February 12 in A.A. History

1927: Bill W.’s paternal grandmother, Helen Barrows W. [near right], 83, died in Manchester, Vermont, where she had been living with her sister, Alice Ambrose, for the preceding year or two. She would be buried in the East Dorset Cemetery [far left: Helen’s obituary from the Rutland Daily Herald of Rutland, Vermont, 8 March 1927; near left: Helen’s gravestone].
    Many years earlier, Helen’s parents, Blake and Betsey Barrows, had operated the hotel in East Dorset, now known as W―― House [right, recent]. Although the hotel had briefly changed ownership, Helen and her husband, William Curtis W., eventually had acquired the property and took over its management. It was behind the bar there that Bill W. had been born in 1895.

1938: Frank Amos [far left] was visiting Akron, Ohio, to gather information about the “Alcoholic Squadron” of the Oxford Group for John D. Rockefeller Jr. [near left] and his associates. He spent his first day at the home of Dr. Bob and Anne S. [right], where a steady stream of visitors came and went. Frank later noted in his report:
    [O]nly one other of the alcoholic group knew why I was there—that was Paul S―― [far left] who was at the meeting we had in the Rockefeller Center. I was introduced as a friend of “Bill” W.’s… and as a Christian layman deeply interested in their work.
    When introduced to T. Henry Williams [near left], he identified himself merely as a representative of four Christian laymen interested in Dr. Bob’s work with alcoholics.
    Throughout the day, Frank interacted with several of the “fifty men, and, I believe, two women” who were now sober in Akron. He “met and talked with about half of these men with their wives and, in one or two cases, their mothers.” He was pleasantly surprised by their openness regarding Dr. Bob, noting that:
    without any prompting on my part, they emphasized how vital Smith was at this time to their work. Several told me they knew he was sacrificing his professional and remunerative work for this and that something must be done to help him handle both without spoiling either.
On Saturday night, Paul [right] and Hildreth Stanley would drive Frank 85 miles [~ 137 km] south to his hometown of Cambridge, Ohio, where he would visit relatives and familiarize himself with the current status of the family newspaper business, the Daily Jeffersonian. He would stay two days and return to Akron late in the afternoon of the 14th.

1945: The Alcoholic Foundation’s service office in New York City sent a letter to all known A.A. groups explaining that, due to paper rationing for the World War II effort, the War Production Board had ordered a reduction in the weight of paper used for the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. To further conserve materials, the margins were trimmed to a minimum, which, along with the lighter paper, reduced the book’s overall size. During the war, two limited-quantity printings were produced—the 8th and 9th printings of the first edition; both contained a notice of explanation [left: both printings with enlarged notice in foreground].

February 11 in A.A. History

1937: Frank Amos [right] arrived in Akron, Ohio, to evaluate the “Alcoholic Squad” of the Oxford Group as a potential recipient of a Rockefeller charitable contribution. He may have stayed with Dr. Bob and Anne S. or at a hotel.

1938: Clarence S. [left] took his last drink.
    He had been working as a traveling salesman based out of Cleveland. However, his drinking had escalated to the point where it disrupted his travels and business prospects. It had also driven a wedge between him and his wife, Dorothy  [right], who had thrown him out almost a year ago. When he finally returned home, she refused to let him in. He pleaded with her. He was very cold and desperate for a drink. Although she insisted she didn’t need him, she offered him a chance for redemption.
    Dorothy’s sister, Virginia, lived in New York City. After a house call from her family doctor for her sick children, she had started a conversation with him. This doctor was Dr. Leonard Strong  [left], who was also Bill W.’s brother-in-law. When Virginia confided in Dr. Strong about her brother-in-law’s struggles, he shared the story of Bill  [near right], who lived in Brooklyn, and Dr. Bob S. [far right], who lived in Akron, Ohio. He explained how they had remained sober for three years through the Oxford Group and were now helping other alcoholics to stop drinking. Virginia had written to Dorothy about this conversation, providing her with the name and address of Dr. Bob, hoping it might help if Clarence ever showed up again.
    Now that Clarence had returned, she asked if he was ready to stop drinking. He agreed. She told him about the doctor in Akron who “fixes drunks” and insisted he must first undergo Dr. Bob’s “cure.” He consented. She drove him to the bus depot, bought a one-way ticket to Akron, and gave him a sandwich along with a scrap of paper that read:

Dr. Robert Holbrook S――, 810 Second National Building, Akron, Ohio. Office phone: HEmlock 8523, Residence phone: UNiversity 2436. Hours 2 to 4 PM.

To ensure he wouldn’t sell his ticket for alcohol, she helped him board the bus and followed it for a few blocks to make sure he didn’t persuade the driver to let him off.
    Clarence’s story in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is titled “Home Brewmeister” (1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions).

1939: Hank P. [near left] had telegraphed Fitz M. [far left], asking him to find out how many books in the Library of Congress—located not far from his home in Maryland—were titled The Way Out or Alcoholics Anonymous. Fitz responded by wiring back to Hank at Bill W.’s home address:

1939 Feb 11 AM 12 19
WA 13 50 NL=CA WASHINGTON DC 10
HENRY G P▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
182 CLINTON ST BROOKLYN NY=
NO TITLE CAN BE REGISTERED IN COPYRIGHT OFFICE TO SECURE MONOPOLY OF ITS USE STOP LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS 25 BOOKS THE WAY OUT 12 THE WAY NINE THIS WAY OUT NONE ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS NONE COMES DAWN MY PET STOP OUR TRIP TO BROOKLYN DEFINITELY OFF-BUSINESS BRISKER AM WRITING.=
FITZ

    Bill and Hank immediately declared the title to be Alcoholics Anonymous or, as Bill later admitted, “we left the title ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ in the copy that went to the printer [less than a week later]” (i.e., they had already put their preferred title on the master copy). In later retellings, Bill would incorrectly state that the number of books already titled The Way Out was 12, not 25, which allowed him to argue that it would have been bad luck to produce the 13th book with that title.

1940: Margaret D. from Seattle, Washington, wrote to the Alcoholic Foundation regarding her husband. The Foundation would respond by mail on March 6. Margaret would eventually play a role in organizing Seattle's first A.A. group on April 19 [right: New Washington Hotel, site of first A.A. meeting in Seattle, Washington (c. 1908)], although the specifics of her involvement remain unclear.

February 10 in A.A. History

1922: Harold E. Hughes [left] was born on a farm near Ida Grove, Iowa.
    He overcame alcoholism to achieve significant political success, serving as the governor of Iowa and a U.S. senator. He later emerged as a prominent dark horse candidate for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination, although he ultimately withdrew from the race. Hughes authored legislation that established the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, along with other federal measures to support alcoholics and addicts. Throughout his public life, he was candid about his struggles with alcoholism.

1958: Bill W. responded to a letter from Ollie and Ruth J., who had written to him objecting to members calling A.A. “selfish” program. In it, he clarified and drove home what he saw as a necessary distinction in the selfishness of an alcoholic:

    It seems to me that the primary object of any human being is to grow, that being the nature of all living things. There­fore he is bound to have a huge self-interest.

February 9 in A.A. History

1939: After many months of debate in Akron, Ohio, and New York City, during which “more than a hundred titles all told” were considered, The Way Out—which was heavily favored in Akron—was ultimately adopted over Alcoholics Anonymous, which had strong support in New York City, particularly from Bill W. and Hank P.
    Following this decision, Hank decided to

    wire Fitz M― in Maryland asking him to go to the Library of Congress in Washington and find out how many books were called The Way Out and how many were called Alcoholics Anonymous…

    This may have been an attempt to bypass the group’s collective conscience.

1940: The day after the Rockefeller Dinner, which introduced Alcoholics Anonymous to potential supporters identified by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., newspaper headlines were plentiful. Here are a few:
    The New York Daily News ran the story with the headline “ROCKEFELLER DINES EX-SOTS, NOW RUM FOES” [far right] and led with, “Sixty members of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization of ex-toss-pots….”
    In Washington, D.C., The Evening Star titled its article “Rockefeller Is Backing Move to Cure Alcoholics” [above, near right], referring to A.A. as a “secret organization.”
The New York Post featured the headline, “60 ON WAGON—AND ROOM FOR MORE.”
    Meanwhile, The Daily Argus in White Plains, New York, published under the headline “Rockefeller Supports Regeneration Work” [below, near right], revealing that John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was

    … interested in a “secret” organization aimed at rehabilitating alcoholics. The organization is “Alcoholics Anonymous” which started when three men who overcame their craving for whiskey and wanted to help others in the same plight began the movement that today numbers 120. Rockefeller was host at a dinner last night to hear a report on the work of the men who have been cured or are in the process of reestablishing themselves on a more normal plane.

2002: Suzanne (Sue) S—– W. [far left, 1975], 83, the adopted daughter of Dr. Bob and Anne S., died at home after a long illness, surrounded by her family [near left: gravestone]. She had been actively involved in A.A. most of her life.

February 8 in A.A. History

1939:Bill W. replied to a letter dated February 6 from Janet Blair, one of the two paid editors of the manuscript for what would become the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. In her letter, she addressed suggested changes to the proposed first two chapters. She also recommended a smoother transition from “Bill’s Story” to “There is a Solution,” a suggestion that both Bill and Hank P. accepted, which has remained in all four editions. Bill thanked Blair for having “the perception to understand what it is I want to say and the ability to say it so well. You have certainly cleared up our manuscript.”

1940: John D. Rockefeller, Jr. [far left] arranged a dinner for Alcoholics Anonymous at the Union League Club [near right] in New York City. Out of 400 invited guests [center right: invitation; far right: menu], 75 attended. Due to illness, John D. was unable to host, so his son Nelson [near left] took over the responsibility. The dinner garnered significant positive publicity for A.A. and raised $2,200 [~$50,900 in 2026] from attendees, including John D. himself giving $1,000 [~$23,100 in 2026]. This group would continue to contribute about $3,000 [~$69,500 in 2026] each year until 1945, when they were asked to stop. In line with A.A.’s 7th Tradition, all contributions from non-alcoholics were eventually repaid.
    Paul S. [far left] accompanied Dr. Bob S. [near left] to the dinner. He also persuaded Frank Amos [right], a Rockefeller associate, that Dr. Bob needed financial assistance to continue his work with alcoholics. Paul suggested that John D. Rockefeller quietly provide a monthly stipend for at least two years, which he did. Ultimately, some of these funds were also allocated to Bill W. [near right] and Hank P. [far right].

1940: The Houston Press in Texas published the first of six anonymous articles about Alcoholics Anonymous, written by a newly sober member named Larry J. [far left]. These articles [near left: on display] served as the foundation for A.A.’s first pamphlet, titled simply  “AA” [right].

1942: The Columbus (Ohio) Group of A.A., established just three months earlier, split into two factions. Fourteen members formed a new group called the Central Group, which began meeting at the Odd Fellows Hall located at 24 W. Goodale St. The Central Group continued to hold meetings there until at least 1999.

February 7 in A.A. History

1920: F. T. Bedford incorporated Penick & Ford, Ltd., which had previously operated as a partnership.
    This partnership was established by William Snydor Penick and his brother-in-law, James Polk Ford, in Shreveport, Louisiana, to sell barrel syrups and canned molasses. The monopolistic Corn Products Refining Company acquired a 25 percent stake in the partnership but was compelled to sell it following a Supreme Court ruling stemming from President Theodore Roosevelt’s trust-busting campaign.
    Meanwhile, F. T. Bedford, the son of E. T. Bedford who ran Corn Products Refining, purchased the Douglas Starch Works facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa [below left: Bill W. outside this plant, c. 1926]. It had “massively” exploded in May 1919, resulting in the destruction of the plant and the deaths of 48 people. The remnants of the plant were sold by one of the founding Douglas brothers to Penick & Ford in December 1919. The plant was subsequently rebuilt to produce corn syrup. By 1922, the company would have fully recovered, and by 1923, Penick & Ford began paying preferred dividends to its shareholders.
    Over the next twenty years, the company would flourish by producing various private label brands, including Brer Rabbit Molasses, Brer Rabbit Syrup, Penick Syrup, Penick Salad Oil, Douglas Starch, Penford Corn Syrup, Penford Corn Sugar, and Douglas Feed. Under Bedford’s leadership, the company would diversify further by acquiring additional food lines, such as Vermont Maid Syrup in 1928 
and My-T-Fine Desserts in 1934.
    How does this relate to Alcoholics Anonymous? On page 4 of the eponymous Big Book, in “Bill’s Story,” he “was staring at an inch of the [ticker] tape which bore the inscription XYZ-32 It had been 52 that morning.” In the May-June 1938 version of his story, “XYZ” had been “PFK,” the stock symbol for Penick & Ford, a company Bill researched during his stock analysis^* tour with Lois from 1925 to 1927. During this period, they switched from a Harley to a used de Soto or Dodge. He likely held a substantial stake in Penick & Ford at the time of the Great Wall Street Crash in October 1929.

---

^*The term “stock analysis” was not in use at that time; Bill is often credited as an early contributor to the concept. Indexes in Moody’s Investment Survey from the late 1920s include entries like “Penick & Ford Stock, Analysis,” which represents one of the earliest instances of a term similar to “stock analysis.”

1945: The Alcoholics Anonymous District Office opened in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Williamson Building at the southeast corner of Public Square [right: recent image of a door into the office]. Laverne Hawkins, a non-alcoholic, served as its first secretary. The office’s telephone number was Cherry 1-7387. Commonly referred to as an Intergroup or Central Office in other areas, its purpose was to provide services to current and prospective members, serve as a source of information, and distribute literature to groups and individuals. In its first month, the office received 31 calls, including requests for help and inquiries about meeting locations.

February 6 in A.A. History

1887: James “Jim” S. [right] was born in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, but his family soon relocated to Scotland. In 1907, Jim moved to the United States, where he worked for newspapers in cities such as Pittsburgh and Akron. His struggle with alcoholism led to significant challenges in both his professional and personal life, resulting in a nomadic lifestyle as he moved from job to job throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
    Eventually, he returned to Akron, where he had previously been a reporter and editor for Goodyear Tire's Wingfoot Clan. In July 1937, Jim became the first Australian to get sober in Alcoholics Anonymous. Fellow members remembered him as “tall and skinny, and a real lone wolf.”
    In 1939, at the request of Dr. Bob S, he took on the roles of solicitor, editor, and frequent writer for the Akron stories featured in the first edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. His story, titled “Traveler, Editor, Scholar” in the first edition, was retitled “The News Hawk” in the second and third editions. In the early 1940s, he managed the Middlebury Book Shop in Akron and served on the Summit County War Finance Committee during World War II. Jim held the position of head librarian at the Akron Beacon Journal from 1947 until his death in 1950.

1939: Janet Blair of Peekskill, New York, one of the two non-alcoholic editors, wrote to Hank P. about the enclosed changes she had made to the first two chapters of the Big Book manuscript [right]:

    … may I say a word about the continuity? It bothers me a little. Chapter 1, is Bill’s story. Right? Bill’s story includes a description of the terrible dilemma in which he was when his friend came to him; it includes what the doctors thought; it includes a brief account of the fellowship. It tells of the solution.
    When I started Chapter 2, I thought from the first line I was beginning the story of another man, as the first page is just that. On page 2, you leave him, and go on to tell of the fellowship and alcoholics in general. On page 8, you return to the man, and for about a page tell us more about him; the rest of the chapter is general. In Chapter 2, you never mention Bill or his friend, although the ‘solution,’ as you call Chapter 2, is given in Chapter 1.
    I’m not suggesting a change. Maybe I am the one who is befogged; but I am supposed to represent a reader, and I felt I should tell you this. At this moment, it seems to me it would have been smoother, to start Chapter 2 on page 2, “We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, know one hundred men who were once just as hopeless as Bill,” and so on.

    Blair’s work earned her a letter of thanks from Bill W. himself, as well as a signed copy of a 1st edition, 1st printing of Alcoholics Anonymous from Hank P., which he inscribed on the front flyleaf [left]. The inscription reads:

    To Janet Blair / Whose work / and editing on this / book was so / eminently helpful / Henry G. P[—–]

1954: R. Brinkley S. [right, c. 1994] sobered up for good at Towns Hospital after his 50th detox, reportedly.

1961: Bill W. wrote to Harold E. about the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions:

    As time passes, our book literature has a tendency to get more and more frozen—a tendency for conversion into something like dogma. This is a trait of human nature which I’m afraid we can do little about. We may as well face the fact that A.A. will always have its fundamentalists, its absolutists, and its relativists.