March 7 in A.A. History

In 1940, the first meeting of the Philadelphia Group of A.A. was held at the home George “Bud” S. [right: Bud’s high school yearbook photo], located at 1212 Arrott^* Street in Northeast Philadelphia. Bill and Lois W., and 15 others, attended this open meeting.

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^* While all sources mention Arnott Street, no such street exists in Philadelphia. The closest street name is Arrott, which is ¾ mile (1.2 km) long, running between the 4600 and 4700 blocks from Frankford Avenue northwest to Adams Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. The 1940 Census records confirm that 1212 Arrott Street was the residence of George and Laura S.

In 1941, a Boston newspaper reported that anyone struggling with alcoholism was more than welcome to attend the weekly A.A. meeting at the Jacoby Club, located at 115 Newbury St., every Wednesday at 8 PM. Boston’s first A.A. meeting had taken place two nights earlier at the same location. 

In 1941, Ruth Hock, National Secretary for the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City, responded to a letter from Dale A. [left] written four days earlier, advising him to connect with Dave W., also from Seattle, with whom Ruth had been corresponding for nearly a year. She suggested they start an A.A. group in Seattle, which Dave would soon do, although without Dale and with two other men. Dale would attend his first A.A. meeting in July and, shortly thereafter, establish a meeting in his home, eventually being recognized by many as the founding father figure of Seattle A.A.

In 2002, Clinton “Duke” P., 98, died in Jacksonville, Florida. He had been a pioneering member in Akron, Ohio, and had played a key role in establishing A.A. in Toledo, Ohio.