May 15 in A.A. History

1945: The Canadian magazine Maclean’s [right: cover] published “I Was a Drunk,” as told to J. J. Dingman. The article was subtitled “A Personal Experience of Reclamation by Cooperation: The Story of a Practical Fellowship—Alcoholics Anonymous.”

1949: Ed W. [far left], principal author of The Little Red Book [right], wrote from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Bill W. His letter updated Bill about how “marvelously improved”^*< Barry C. [near left] was. He included copies of The Little Red Book.
    Published in 1946 by Ed and Barry, The Little Red Book served as a guide to A.A.’s Twelve Steps. Dr. Bob S. contributed to its editing, consulted on the text, and distributed copies. It was A.A.’s first step book, conceived as a companion to the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, much like Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions would later become. Along with Akron, Ohio’s guides and pamphlets, The Little Red Book provides insight into how Dr. Bob practiced and taught the steps.
    Despite Bill W.’s high praise for The Little Red Book, the Alcoholic Foundation declined to publish it. The Trustees sought a book that A.A. could own, leading to the eventual publication of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in 1952.

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^*What Barry was recovering from is unknown; the date and contents of Ed’s message are only revealed by Bill’s reply on 31 May 1949.

1954: The Baltimore, Maryland Area Groups of Alcoholics Anonymous held their 9th Annual Banquet [far left: program] at the Emerson Hotel [near left], located at the intersection of Baltimore and Calvert Sts.

1961: Bill W.’s mother, Dr. Emily Ella Griffith Strobell [far right, with Bill in Yosemite National Park, 1947], died at the age of 91 in a nursing home in Dobbs Ferry, New York [near right: her gravestone].

1962:  In a letter to the Calix Society^* , Bill Wilson wrote:

    As you know I always have been personally partial to all persons or organizations whose good will and helpfulness to A.A. is beyond question. You need not have said that you strive to keep your efforts within the framework of the traditions of Alcoholics Anony­mous. I know you have tried and have succeeded.

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^*Founded in the 1940s, Calix is a Catholic organization dedicated to supporting individuals recovering from alcoholism and other addictions, along with their families and friends. It helps members maintain sobriety by integrating their Catholic faith with the principles of 12-Step recovery.