June 5 in A.A. History

1918: Robert “Smitty” Ripley S. [right, mother and son, father and son], the son of Anne Ripley and Dr. Bob S., was born.

1939:  Ebby T. [left] started a new job. In his own words:

    … through the connections of my brother [the politically influential Jack T., II] I secured a job at the New York State World’s Fair Commission at the fairgrounds [right: aerial view, 1939].

    During this period, he often spent time with Bill and Lois W., and may have even stayed with them. Lois believed he was sober and attending meetings. However, Ebby later confessed,

    I did not sober up. I managed to drink and hold [the job] pretty well, and with so many people there, and crowds, I wasn’t noticed much. I got away with it all summer.

    By fall, though, he was “drinking it up pretty hard.” The following spring, he convinced his boss that “I was again on the straight and narrow” and thus was rehired for the same position.

1947: Alcoholics Anonymous National Secretary Margaret “Bobbie” B. [left] sent a bulletin [right] to A.A. groups, noting several important points, including:

    Pathé Pictures, makers of the “This Is America” movies series, has completed a 15-minute “short” film about Alcoholics Anonymous which will be distributed through RKO. They tell us that this film will be shown soon in neighborhood theatres—we cannot supply it. The film is called “I Am an Alcoholic.” It not only shows how one man recovered through AA, but portrays a reasonable facsimile of the founding of AA in Akron [Ohio] by Bill [W.] and Dr. Bob [S.].… We were unable to cooperate with the makers when the story was filmed.…
    On the subject of movies, MARCH OF TIME has informed us that 16-mm films of PROBLEM DRINKERS are now available through their distributional outlet. Write directly to MARCH OF TIME, 369 Lexington Ave., New York if you would like to rent or buy for a group showing.

    The March of Time newsreel series, which included “Problem Drinkers” [right: screen capture], were shown in thousands of theaters.

1988: An A.A. memorial service for Sybil C. [left, 1985], who died on May 14, just six days before her 90th birthday, was finally held in Los Angeles, California, after several delays caused by A.A. conference schedules. The service lasted over two hours. Sybil got sober in A.A. on 21 March 1941, in Los Angeles, and she was recognized to be the first woman in A.A. west of the Mississippi.

Today in A.A. History—June 5–7

1981: Alcoholics Anonymous in Switzerland celebrated its 25th Anniversary Convention in Geneva. Lois W. and Nell Wing attended together. During the event, they saw the French-language version of the A.A.W.S. film Bill’s Own Story [right].

June 4 in A.A. History

1878: Franklin “Frank” Buchman, Jr. was born in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, to Sarah Ann Greenawald and Franklin Buchman, Sr. [below left: from left: Sarah, Frank Sr., Frank Jr., and brother Dan, in front of their home in 1894]. A Lutheran by faith, Buchman founded the First Century Christian Fellowship in 1921, which came to be known as the Oxford Group by 1928. In 1938, it was renamed Moral Re-Armament, and in 2001, it became Initiatives of Change. The Oxford Group played a crucial role in the establishment of Alcoholics Anonymous, influencing it more than any other organization.
    Buchman was also honored by the French and German governments for his efforts in promoting Franco-German reconciliation after World War II. He received La Croix de Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur (The Knight’s Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honor) [far left] from France, and Das Großkreuz des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (The Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) [near left] from Germany.

2002: Caroline Knapp [below right], 42, died from lung cancer after getting sober in 1995. She was the author of Drinking: A Love Story [left: cover]. In her obituary, The New York Times noted that

    Ms. Knapp wrote about the disturbing incongruities of her life as what she called a “high-functioning alcoholic”: she was an award-winning journalist, an Ivy League graduate from a well-to-do New England family and by all appearances a happy, healthy and successful young woman. But drinking had slowly taken hold of her life, and she was desperate to conceal its effects.
    She was, she wrote, “smooth and ordered on the outside; roiling and chaotic and desperately secretive underneath, but not noticeably so, never noticeably so.” 
    The book, published by Dial Press in 1996, was praised by critics for its painful honestly in describing the grip of addiction and the difficulty of overcoming it. In a review in The New York Times, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt called it “a remarkable exercise in self-discovery.” The book remained on The New York Times best-seller list for several weeks in both hardcover and paperback editions.

June in A.A. History—day unknown

1935: At Anne’s request, Bill W. moved into the home of Dr. Bob and Anne S. at 855 Ardmore Ave., Akron, Ohio [left]. To demonstrate that he and Bob could coexist with alcohol, Bill insisted on keeping two bottles of liquor in the kitchen [below left] (Anne removed them after Bill’s return to Brooklyn). Both men began working with alcoholics right away, attending Oxford Group meetings on Wednesday evenings at the home of T. Henry and Clarace Williams [near right: T. Henry and Clarace; far right: their living room]. The favorite scripture readings at these meetings included the Sermon on the Mount, I Corinthians 13, and the book of James.

1936: The Oxford Group was at its peak popularity, with between 5,000 and 10,000 people gathering in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, for a meeting in the Berkshires [far left: Berkshire Eagle, 6 Jun 1936]. Meanwhile, a house party in Birmingham, England, which combined elements of a convention and a retreat, attracted 15,000 attendees [right: three attendees].

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.