added in 1973, Lois said that they bought a 1924 Dodge [right: 1924 Dodge Business Coupe] in September or October 1926 for $250 [~$4,700 in 2026].

1933: Lois W. took a three-month leave of absence from Macy’s [left, 1930s], where she earned $22.50 [~$576 in 2026] per week, plus a 1% commission on sales. To support her husband Bill in his effort to quit drinking, they spent the summer near Guilford, Vermont, on the farm of Dr. Leonard Strong and his wife Dorothy (Bill’s sister) who were vacationing in Europe. During this time, Bill worked hard on the farm and successfully maintained his sobriety. However, once they returned home to Brooklyn, he resumed drinking.

1934: Cebra Graves [right], a young lawyer from Bennington, Vermont, was introduced to the Oxford Group by Rowland Hazard [left].
    Cebra had had a strained relationship with his father, a judge who would later choose to release Ebby T. [below right] into the custody of Cebra and Shep Cornell [below left] instead of incarcerating him. In early 1934, Cebra had first met Rowland at a party at his parents’ house. After a particularly heated argument with his father, Cebra left his office in such haste that he didn’t even lock the door behind him. He walked south toward Williamstown, Massachusetts, where Rowland picked him up and took him to the home of another Oxford Group member. Cebra recounted later [ellipses in original],

    … They, as I remember, almost guaranteed that if I’d accept the principles of the Group, that this burden of drink, I believe they called it, would be lifted from me. I did get into the Oxford Group.… It was perfectly true I didn’t stop drinking because that didn’t seem to be required, but I did seem, at least, to drink moderately for quite a while.

June 2 in A.A. History

1944: Marty M. [left] wrote a letter on lavender^* stationery from her 48th Street address in New York City to Paul H., Esq. [right, 1954], located at Man. Ave, N.W. [Massachusetts Ave. NW], Washington, D.C. In the letter, she stated in part:   

    I don’t remember whether I told you anything of my pet project when I was there – [inserting above the line] or you were here – making alcoholism respectable. In any case, I worked out a practical feasible place for beginning a campaign of education on a nation-wide scale. It needed scientific backing and it needed funds. Both have since been provided by Yale, where, as you probably know, Drs. Haggard & Jellinek of the Laboratory of Applied Physiology have established 1) a Section on Alcohol Studies, 2) a summer school of Studies in Alcohol, 3) the Quarterly Journal of Studies in Alcohol, 4) The Yale Plan – which has opened two free clinics, one in Hartford, one in New Haven, for alcoholics. Apparently, they were just getting ready for project no. 5 – an educational campaign – when my plan turned up, they accepted it – and me.

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^*Marty selected lavender as the color for the National Council on Alcoholism stationery. This versatile, aromatic shrub is renowned for its stunning purple flowers and calming fragrance, and it boasts a variety of uses.
    Lavender flowers represent purity, calmness, devotion, and serenity, while the color purple signifies royalty, elegance, and luxury. Historically, lavender has been incorporated into rituals, perfumes, and even ancient Roman baths; its name originates from the Latin word lavare, meaning “to wash.” Furthermore, amethyst, a lavender-hued quartz, was thought by early Greek and Roman cultures to protect its owner from drunkenness.
    Since at least the early 20th century, lavender has symbolized queer identity, resilience, and resistance within the LGBTQ+ community. Historically, this color has served both as a discreet means of identifying fellow queer individuals and as a bold statement of empowerment.
    I’m unsure how much of this Marty was aware of, but I would be quite surprised if she didn’t know about the queer connection.

1947: After nearly a year without contact with the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City, Herbert “Herb” V., a loner residing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [left: aerial view, 1945], became increasingly worried about his sobriety. Previously, he had received information about two potential A.A. contacts—Don Newton and Douglas Calders—and a possible recruit named Recife after reaching out to the Foundation the previous June. To alleviate his concerns, Herb decided to start an A.A. group in Rio. He wrote again to the Foundation, explaining that he had been unable to locate either Don or Douglas. Herb also noted that he and his wife had adapted well to life in Brazil and requested additional names and addresses of potential A.A. members in the area.
    The Foundation’s reply, from Margaret “Bobbie” Burger, the National Secretary, said that “Lynn Goodale and Don Newton have left Rio de Janeiro,” and included a concerned plea: “Don’t let another year go by without correspondence.” It provided the couple—evidently, it was Herb’s wife who had been writing the letters—with Douglas’s new address.
    The exchange of letters between the Alcoholic Foundation and Herb continued. In his next letter, Herb sent a card with his name and address, officially registering himself as an A.A. contact in Brazil.

June in A.A. History—day unknown

1923: Bill W. had been expected to graduate from Brooklyn Law School [right: Brooklyn Eagle Building, home of Brooklyn Law School, 1923], but he did not complete his degree because he failed a course on “Executors and Administrators,” which covered wills, estates, and trusts.

June 1 in A.A. History

1949: Anne Ripley S. [right], 68, wife of Dr. Bob, died at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, Ohio. She was cherished by the Akron members and by Bill and Lois W., and in her final years, she suffered from severe cataracts that left her nearly blind. As an act of love, Sister Ignatia performed a secret baptism for her before her death. The July 1949 issue of the A.A. Grapevine featured a memorial article by Bill, who described Anne as “quite literally, the mother of our first group, "Akron Number One" and “in the full sense of the word she was one of the founders of AA.” After her death, Anne’s remains were sent to Cleveland for cremation before being buried in Akron [left: gravestone].

1962: Henry Berton “Bert” Davis and his wife, Hazel, founded Harbor House, an addiction treatment center in Memphis, Tennessee.This center was the realization of a dream Bert had first conceived in 1955. Rooted primarily in the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, Harbor House also incorporated religious beliefs and philosophical teachings. Bert, whose life was a continuous battle for sobriety, knew that his active involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous was essential for maintaining his own recovery. Consequently, Harbor House became his life’s work. The center continues to operate today [right: Harbor House, Feb 2023].

1998: This date marked the deadline for submitting personal stories for the 4th edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous [left], for which A.A.W.S. received 1,222 submissions.

June in A.A. History—day unknown

1916: On June 3, President Wilson [near right] signed the National Defense Act, leading to the mobilization of all National Guard units by June 18. This mobilization supported the Mexican Expedition (originally the “Punitive Expedition, US Army”), led by Major General John J. Pershing [far right], had been ordered to retaliate against border incursions by Pancho Villa [left], a revolutionary leading a Mexican paramilitary group during the Mexican Revolution (1910–20). Pershing’s primary objective was to capture Villa, which he failed to do.
    Norwich University students, including Bill W., were required to serve as cadets, making them part of the Vermont National Guard. Called up as a cavalry squadron in the 1st Vermont Regiment, the cadets were sent to Fort Ethan Allen. However, they returned to Norwich shortly thereafter without ever getting near Mexico. Bill enjoyed the training and was discharged as a corporal on December 15. Despite the significant disruption to the academic year, he and his classmates were readmitted to Norwich.
 

1922: Lois W. experienced the first of her three ectopic pregnancies, a condition where the ovum develops outside the uterus, in Lois’s case in a fallopian tube [left: uterus (blue arrows) and ectopic pregnancy in the left fallopian tube (red arrows)]. In her memoir, Lois Remembers, Lois reflected on her experience:

    That summer I became pregnant. It was the first of three ectopic pregnancies. My dad [surgeon Dr. Clark Burnham] recognized immediately what was the matter and put the matter and put me to bed in the old home on Clinton Street, where he could look after me. He knew that a healthy body such as mine can often recover naturally without an operation, even after the bursting of a [Fallopian] tube. This time, that is what happened.

May 31 in A.A. History

1949: Bill W. responded [right: his reply] to a May 15th note from Ed W. [far left]. Ed had written to inform Bill that Barry C. [near left], an A.A. founder in Minnesota, was doing much better.
    Ed also asked Bill to confirm receipt of the copies of The Little Red Book [below right] Ed had sent. As the primary author, Ed wanted the Alcoholic Foundation to take over its publication. Although Dr. Bob S. had contributed to the book and Bill had praised it, A.A.W.S. declined to publish it because the Trustees preferred an A.A.-owned book.
    Bill wrote:

    I did receive those books.… Lois and I continue to reminisce about our pleasant visit with your group. God forbid that Alcoholics Anonymous ever become frozen or rigid in its ways of doing or thinking. Within the framework of our principles the ways are apparently legion. 
    There is little doubt that the contributions you folks have made to our progress will always be a part of the folk lore [sic] of our well-loved fellowship.

1963: The Kodiak Mirror in Alaska featured an article on page 5 titled “Local Alcoholics Anonymous Group Hears Report” [left]. It detailed how a representative—likely from Kodiak’s only A.A. group, the Isle of Hope Group—attended the Alaska State A.A. Assembly in Anchorage and subsequently reported back to group. The report included the following details:

    Methods of furthering AA’s efforts to help the alcoholic who still suffers from this disabling disease were discussed and a report was heard from Alaska’s delegate to the headquarters of Alcoholics Anonymous in New York City where the annual conference of delegates from the entire United States and the Provinces of Canada was held on April 15.

Today in A.A. History—May 31–June 1

1969:  The first Thekwini Round-up was held at Botha’s Hill in Natal, South Africa [right: view from atop Botha’s Hill]. Thekwini is a shortened form of eThekwini, a Zulu word derived from itheku, meaning “bay, lagoon, or port.” It refers to a South African metropolitan municipality, established in 2000, which encompasses the city of Durban and its surrounding towns.

Today in A.A. History—May 31–June 2

1963:  The 6th International Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous (ICYPAA) and the 16th South Carolina State Convention were jointly held in Columbia, South Carolina. The event’s theme was “Courage, Confidence, Conviction” [left: program cover].

May 30 in A.A. History

1941: In Hartford, Connecticut [right: downtown, early 1945], two men who would be instrumental in establishing Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) in the city each took his last drink independently, only meeting and learning of each other shortly afterward.
    Hal S., a member of the Shaker Heights Group in Ohio, was in Hartford on business when he inquired of a doctor where he might find local alcoholics. The doctor knew of none, but his nurse provided Hal with the name of Harold “Red” W. Hal called Red that evening, but Red was “indisposed.” They eventually met a few days later, and Red had his last drink on May 30.
    Meanwhile, Harold H., a salesman and periodic drunk, had read Jack Alexander’s article in The Saturday Evening Post [left: cover]. However, he was put off by the “God business” and had resigned himself to remaining a drunk. Shortly thereafter, he found himself in a hospital after being beaten up and arrested. Upon his release, he attended a party on May 30, where he encountered an old drinking buddy, Brad P., who had sobered up in the Scarsdale Group in New York. Brad asked Harold if he wanted to die as an alcoholic. Having recently witnessed a man suffer from delirium tremens (the DTs), Harold said no and never drank again.
    Soon after, Harold and Red met and began recruiting other drunks.

1944:  An article in Georgia’s The Atlanta Constitution titled “‘Bill’ [W.] Defines Alcoholic as ‘Bankrupt Idealist’” [right] demonstrates that Bill used the term “bankrupt idealist” eight years prior to its appearance in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (Tradition 6, page 156).

1964: Ebby T. arrived at McPike’s Farm [left], an innovative alcoholism treatment facility located in Galway, New York, near Saratoga Springs. Founded by Margaret and Mickey M. in the winter of 1958, the farm offered Ebby a chance to find peace and relief from the inner turmoil that had plagued him for much of his life. Sadly, he died in a nearby hospital less than two years later.

Today in A.A. History—May 30–June 1

1970: The three-day Third Thekwini Round-up [left: program cover] commenced in South Africa. The term Thekwini is synonymous with eThekwini (Zulu: derived from itheku, meaning bay, lagoon, or port) and refers to a South African metropolitan municipality established in 2000. This municipality encompasses the city of Durban and its surrounding towns.

May 29 in A.A. History

1921: Dr. Frank Crane’s article, “Just for Today” [right], first published in The Boston Globe (Massachusetts) has since been widely circulated within A.A. and Al-Anon. Crane himself [left] later commented on the borrowing, noting, “Bill [W.] did say we ‘borrowed.’ This time from Dr. Crane’s 1921 copyrighted material.”

1944: The Patriot (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) published a column by Beatrix Fairfax (described as a “Famous Authority on Problems of Love and Marriage”) titled “Advice to the Lovelorn: ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ Helps Make Homes Happy” [left].

1980: Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers [near right: 1st edition, 1st printing], an authorized biography of A.A.’s co-founder and a history of early A.A. in the Midwest, was published. Niles P. was hired to write it, apparently with assistance from Barry L. In addition, Ed N. and Ruth Hock may have contributed.

2022: Elizabeth J. “Liz” B. [left], a 100-year-old Boston, Massachusetts resident, died after 69 years and 11 months of sobriety. A New York City native, she was a friend of Bill Wilson and spoke at his 26th anniversary celebration.

A.A. History—month & day unknown

1917: [Summer] After completing his US Army training at Fort Monroe in Virginia, Bill W. [near right: in uniform] was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and assigned to Fort Rodman in Massachusetts.

1918: Bill W. was reassigned from Fort Rodman, Massachusetts, to Fort Adams, near Newport, Rhode Island.

1919: The War Industries Board published the 31-page booklet “Prices of Chemicals” [left: cover], authored by Dr. Frederick “Freddie” B.

1921–22: During his first year at Brooklyn Law School, which was located in the Brooklyn Eagle Building [right, 1904], Bill W.’s grades varied from very good—a 90 in Contracts and an 89 in Torts—to a mediocre 77 in both Agency and Partnerships.

1922–23: Bill W.’s second year at Brooklyn Law School saw his grades fluctuate significantly, compared to the year before. Although he achieved some high marks, he also received failing grades of 67 and 68. He successfully retook these courses, passing them on his second attempt.

May 28 in A.A. History

1907: Conor Flynn [right] was likely born in County Roscommon, Ireland. After immigrating to the United States, he would get sober in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1943. Three years later, in 1946, he and Richard P. O’Connor would co-found the first Alcoholics Anonymous group in Dublin, making it the first A.A. group in Europe.

1974: The A.A. Fellowship of Great Britain was chosen to host the 3rd biennial A.A. World Service Meeting. It would mark the first time the event was held outside the United States. The Site Committee, comprising members selected at the 2nd World Service Meeting, had recommended England as the top choice for the 1974 gathering, “with Mexico or Finland as second and third choices,” respectively. The meeting was scheduled for 16–18 October 1974, at London’s Gloucester Hotel.

2021: Josh E., Chair of the A.A. Grapevine, Inc. Board, sent a memo [left] to General Service Conference members in the U.S. and Canada. In it, he announced that the revised Preamble—which replaced “men and women” with “people”—would first appear in July’s A.A. Grapevine. He also addressed certain concerns that had been raised.

    We’ve also received a number of inquiries about whether this negatively impacts the editorial independence of Grapevine. Please remember that the Grapevine Board, Publisher and Editors discussed this topic for an entire year over a series of board meetings. Ultimately it was agreed that Grapevine has the right of decision and foundational editorial independence. We felt that such a change would affect the groups as a whole and in keeping with Tradition 4, we sought the input from those it might affect by sending the discussion to the General Service Conference.
    The topic was actively discussed in groups across the United States and Canada for two years over both the 70th and 71st General Service conference panels. As a result of those conversations the Delegates of the General Service Conference passed a series of votes, in a sequence of events that culminated with the final advisory action.

A.A. History—month & day unknown

1916: Originally published in Paris in the December 1912 issue of the magazine La Clochette (The Little Bell), the French prayer “Belle prière à faire pendant la messe” (A Beautiful Prayer to Say During the Mass)—which would later become known as “The Prayer of St. Francis”—was translated into Italian and featured on the front page of L’Osservatore Romano [right: 15 May 1891 issue], the Vatican’s daily newspaper. It was titled “Le preghiere del ‘Souvenir Normand’ per la pace” (The Prayers of “Souvenir Normand” for Peace). 
    The organization “Souvenir Normand” identified itself as “a work of peace and justice inspired by the testament of William the Conqueror, who is considered to be the ancestor of all the royal families of Europe.” Consequently, this title led to the prayer being mistakenly attributed to William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and first Norman King of England.
    Shortly thereafter, the newspaper La Croix [left: 17–18 December 1916 issue] (The Cross) reprinted the L’Osservatore Romano article in French, using essentially the exact same heading and explanatory text. The French Marquis Stanislas de La Rochethulon, who had sent the original French prayer to Pope Benedict XV the previous year, wrote to La Croix to clarify that it was not a prayer from Souvenir Normand. However, he did not mention its original publication in La Clochette. Because of its prominent appearance in L’Osservatore Romano and La Croix as a simple prayer for peace during World War I, the prayer gained widespread recognition.

 

1917: [Early] After passing his physical examination for induction into the US Army, Bill W. [right: in uniform, 1918] is called up. He has his first taste of alcohol—a beer, which does nothing for him. Later, while being entertained with other servicemen at Grinnells’, he tries his first mixed drink: a Bronx Cocktail. This leads to a glorious first “high,” making him feel at ease and comfortable for the first time in his life. 

A.A. History—year, month & day unknown

~1913: At 14, Charles Henry “Charlie” S. [left, allegedly] ran away from the farm where he lived. He befriended some hobos and, with two of them, boarded a train bound for Detroit. When they arrived, one of them, Tom Casey, took Charlie under his wing, securing them both a room with a kindly Irish landlady. For the next two years, Tom looked after Charlie, teaching him what not to do, making sure he started a bank account, and encouraging him to keep it growing.
    Charlie’s story, “Riding the Rods,” later appeared in the first edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

Early 1920s: At the College of the City of New York, Dr. Frederick “Freddie” B. [right, 1923] was developing courses in economic chemistry.