June in A.A. History (days unknown)

1958: Bill W. [near right, 1958] wrote a long letter to Rev. Sam Shoemaker [far right], in which he expressed “his most eloquent and personal thoughts about his relationship to the program, LSD, personal ambitions for his own future, and the nature of the universe.”^* The letter included the following excerpt:

    Could I achieve enough personal freedom, my main interests would almost surely become these:
    (1) To bring into the field of the general neurosis which today affects nearly everybody, such experience as A.A. has had. This could be of value to the many groups working in this field.
    (2) Throughout A.A., we find a large amount of psychic phenomena, nearly all of it spontaneous. Alcoholic after alcoholic tells me of such experiences and asks if these denote lunacy—or do they have real meaning? These psychic experiences have run nearly the full gamut of everything we see in the books. In addition to my original mystic experience, I’ve had a lot of such phenomenalism myself.
    I have come to believe that proof surely exists that life goes on; that if better strategy and modern instrumentation were applied to the survival problem, a proof could be made to the satisfaction of everyone. To my mind, the world badly needs this proof now. So I would like to participate in some of these efforts and experiments.

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^*Quoting from Pass It On.

1960: In an article titled “To Father Ed—Godspeed!” in the A.A. Grapevine, Bill W. eulogized Father Edward “Ed” Dowling, S.J. [left].

    Early Sunday morning, April 3rd, Father Edward Dowling died peacefully in his sleep. The place was Memphis, Tennessee. Cheerfully unmindful of his ebbing health, he had been visiting one of his “Cana”^* groups. Never was there a gayer evening than in the hours before. He would have wanted to take his leave of us in just that way. This was one of the most gentle souls and finest friends we A.A.s may ever know. He left a heritage of inspiration and grace which will be with us always.…
    In my own life he has been a friend, adviser, great example, and the source of more inspiration than I can say. 
    Father Ed is made of the stuff of saints.…

    As reprinted from the November 2016 issue of Magnificat and published on the Catholic Education Resource Center website, Heather King reported on his funeral, stating in part:

    He was an old-school priest, made of the kind of fine cloth that prefers to disguise itself as sacking. His funeral was packed. From society matrons in mink coats to Skid Row drunks, people came from around the country to pay homage.
    “I really haven’t done anything,” Father Dowling once said. “It’s really simple. I just happened to be around.”

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^*Founded by Father Ed, Cana groups operate under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church, applying A.A.’s Twelve Steps to address challenging family issues.

1967: The first reference to Alcoholics Anonymous in the Bahamas [right: geologic view] was recorded in the South Florida General Service Conference Area (15) Book of Motions. It stated, “That District 8 be entitled to add one additional committee member (to be from the Bahamas).” A.A. in the Bahamas were also invited to join the South Florida Conference Area as part of District 8.

1979: The New Zealand Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous approved the printing of pamphlets in the languages of several Pacific Island nations: Samoan, Tongan, Niuean (Vagahau Niue), and Fijian [left: from “AA in Samoa” website; below: Alcoholics Anonymous in this part of Oceania].

June 22 in A.A. History

1916: Norwich University cadets, including Bill W. [right: at Norwich], were mobilized to Fort Ethan Allen. 
    Four days earlier, President Woodrow Wilson had ordered the activation of all National Guard units from states not already involved in Brigadier General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing’s “Punitive Expedition” to capture Pancho Villa. As a result of the mobilization, Norwich University readmitted the sophomore class, including Bill, all of whom had been expelled after a hazing incident in February.

2012: The U.S. Library of Congress launched an exhibit titled “Books that Shaped America,” showcasing 88 books that “shaped Americans’ views of their world and the world’s views of America.” Among these influential works is Alcoholics Anonymous [left: from the exhibit], about which the exhibit notes:

    The famous 12-step program for stopping an addiction has sold more than 30 million copies. Millions of men and women worldwide have turned to the program co-founded by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith to recover from alcoholism. The “Big Book,” as it is known, spawned similar programs for other forms of addiction. Shown here is the third edition. The book is now in its fourth edition.

June in A.A. History—day unknown

1953: Bill W.’s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions [right: first edition cover] was published by Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc. Its Foreword states:

    This book deals with the “Twelve Steps” and the “Twelve Traditions” of Alcoholics Anonymous. It presents an explicit view of the principles by which A.A. members recover and by which their Society functions.
    A.A.’s Twelve Steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole.
    A.A.’s Twelve Traditions apply to the life of the Fellowship itself. They outline the means by which A.A. maintains its unity and relates itself to the world about it, the way it lives and grows.

    Betty L. and Tom P. assisted Bill with the writing, and Jack Alexander handled some of the editing. Bobbie B., A.A.’s National Secretary, likely also contributed, particularly to the Traditions. The work was published in two editions: one priced at $2.25 [~$28 in 2026] for distribution through A.A. groups, and another priced at $2.75 [~$34 in 2026], distributed by Harper and Brothers [left: original Harper brothers: Fletcher, James, John, and Joseph, c. 1860] for sale in commercial bookstores.

1954: [Late] Theta Phi Alpha, a college women’s fraternity, awarded its prestigious Catherine of Siena Medal [right] to Sister Ignatia [left], known as “the ‘angel’ of Alcoholics Anonymous” [below left: report in Texas’s El Paso Herald-Post]. This medal, the highest honor the fraternity offers to non-members, is presented annually “to a Catholic woman who has made the greatest contribution to American cultural and social life.” Sister Ignatia was recognized for being the “first to work with the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous in the hospitalization and assistance of alcoholics.” This award marked the first public recognition of Sister Ignatia, who had previously remained anonymous outside the A.A. community.
    Theta Phi Alpha [right: logo] presents several awards to Catholic women, both members and non-members, at its annual national convention.

June 21 in A.A. History

1938: Jeremiah D. Maguire [left, 1935], President of the Federation Bank and Trust Company, received a copy of Hank P.’s “neatly gotten up brochure” from Bill W.. The brochure included the latest versions of “There Is A Solution” and “Bill’s Story.” In his reply to Bill, Maguire expressed his approval:

    I have not read [it] intently, but such extracts as I have had opportunity to read prove the document a very interesting one and I shall take the opportunity to read it more at more length.… On my return from the Bankers Convention,… I will try to work out an appointment with you.

1944: The first issue—Vol. I, No. 1—of the A.A. Grapevine was published in an edition of 1,200 copies.
    It was launched by six volunteers, to whom Bill W. referred as “six ink-stained wretches,” and was intended for members in the New York City area and GIs overseas. A one-year subscription cost $1.50 [~$28.38 in 2026], and 165 subscriptions were sold.
    An article in that first issue identified the six volunteers as “a cashier; a radio script writer [sic]; an author; a bookseller; an art director; a wife and mother of two.” Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age later named them as “Marty [M.], Priscilla [P.], Lois K., Abbott [‘Bud’ T.], Maeve [S.], and Kay.” Bill W. also acknowledged Grace O. and her husband Fulton as “moving spirits.” However, the July/August/September 2007 issue of Culture, Alcohol & Society Quarterly identified the group as “Abbot [sic] (Bud) T.; Lois K., Priscilla P., Chase H., Marty M., and Felicia G.” Priscilla P.—Marty’s partner and an artist who later became an art director for prestigious magazines in both the U.S. and Europe—designed the masthead [right].

June in A.A. History—day unknown

1947: The A.A. Grapevine reported the establishment of a new “first” A.A. group in Anchorage, Alaska [left, 1945], led by Herman C. This group continues to meet today.
    A year earlier, Jay B. and Shielan R. founded what was originally considered the first group in Anchorage: the Sourdough Group. It grew to six members, but most were transient, including Shielan, who eventually returned to the lower 48. As a result, the group disbanded.

1948: The Davenport Group, with its three members, became the first A.A. group in New Zealand to register with the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City [near right: looking across Waitemata Harbour from Auckland (foreground) to Davenport (upper left background), 1948; far right: looking from Davenport to Auckland, 2007].

1948: The A.A. Grapevine published a short piece titled “Calling All Hams” [below left: directional beam antenna mounted on a ham tower antenna]. It read:

    A letter in last August’s Grapevine, describing the writer as an “AA Ham” and giving his government call letter [sic], brought amateur radio operator “Lew” in Seaford, Delaware many new AA friends who enjoy the same hobby. The letter, which gave his address—Box 312, Seaford, Del.—has resulted in a mountain of correspondence, too. “I sure have gotten a kick,” writes Lew, “out of the letters I have received from all over the country and Canada. The Grapevine sure gets around. I am doing some long distance Twelfth Step work.”
    Following up Lew’s nice experience, we're glad to publish another “AA Ham’s” signal and address: Operator “Frank,” Amateur Radio W8QJR,^* Sigs 594, McComb, Ohio. His address: Box 557, Findlay, Ohio. (Not being “hams” ourselves, we've probably garbled this, but no doubt the “amateur experts” can untangle it.)

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^*In the A.A. Grapevine’s digital archive, this article has one character in Frank’s call letters is incorrect (but corrected here), which would have made him unreachable by amateur radio.

June 20 in A.A. History

1944: In a bulletin to A.A. groups, National Secretary Margaret “Bobbie” B. [left] announced that due to high demand, Bill W.’s presentation to the New York State Medical Society and Dr. Harry Tiebout’s paper to the American Psychiatric Association would be published together in a pamphlet titled “Medicine Looks at Alcoholics Anonymous” [right: as published, undated].

1946: Drs. C. Nelson Davis [near right] and C. Dudley Saul [far right] cofounded The C. Dudley Saul Clinic for alcoholics at St. Luke’s Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This clinic was the first private facility of its kind in the United States. Following Dr. Saul’s death in 1947, Dr. Davis relocated the clinic to Malvern, Pennsylvania, renaming it the Malvern Institute [left]. The institute continues to treat alcoholics today.
    Both doctors were early proponents of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and traveled together to promote the organization, convinced of the benefits of a 12-step program for recovering alcoholics. Furthermore, Dr. Saul established the 4021 Clubhouse [right, c. 2006] in Philadelphia for A.A. meetings, which also remains active today.

June in A.A. History—day unknown

1947: The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs published an article from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, titled “Experience in Short-Term Hospitalization of the Alcoholic.” The article stated, in part:

    Dr. C. Nelson Davis [left] reported to the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society that of the patients admitted to the [C. Dudley] Saul Clinic [in an annex to St. Luke’s Hospital in Philadelphia] during the month of June 1946, 60% were found to be dry one month after discharge, and 45% were still dry three months after discharge. He further reported that of the patients admitted during the month of July 1946, 60% were found to be dry one month after discharge, and 37.5,% were still dry three months after discharge.

1947: The A.A. Grapevine first published the A.A. Preamble [right: original published version], which was written by then-editor Tom Y. Its primary purpose was to introduce A.A. to non-alcoholic readers, with much of its wording adapted from the Foreword of the first edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.
    A few months later, Ollie L., Dick F., and Searcy W. [left] decided to create a version of the Preamble specifically for alcoholics in Texas. Searcy later recalled, “We worked on it, passed it around, and agreed on this version. It’s now read by groups throughout the state.” This revised version became widely known as the Texas Preamble.

1947: The A.A. Grapevine announced the availability of a two-record set—two 12-inch phonograph records [right: one of them, with enlarged label] featuring a general talk on A.A. by Bill W., priced at $3.30 per set [~$47 in 2024].

1947: The first Alcoholics Anonymous group in Juneau, Alaska [left, 1940s], was formed with five members.

June 19 in A.A. History

1946: While in South America, an American wrote the letter [right: text], which would lead to the establishment of Alcoholics Anonymous in Argentina.
    Herb, an American advertising executive, had gotten sober in Chicago, Illinois, in 1945. He and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he began a three-year contract as art director at a large international advertising company.
    Someone at the Cosmopolitan Club obviously forwarded this letter to the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City, because Margaret “Bobbie” B., A.A.’s National Secretary, responded to him. She sent contact information for two additional people who she thought might be able to help: Don N. and Douglas C. She also provided the name of a young man from Recife^* whom Herb might be able to assist and informed him that she had mailed him a “free supply of literature.”

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^*Recife is the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, almost 2,400 miles [~3,800 km] NE of Rio de Janeiro. It’s unclear what Bobbie thought Herb could do with this contact [left: global view of Argentina, showing Rio de Janeiro and Recife].

1949: A new Alcoholics Anonymous group held its first meeting in the Ohio Penitentiary (colloquially known as “Pentown”), an initiative “heartily endorsed” by Warden Ralph Alvis. Twelve days later, on July 2nd, The Ohio State News published “‘Residents’ At Pen Join ‘A.A.’ Unit” [right], reporting:
    The inmates of Ohio Penitentiary at Columbus are being reformed in more ways than one. The nation-wide “Alcoholics” Anonymous has established a chapter in Pentown.
    The first meeting was held June 19, and a goodly number of “residents” attended to begin their trip back to “normalcy.”…
    In keeping with the unique policy of “A.A.,” names of inmates are omitted so that no one knows who is a member and who is not.

Today in A.A. History—June 19–21

1981: The University of Akron in Ohio hosted the 46th Annual A.A. Founders’ Day Weekend, as noted in issue #9 of the 1981 Founders Day Herald [left].

Today in A.A. History—June 19–23

1977: The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates, its primary legislative and policy-making body, endorsed the International Classification of Diseases’ dual classification of alcoholism, recognizing it under both psychiatric and medical sections [right: resolution].

June 18 in A.A. History

1935: [Assuming Dr. Bob’s last drink was June 17th…] In Akron, Ohio, the day after his last drink, Dr. Bob Smith suggested to Bill Wilson that they find other alcoholics to work with.
    A local minister, J. C. Wright, connected them with Edgar “Eddie” Reilly [left], an “alcoholic atheist” known for creating significant daily crises. They spent the summer trying, in vain, to sober him up. Notably, Eddie once chased Bob’s wife, Anne, around their home with a knife. Eddie also claimed to have visited Bill Dotson (A.A. #3) in the hospital alongside Bill and Bob.
    Though he missed the chance to become A.A. #3, years later, at a large A.A. meeting in Youngstown, Dr. Bob exclaimed, “Holy Moses!” upon seeing Eddie, who was reportedly sober for one year at that time. Eddie attended Dr. Bob’s funeral in 1950 and later became a member of the Youngstown, Ohio group. When Eddie died in 1963, his wife stated he had been sober for 17 years, dating back to 1946.

1940: The first meeting at the first A.A. clubhouse, located at 334½ W. 24th St. in New York City, drew 100 attendees. A February 1951 article in the A.A. Grapevine described the location:
    The cryptic letters “AA” had gone up on a battered green doorway in the undistinguished neighborhood of New York’s once elegant Chelsea district. It isn’t a very auspicious doorway, nor a conspicuous sign.… Wedged in between two old-fashioned brick-fronts,… there isn’t supposed to be any doorway there at all.… You push open the door. You’re in a little ves­­tibule.… And you open the inner door to find—nothing! Nothing, that is, except a long, bare, tunnel-like and mysterious looking hallway.… 
    Actually this is merely the passageway between the two houses back to the oddity of an “extra building” built in the rear, over what had once been the “gardens.” It was Bill who first christened this hall “The Last Mile.”… Ultimately you step into the inner sanctum which… is the “meeting room.” An old upright piano, a card table or two, a few nondescript chairs and, of course, people. But the center of the room to your newcomer’s eye is the fireplace, pine panelled [sic], with a plain wooden mantel and, over it… the sign reading—“But For The Grace of God….” On the second floor there is another room of about the same size only somewhat lighter and airier because of the skylight. Here, in addition to the secretary’s desk, is what is called… grandly… “the lounge” … two wicker divans, three chairs and a table! Off in the far corner is a door leading to two tiny rooms that will be Lois and Bill’s living quarters during a period when AA’s financial affairs could easily be kept on the back of an old envelope.
    Herbert “Bert” T. and Horace C. personally guaranteed the building's rent. [Below, first row, left to right: climbing the the stairs behind the entrance; main room of clubhouse; The Saturday Evening Post’s photo of “a typical meeting,” which was anything but typical; entrance; the “long, bare tunnel-like and mysterious” hallway; the upstairs room, where Bill and Lois lived for the first year the clubhouse was open. Below, second row: location of clubhouse at 334½ W. 24th St, New York City, with arrow pointing to entrance (c. 1940).]

June 17 in A.A. History

1926: Katharine “Kitty” Burnham (Lois W.’s sister) [near right, 1924] and Gardner Swentzel [far right, 1916] were married at the Church of the New Jerusalem in Brooklyn. The Burnhams then held a “very small” reception at their nearby home, 182 Clinton Street [left: “Miss Katharine Burnham Sets June 17 as Wedding Day,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 2 May 1926].
    Bill and Lois had interrupted their motorcycle tour in Alabama to attend the wedding. On their way, they had an accident outside Dayton, Tennessee, where Bill broke his collarbone and Lois twisted her leg, resulting in “water on the knee.” They spent a week recovering and then, after a few more days, shipped their motorcycle and belongings home while they took the train. As Lois described it:

    Although we were in plenty of time for the wedding, I made a sorry looking matron of honor, when, with red gashes on my face, I limped up the aisle.

1935: Modern historical research indicates that Dr. Bob S.’s last drink occurred on this date, not June 10, the widely believed date and official founding date of Alcoholics Anonymous.
    Dr. Bob S. [right] had decided to attend the annual American Medical Association convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, from June 10 to 14. He had started drinking on the train from Akron, bought several bottles of booze in Atlantic City, and checked into his hotel. On the first day of the convention, he had remained sober until after dinner, then binged for three or four days. A drunken Dr. Bob ultimately ended up at Union Station in Akron. He must have called his office nurse, Lily, who had picked him up and took him to her home in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Dr. Bob’s wife, Anne [far left], and Bill W. [near left] had come to pick him up. With Bill’s help, Bob spent three days sobering up.
    Facing surgery at Akron City Hospital, he made a pivotal decision:

    I am going through with this—I have placed both the operation and myself in God’s hands. I’m going to do what it takes to get sober and stay that way.

    Before the surgery, Bill gave Bob his last drink—a beer—and a “goofball” (a barbiturate) to help steady him. The surgery was apparently successful. However, Bob didn’t come home right away, which worried Anne and Bill. When Bob finally did return, they learned he had spent the rest of the day going around town making amends.

1942: Local A.A. groups hosted the inaugural New York City area meeting, which attracted 424 attendees. The event featured speakers Rev. Vincent Donovan [near right], Dr. William D. Silkworth [middle right], and Willard S. Richardson [far right], Treasurer of the Alcoholic Foundation and an associate of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

1967: T. Henry Williams [left] died and was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Twinsburg, Ohio.
    From the early 1930s until 1939, he and his wife, Clarace, had hosted weekly Oxford Group meetings at their home [right]. Early members like Henrietta Seiberling, Dr. Bob, and Anne Smith attended these gatherings. Following Bill Wilson's arrival in 1935, new members of the emerging Alcoholics Anonymous group in Akron, Ohio, also joined as part of the Oxford Group's “alcoholic squadron.”