July in A.A. History—day unknown

1942: The first Alcoholics Anonymous group in Rochester, New York, moved its meetings from a member’s home on N. Goodman St. to Room 103 on the Mezzanine of the Hotel Seneca [left: entrance, c. 1940s] at 26 S. Clinton Ave. During the war years, gas rationing made twelfth-step calls difficult, but Rochester members persevered by bus or on foot. Initially, meetings were held on Wednesday evenings, with additional sessions added later. An answering service was eventually established with the phone number “Hamilton 3347.”
    As of 2026, the Seneca Group, which now meets on Tuesday evenings at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit [right, 2019] at 835 South Ave., is the oldest continuously operating A.A. group in Rochester.

1942: Bill W. taught at the first four-week sessions of the Summer School of Alcohol Studies at Yale University, which attracted 86 students [left: class portrait, 1943]. He continued to teach at the next four sessions as well. By the early 1960s, class sizes had grown to over 300, with students attending from all 50 states and numerous countries.
    The Summer School was founded by E. M. (Elvin Morton) “Bunky” Jellinek [right], the first director of the Center of Alcohol Studies at Yale University. Jellinek did not anticipate that the school would continue beyond its initial summer; in fact, he expected the Center to lose money on the “experiment.” Nevertheless, the program still exists today as the one-week Summer School of Addiction Studies, now operated by the Center of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Studies in Smithers Hall [left, 1964] at Rutgers University—Busch Campus in Piscataway, New Jersey.

1945: The A.A. Grapevine published an article titled “History Offers Good Lessons for A.A.” [right] by C. H. K. from Lansing, Michigan, which discusses the Washingtonian movement. This article likely served as the original source for Bill W.’s early understanding of the Washingtonians and clearly influenced his thoughts. This is evident in his subsequent article, “Editorial Squabbles,” published the following month, which directly references the previous month’s piece.

1946: Ricardo “Dick” [left] and Helen P. traveled from Cleveland, Ohio, to New York City to “have the pleasure of delivering our work [a Spanish translation of Alcoholics Anonymous] to Bill W――.”
    Dick had sobered up in 1940, while living illegally in Cleveland, Ohio, after reading about Rollie H. [near right] in the Cleveland Plain Dealer [far right: typical article about Rollie]. In 1943, Helen “got the idea that maybe if the Big Book was in Spanish, it would be easier for other Mexicans who don’t understand or speak English to recover.” From 1943 to 1946, they worked on the translation in their spare time. Dick wrote:

    My wife already had an old typewriter. We sent it out to be fixed. We worked on the translation using several dictionaries, an encyclopedia and several other books. We usually did this work at nights and on the weekends. Thank God, little by little this adventure was finished at the beginning of 1946. My wife and I took the translation and the Big Book to the college professor, Mary Coates, so that she could do a detailed revision of our work and correct style and grammatical errors.… [Bill] told us that our translation of the AA Big Book into Spanish was the first translation ever done into a foreign language. [Note: quoted translation from Spanish by Jim W. of Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico.]

July in A.A. History—day unknown

1935: [Summer] Encouraged by T. Henry Williams [left], Ernie G. [right], the “devil-may-care chap” from “A Vision for You” (pages 158–159 of Alcoholics Anonymous), sought help from Dr. Bob S. and got sober. At 30, some considered him “too young,” yet he became the fourth member of A.A. However, he was unable to maintain his sobriety and relapsed for seven months. He chronicled his experience in “The Seven Month Slip” in the first edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.
    In September 1941, Ernie married Dr. Bob S.’s adopted daughter, Sue. However, his ongoing struggle with alcohol led to a disastrous marriage. Tragically, on 11 June 1969, their daughter Bonna would take her own life after killing her 6-year-old daughter, Sandy, who was Ernie and Sue’s granddaughter. Ernie would die exactly two years later [left: Ernie and Sue in happier times].

1935: [August?] In Akron, Ohio, Lois W. joined her husband, Bill, for a two-week stay at the home of Dr. Bob and Anne S., located at 855 Ardmore Avenue [left]. Bill had been in Akron since at least April and had been residing with Bob and Anne since late May [right: Bob, Anne, Lois and Bill, mid-late 1930s].

1937:  James “Jim” S. [right] was working at the Middlebury Book Shop in Akron, Ohio, when he received a call to visit a hospitalized friend, likely at Akron City Hospital. This friend, probably Earl T. [left] (author of “He Sold Himself Short” in the second edition of Alcoholics Anonymous), had previously worked with Jim and had been hospitalized for alcoholism. Despite still recovering himself, he insisted Jim visit him, already demonstrating a desire to help others.
    A few days later, another man came to Jim’s bookstore to discuss a recovery plan and invite him to a meeting. Jim, however, maintained that he was doing well and staying sober. Unfortunately, he soon succumbed to another drinking binge, which continued until his previously hospitalized friend picked him up and brought him to the hospital.
    During this period, Jim may have lost his job at the bookstore. One account suggests Dr. Bob S. found him on Skid Row, selling hair oil and panhandling. Jim, however, stated he did not meet Dr. Bob until he was already in the hospital.
    Jim was described as “tall and skinny, and a real lone wolf.” He had previously worked in Akron as a reporter and editor for Goodyear Tire’s company newsletter, Wingfoot Clan. He became the first Australian—having been born in Tasmania [right]—to achieve sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous. His story, “Traveler, Scholar, Editor,” appeared in the first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous; it was retitled “News Hawk” in the second and third editions.

1941: Florida’s first A.A. group, formally organized in Miami [left: Miami Beach, 1942] in April, reported a membership of 10. Frank P., Joe T., and Roger C. had started the group seven months earlier, recruiting Carl C. and Charlie C. A series of newspaper articles about A.A. brought in the other members.

July 8 in A.A. History

1980: [Some sources cite July 10] Helen W. Evans [near right: at age 16, in 1931], Bill W.’s half-sister and the first paid employee of the A.A. Grapevine, died of cancer at the age of 64 in Tucson, Arizona [far right: obituary].

July in A.A. History—day unknown

1922: Lois Wilson [left, 1925] experienced her second ectopic pregnancy, where a fertilized egg develops outside the uterus—in her case, in a fallopian tube. The first had occurred just a month before in her other fallopian tube, and her father, Dr. Clark Burnham [near right, 1917], had treated her at home. This time, he promptly sent her to the Skene Sanitarium [far right, 1909±2], where he was on staff. A colleague performed the surgery, and Lois then went to her family’s camp on Emerald Lake in Vermont to recover under her father’s care.
    Unfortunately, her condition worsened instead of improving. Despite feeling increasingly unwell, she missed home and pretended to be getting better until Dr. Burnham “let” her go home.
    Once home, her husband Bill kept her in bed for several weeks. Concerned about her deteriorating health, he consulted Dr. Leonard Strong [left], his brother-in-law, who realized that a cyst had formed on what remained of her ovary. Lois returned to the surgeon who had operated on her, but he only conducted a “cursory examination” and prescribed a laxative for what he assumed was constipation.

    Knowing better, Bill contacted Dr. Burnham, who quickly took a train back from Vermont and readmitted Lois to the Skene Sanitarium. There, the cyst was removed, and she began to recover rapidly.
    Lois would suffer a third and final ectopic pregnancy the following May.

1934: Bill and Lois W. returned to their Brooklyn home after spending another month at the Strong’s farm in Green River, Vermont. Upon their return, Bill resumed his heavy drinking [right: recent map showing, south to north, Brooklyn, NY; Green River, VT; and East Dorset/Emerald Lake, VT (all in gold)].

1934: In Manchester, Vermont, Ebby T. [left, c. 1922±2] was approached by his friends Cebra Graves [near right], a lawyer, and F. Sheppard “Shep” Cornell [far right], a New York City stockbroker. Both were members of the Oxford Group and had previously been heavy drinkers—specifically, drinking buddies with Ebby. Now sober, they told Ebby about the Oxford Group, but he wasn’t quite ready to give up alcohol.

1934: Bill W. [far left, 1930s] was admitted to Charles B. Towns Hospital [near left] for the second time, his brother-in-law, Dr. Leonard V. Strong [near right], again covering the cost. During this stay, Bill met Dr. Silkworth [far right] for the first time. Dr. Silkworth explained the concepts of obsession and allergy as they related to alcoholism. However, Bill resumed drinking shorly after his release. At this point, he was unemployable, drinking around the clock, and suicidal, having accumulated over $50,000 in debt [~$1¼ million in 2026].

July 7 in A.A. History

2023: Mongolian A.A. celebrated its 25th anniversary with a hybrid meeting, both in-person and online, at Steppe Arena [left] in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia [right: inside the arena during the celebration]. A speaker at the event highlighted the organization’s achievements:

    Today, Mongolian AA is a non-governmental organization registered in Mongolia that serves its members and has about 3,000 members and 172 registered groups. We are a society registered with the World AA General Service Office, and we have a General Service Board consisting of two Class A or Non-Alcoholic Trustees and seven Class B or A.A. Trustees as outlined in the New Service Manual, Annual Service Conferences, 2-yearly National Conferences, and 5-yearly International Conferences [translated from Mongolian].

July in A.A. History—day unknown

1921: Unemployed and directionless, Bill W. was, according to his wife Lois, “restless and his drinking increased” [all quotes are from Lois Remembers]. Lois, an occupational therapy aide for the Red Cross at Brooklyn Naval Hospital [far left: exterior, 1940s; near left: a group nurses at the hospital, 1920], used her vacation time to embark with Bill on a camping trip. They hiked along the 300-mile Long Trail^* [right: map] , which traces the peaks of Vermont’s Green Mountains—a trail Lois’s father and brother had helped clear. For Lois, trips like these were a chance to “think things over” and encourage Bill to moderate his drinking.
    During this particular trip, Bill resolved to attend law school. His grandfather, who had raised him since age 11, had always wanted him to be a lawyer. Though Bill was “not sure he wanted to be an attorney,” he believed that “knowledge of the law would always be useful.” Upon their return, Bill enrolled in night classes at Brooklyn Law School [left: Brooklyn Eagle Building, home of Brooklyn Law School, 1923], a division of St. Lawrence University. He continued his studies for four years. Lois later recounted, “After paying the fifteen-dollar fee [~$294 in 2026] for his diploma [in 1924], he was too drunk to leave the apartment the next day to pick it up. He never bothered to get it. It could still be there.”
    However, Lois’s memory was not entirely accurate. David G. Trager, Dean of Brooklyn Law School from 1983 to 1993, reviewed Bill’s records from the early 1920s. He found that Bill failed a course on Executors and Administrators (concerning wills, estates, and trusts) in his final term in 1924. Although he returned in the fall to retake the course, he ultimately left the law school without completing the required examination, rendering him ineligible for a diploma. (New York state law does, however, allow individuals with at least one year of law school to take the bar exam after completing three years of law office study under the supervision of a practicing attorney or judge.)

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^*The Long Trail, constructed from 1910 to 1930, follows the main ridge of the Green Mountains from Massachusetts to Canada. It is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States and later inspired the creation of the Appalachian Trail.

July 6 in A.A. History

1985: During A.A.’s 8th International Convention and 50th-anniversary celebration in Montreal, Quebec, Ruth Crecelius (née Hock) was presented with the 5,000,000th copy of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous [right: Ruth holding 5,000,000th copy of the Big Book]. Ruth was the non-alcoholic typist of the Big Book’s first edition and A.A.’s first national secretary.

July in A.A. History—day unknown

1908: Exhausted and depressed after resigning due to a budget dispute, Rev. Frank Buchman [left], the future founder of the Oxford Group, arrived in England to attend the Keswick Convention of Evangelicals. He hoped to meet the renowned Quaker-influenced Baptist evangelist F. B. Meyer [right], believing Meyer could offer him guidance. Although Meyer was absent, Buchman experienced a profound spiritual surrender after hearing evangelist Jessie Penn-Lewis [left] (a descendant of William Penn) deliver a sermon titled “The Cross of Christ.” As he later recalled:

    She pictured the dying Christ as I had never seen him pictured before. I saw the nails in the palms of His hands, I saw the bigger nail which held His feet. I saw the spear thrust in His side, and I saw the look of sorrow and infinite suffering in His face. I knew that I had wounded Him, that there was a great distance between myself and Him, and I knew that it was my sin of nursing ill-will.…
    I thought of those six men back in Philadelphia who I felt had wronged me. They probably had, but I'd got so mixed up in the wrong that I was the seventh wrong man. Right in my conviction, I was wrong in harbouring ill-will. I wanted my own way and my feelings were hurt.
    I began to see myself as God saw me, which was a very different picture than the one I had of myself. I don't know how you explain it, I can only tell you I sat there and realised how my sin, my pride, my selfishness and my ill-will, had eclipsed me from God in Christ.

    Buchman later helped another participant undergo the same experience. These experiences became pivotal to the rest of his life’s work. Upon returning to the U.S., he entered his “laboratory years,” where he developed the principles he would later implement on a global scale.

1918: Bill W. sailed from Boston to New York Harbor aboard the H.M.T. Lancashire (a hired military transport, i.e., non-commissioned) [right].
    During the subsequent voyage to England, an officer offered him brandy, which Bill immediately took to.
     On the eve of their arrival, while Bill was on watch, a sudden crashing thud sent the soldiers into a panic, thinking the ship might have been torpedoed. Bill, pistol drawn, barked orders and took control of the situation, thus proving to himself, at least, that he was no the coward he feared.
    After reaching shore, his unit was delayed by a minor epidemic near Winchester. During this time, Bill visited Winchester Cathedral, where he felt a “tremendous sense of presence.” This experience was partly inspired by an epitaph on the headstone [left] of Thomas Thetcher, a Hampshire Grenadier. Bill later quoted this epitaph, likely from memory, in “Bill’s Story” in the book Alcoholics Anonymous.

July 5 in A.A. History

1946: An unusually large crowd of 50 to 60 people attended a weekly 7 pm Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [left: aerial view of Sydney, 1946]. The meeting, exclusively for alcoholics, was ironically held in a pub that had lost its license. Among the attendees, six or seven were visibly drunk but went largely unnoticed.
    Recently, a group of men had been regularly attending the meetings, sometimes sober, sometimes intoxicated, moving from person to person in search of cigarettes and spare change. They made no effort to follow the 12 Steps and often disrupted the gathering. For the first time, those genuinely seeking sobriety followed the advice of A.A.'s non-alcoholic founders in Australia, opting not to give these men money or help them in any way. Consequently, none of the moochers returned for the following two weeks.

1970: At the 5th International Convention [right] in Miami, Florida, Bill W., despite his struggle with soon-to-be fatal emphysema, desperately wanted to deliver two major talks and participate in several other meetings throughout the four-day event. However, he fell ill on the first night and was unable to attend until a surprise appearance at the closing session on Sunday morning, July 5, where he gave his very brief “Last Talk.”

1990: At A.A.’s 9th International Convention and 55th-anniversary celebration in Seattle, Washington, the 10,000,000th copy of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, was presented to Nellie “Nell” Wing [left, c. 1987±10 years]. Nell, a non-alcoholic, was Bill W.’s longtime non-alcoholic secretary and A.A.’s first archivist.
    Nell [right, c. 1945] llater described the event as a sort of homecoming for herself, stating,

    I had spent 1944-46 in Seattle (the 13th Naval District) as a member of SPARS, the Women’s Coast Guard Reserve, in the basement of the Olympic Hotel. There was a large bar and dining room which we called the “snake pit” and where many of us, along with the Coast Guard and Navy guys, did a bit of off-duty drinking. One night I got involved in an all-night night drinking spree and next morning, up before my Executive Officer, was “awarded” a captain’s mast^* and sentenced to a brief confinement in my quarters (the “brig” was full). I was allowed out once a day, accompanied by a shore patrol Now, 44 years later, here I was in Seattle again and the recipient of the 10 millionth copy of the Big Book. No words can adequately express my deep gratitude to this beloved Fellowship and my cherished friends therein.

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^*A form of nonjudicial punishment used in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, it addresses minor offenses committed by service members. The commanding officer investigates alleged misconduct, holds a hearing, and determines whether to impose disciplinary measures. Less formal than a court-martial, it does not result in a criminal conviction.

Today in A.A. History—July 5–7

1985: Approximately 50,000 people attended the 8th International Convention in Montreal, Quebec [left], celebrating A.A.’s 50th anniversary. This number far exceeded the anticipated 28,000 attendees, quickly filling downtown hotel rooms and pressing previously unused motels at airports and in surrounding communities into service. Attendees were housed in university dormitories, Laurentian resorts, and as far away as Sherbrooke (90 miles [121 km]) and Burlington, Vermont (75 miles [121 km]). Notably, a Seagram distillery, located a block from the Palais des Congrès where many events were held, flew its flag at half-staff throughout the Convention.

Today in A.A. History—July 5–8

1990:  An estimated 48,000 people attended A.A.’s 9th International Convention in Seattle, Washington, celebrating the fellowship’s 55th anniversary [right]. The event’s theme was “55 Years—One Day At A Time.” Participants came from seventy-five countries, including, for the first time, nations of the former Soviet Union.

July 4 in A.A. History

1939: The first A.A. meeting in Flatbush, Brooklyn [right], was held at the home of Harold and Emily S. This meeting complemented the only other A.A. gathering in New York City at the time, which had been started in a Manhattan apartment, possibly the Chatsworth, at 72nd Street and Riverside Drive. That location had had been lent to A.A. by Leonard and Helga Harrison after Bill and Lois W. lost their home at 182 Clinton Street in April. Harold sobered up in June 1938, and his story, “Smile at Me, With Me,” appeared in the first edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. Leonard [left] would go on to become a Class A (non-alcoholic) Trustee of the Alcoholic Foundation in 1941.

1970: At the 5th International Convention in Miami, Florida, participants in the main Sunday evening meeting in the Convention Hall [right] concluded by reciting the Declaration of Unity in unison:

    This we owe to A.A.’s future: to place our common welfare first; to keep our fellowship united. For on A.A. unity depend our lives, and the lives of those to come.

    The hope had been to recreate an experience similar to that of adopting of the Responsibility Statement five years earlier at the 4th International Convention in Toronto, Ontario. While an emotional and moving moment, this pledge lacked the impact and lasting quality of the “I Am Responsible” Statement. This was likely due, at least in part, to Bill W. not being present to lead the ceremony; he was in a nearby hospital being treated for his emphysema. Like the earlier Statement, this Declaration was written by Al S. [left].

Today in A.A. History—July 4–6

1975: The 6th International Convention celebrating A.A.’s 40th anniversary took place at Currigan Exhibition Hall in Denver, Colorado [right].
    After the original organizing chairman suffered a heart attack, Jack D. stepped in to lead the planning. By January 1975, Bob H., general manager of GSO and Convention Chair, recognized the immense scale of the event. Realizing it was impractical for A.A. to manage one of the world’s largest conventions without professional assistance, he sought and received Board approval to hire an outside consultant. Ted Driscoll’s expertise proved invaluable, streamlining 
negotiations for venues, transportation, and services crucial for such a massive international undertaking.
    On-site, 800 volunteers staffed airports, hotels, and registration, processing up to 10,000 daily arrivals. Many worked extended shifts due to their dedication. Despite these efforts, the large crowds presented significant challenges: sessions were often overcrowded, shuttle services overwhelmed, and hotel lobbies packed, necessitating continuous adjustments throughout the event.
    The convention successfully balanced intense activity with deep emotional connection. Days were filled with workshops, panels, and alkathons, while evenings featured reunions, dances, and spontaneous fellowship. A.A.'s international character was highlighted through multilingual workshops, cultural presentations such as a Native American war dance, and an “A.A. Around the World” meeting that showcased the organization's global reach.
    A defining moment was the opening flag ceremony, where representatives from 29 countries carried their national flags into the auditorium to the applause of thousands. Each participant then voiced “Let It Begin With Me” in their native language, a powerful symbol of unity that became a lasting tradition.
The event also featured prominent medical and public figures. Memorable details included an oversized “Big Book” display and a much-discussed industrial coffee operation.^*
    The weekend culminated in moving spiritual and personal testimonies, including a reception for Lois W.. The Denver convention was recognized as both a logistical triumph and a profound communal experience, reinforcing A.A.'s core message of mutual support and personal responsibility internationally.

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^*An entrepreneur, aware of the prodigious amount of coffee consumed at A.A. Conventions, rigged the world's largest coffee maker on a balcony at the convention hall. With a capacity of half a million cups a day, coffee was brewed in huge tanks and piped to dozens of spigots. Customers paid a quarter a cup to enter the area and serve themselves. While the operation was a major talking point and worked efficiently, the coffee itself was generally deemed to be of poor quality, with better coffee available for free in numerous hospitality rooms. Nonetheless, 1.2 million cups of coffee were served by this operation.