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. 

May 27 in A.A. History

1917: Nellie “Nell” Wing [right, c. 1946] was born in Kendall, New York, the daughter of William Frank and Daisy Shepard Wing.
    She would serve as Bill W.’s secretary and administrative assistant at the Alcoholic Foundation (later the General Service Office) in New York City from March 1947 until Bill’s death in 1971. She then served as A.A.’s first official Archivist from early 1972 until her retirement in December 1982.

1961: James “J.D.” H., A.A. #8, died at the age of 66 from “coronary insufficiency” at his home at 657 Elma Street [left, in June 2011] in Akron, Ohio. He had gotten sober in Akron in September 1936.

Today in A.A. History—month & day unknown

1912: Construction began on Stan Hywet (pronounced “stan HEE'•wit”) [right: Manor House under construction], a name derived from Old English meaning “stone quarry” and reflecting the property’s most prominent natural feature. This 3,000-acre tract would become the home of Franklin “Frank” Seiberling and his family in 1915. By 2022, the estate property had dwindled to only 70 acres.

1913: [Summer] Bill W. and Lois Burnham first met at Emerald Lake [left], in Vermont, situated below and behind the Burnhams’ cottage there. Lois was vacationing with her family when her younger brother, Rogers, introduced her to Bill. Lois, who was more than four years Bill’s senior, initially viewed him simply as a friend of her brother.

1915: The French prayer, “Belle prière à faire pendant la messe” (A Beautiful Prayer to Say During Mass), was sent to Pope Benedict XV [left] in 1915 by the French Marquis Stanislas de La Rochethulon [right]. Originally published in December 1912 in the Parisian magazine La Clochette (The Little Bell), the prayer came to be known as “The Prayer of St. Francis.”

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

~1911: Annie C., who would author “Annie the Cop Fighter” in the first edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, had her first drink at approximately age 31.

May 26 in A.A. History

1924: The U.S. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce published “The Italian dyestuffs industry: production, export, and import statistics” [left: cover] written by Dr. Frederick E. Breithut [right, 1923], American Trade Commissioner to Germany, and J. Allen Palmer [far right, c. 1930], Assistant Trade Commissioner.

A.A. History—month & day unknown

1902: The Principles of Jesus [far left: cover] by Robert E. Speer [near left, 1904], was published. On page 35 [right: with relevant passages highlighted], Speer identified the Four Absolutes that became central to Oxford Group practice.

1903: Rev. Purley Albert Baker [left], former superintendent of the Ohio Anti-Saloon League, was elected general superintendent of the National Anti-Saloon League. Under his leadership, a collection of organizations previously united in name only transformed into a cohesive federation with unified national leadership and goals.
    Meanwhile, Rev. Howard Hyde Russell [right], Baker's predecessor, shifted his focus to other endeavors. These included establishing the Lincoln-Lee Legion, a pledge program encouraging signers to abstain from alcoholic beverages [left: Lincoln-Lee Legion pledge card]. This program significantly expanded the League’s access to more churches.

1905: The Anti-Saloon League’s recovery from its financial and organizational difficulties culminated in its success in the Ohio governor's race. Incumbent Republican Governor Myron P. Herrick [left, c. 1912] had thwarted the League’s push for local option legislation, known as the Brannock Bill. Disagreeing with the bill’s scope, Herrick threatened a veto and worked to send it back to a conference committee for revision. Incensed by his actions, League leaders resolved to unseat him in his re-election bid.
    Recognizing Ohio as a Republican stronghold, the League initially sought a candidate to challenge Governor Herrick for his party’s nomination. When that effort failed, they turned to the Democrats. With the power and prestige of their organization at stake in this highly visible race, they threw their support behind Democrat John M. Pattison [right, before 1912]. Pattison won by a substantial margin, despite Republicans securing every other statewide office that election year—a clear testament to the League’s growing influence.

1908: Ernest Jacoby [left, 1913], a Boston, Massachusetts businessman originally from England, began working with the group at Emmanuel Church, bringing together leaders, including those who were struggling with alcoholism. It became known as the Jacoby Club of Boston.
    The Jacoby Club grew out of the Emmanuel movement, which was led by Rev. Dr. Elwood Worcester [near right, c. 1915] of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church [far right, 1909] on Newbury Street. In addition to his pastoral duties, Worcester practiced a method of spiritual healing aimed at various neurotic disorders. He believed that alcoholics could find relief by redirecting their focus from their problems to a life centered on service and spirituality. His treatment approach emphasized key components such as prayer, group support, and self-help.

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

1905–15: Initially struggling with organizational and financial difficulties since its founding in 1895, the National Anti-Saloon League dramatically turned its fortunes around. By 1908, the League had not only doubled the number of churches cooperating with it but also established state leagues in all but four states.

May 25 in A.A. History

1925: Bill and Lois W. were five and a half weeks into a motorcycle trip investigating publicly held companies across the eastern U.S. They were staying at “The Camp,” as the Burnham family called it, located at Lake Emerald outside North Dorset, Vermont [left: Lois's father sitting on steps at "The Camp"]. In her Diary of Two Motorcycle Hobos, Lois recorded how “Two tragedies occurred in the insect and bird life today.” She watched with “astonishment” as a dragonfly emerged from the “ugly brown beetle shell” she had found. As it flew away, a phoebe bird “darted down and gobbled it up!” Lois “sat down and cried. Later [that] afternoon, one of the babies of the same phoebe bird fell out of its nest and was killed instantly” [right: phoebe eating a dragonfly].

1962: The three-day Central New York Area Conference began at the Watson Homestead Conference and Retreat Center [left: with commemorative conference coin] in Painted Post, New York.

1989: The four-day 32nd International Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous (ICYPAA) opened at the Salt Lake City Marriott and Salt Palace [right: aerial view of Salt Palace (left) and Marriott (right)] in Utah, drawing an attendance of 4,000. The theme of the conference was “Carry the Message.”

A.A. History—month and day unknown

1893: An unidentified temperance organization, similar to the Ohio Anti-Saloon League, was established in Washington, D.C. It would join the Ohio Anti-Saloon League to form the nucleus of the National Anti-Saloon League.

1902: Howard Alfred “Al” S. [left] was born in Charleston, Pennsylvania, the son of Emmett Fox’s secretary. After working in advertising and film, he would join A.A. in 1944. Within the Fellowship, he would serve as Director of the New York Intergroup Association, Grapevine Editor (1948–?), a Grapevine Director, and a Class B (alcoholic) Trustee from 1958 to 1961. He would author the Responsibility Pledge, which would be introduced to the Fellowship at the 1965 International Convention in Toronto, Ontario. He would also write the biographical book Bert D.: Hardhat, Inebriate, Scholar, published by Harbor House in the 1960s.

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

1890s: The National Anti-Saloon League faced significant organizational and financial difficulties. Its founder, Howard Hyde Russell [right], and other leaders were forced to personally solicit funds to support themselves.

1898–99: One Charles Henry S. was born to Jarius A. S. and Jennie D. Horton in New York, the 2nd of four children. [This may or may not be the Charlie Simonson who got sober in Akron, Ohio in May 1937.]

May 24 in A.A. History

1893: Founded in Oberlin, Ohio, by a group of ministers and professors, the Anti-Saloon League became a key component of the Progressive Era. Its primary aim was to promote temperance and influence state government. The League garnered strong support in the South and rural North, particularly from Protestant ministers and their congregations, including Methodists, Baptists, Disciples, and Congregationalists. Focusing on legislation, it was concerned with how legislators voted, not whether they drank. Its motto was “The saloon must go” [right: Anti-Saloon League poster].
    Initially established as a state society in Ohio, the League’s influence quickly expanded, becoming a national organization in 1895. It rapidly emerged as the most powerful prohibition lobby in the United States, surpassing both the older Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Prohibition Party. The League’s ultimate success culminated in nationwide prohibition, enshrined in the Constitution through the passage of the 18th Amendment in 1919.

1949: Bill W. [left: at a podium] delivered a talk titled “The Society of Alcoholics Anonymous” at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, held at the Windsor Hotel [right, c. 1949] in Montreal, Quebec. His presentation took place on the second day of the event, which ran from Monday, May 23, through Friday, May 27.
    During his presentation, Bill referenced an original six-step program—the earliest known mention of such a program. This was a significant detail, as it had been ten and a half years since he drafted the more widely known Twelve Steps for the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, in December 1938. He stated categorically that these six steps had not evolved over time but had been explicitly given to him by Ebby T. in November 1934:

    My former schoolmate [Ebby] did, however, ascribe his new sobriety to certain ideas that this alcoholic [Rowland Hazard] and other Oxford people had given him. The particular practices my friend had selected for himself were simple:

1. He admitted he was powerless to solve his own problem.
2. He got honest with himself as never before; made an examination of conscience.
3. He made a rigorous confession of his personal defects.
4. He surveyed his distorted relations with people, visiting them to make restitution.
5. He resolved to devote himself to helping others in need, without the usual demand for personal prestige or material gain.
6. By meditation he sought God’s direction for his life and help to practice these principles at all times.

    Most A.A. historians who have researched the subject believe that no formalized six-step program existed during the so-called ‘Flying Blind’ period, even though these six steps likely sum up and summarize the practices of that era.

1950: James “Jim” S. [far left], 63, chief librarian of the Akron Beacon Journal, died at his home in Akron, Ohio [near left: obituary]. He was the first Australian to achieve sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous, doing so in Akron in June 1937. Scott solicited, edited, and sometimes wrote several stories from Akron members that were included in the first edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. His own story appeared in that edition as “Traveler, Editor, Scholar” and in the second and third editions as “The News Hawk."

A.A. History—month and day unknown

1880: Annie C. was born. She would join Alcoholics Anonymous in April 1947. Her story, “Annie the Cop Fighter” appeared in the second edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

May 23 in A.A. History

1888: Dr. Nathan Clark Burnham and Matilda Hoyt Spelman [left, respectively, c. 1888] were married in Brooklyn, New York, likely at the local Swedenborgian Church [right: Clark St. & Monroe Place, 1922]. Their first child was Lois, who would marry Bill W.

May in A.A. History—day unknown

1966: The AA Exchange Bulletin, later renamed Box 4-5-9, in a short item named “AA on TV,” announced [left] the creation of four 60-second A.A. television spots. Public Information Committees, Groups, and Central Offices could purchase these spots for $20 each [~$206 in 2026].
    These spots featured real A.A. members, whose faces were not visible, but who represented a diverse cross-section of society: a truck driver, a housewife, a switchboard operator, and a business executive. Each concluded with an appearance by Dr. John “Jack” L. Norris, the Class A (non-alcoholic) chairman of the General Service Board [right, 1967]. He affirmed that while A.A. did not solicit members, it stood ready to assist anyone struggling with their drinking.
    These spots were intended for local television stations to air as Public Service Announcements (PSAs). Stations broadcast PSAs at no charge, fulfilling their legal requirement to provide free airtime for a certain number of them.

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

Early 1860s: After five years in Sing Sing prison [left], Jeremiah “Jerry” McAuley [near right] was moved to tears at a Sunday chapel service. The cause: Hezekiah Orville “Awful” Gardner [far right], a man with whom Jerry had collaborated on many corrupt enterprises, was testifying to his Christian conversion. Jerry immediately recognized Orville’s sincerity.
    Orville’s powerful testimony ignited Jerry’s own search for answers in the Bible. Night after night, he read, fueling a burning desire to experience the same transformation he had witnessed in Orville. A still, small voice within him urged, “Pray,” but Jerry felt utterly unable to. The inner voice then reminded him of the publican’s prayer: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Still, he couldn’t bring himself to pray, and the struggle continued.
    “It was as if God were fighting the devil for me,” Jerry later recalled. “To every thought that came up, there came a verse of Scripture.”
    For three or four weeks, this internal battle persisted. Many times, he would drop to his knees, only to quickly jump up again, prayer eluding him. One day, a female missionary visited the prison. Her fervent prayers, as she literally cried out to the Lord, moved Jerry deeply and intensified his already profound struggle. That night, he resolved to remain on his knees until he found forgiveness. As he later recounted in his autobiography, Transformed:; or, The History of a River Thief, Briefly Told [right: 1st edition title page]:

    All at once it seemed as if something supernatural was in my room. I was afraid to open my eyes. I was in an agony and the tears rolled off my face in great drops. How I longed for Gods [sic] mercy! Just then, in the very height of my distress, it seemed as if a hand was laid upon my head and these words came to me: “My son, thy sins which are many are forgiven.” I do not know if I heard a voice, yet the words were distinctly spoken in my soul. I jumped from my knees. I paced up and down my cell. A heavenly light seemed to fill it. A softness and a perfume like the fragrance of flowers. I did not know if I was living or not. I clapped my hands and shouted, “Praise God! Praise God!”