May 19 in A.A. History

1942: As a supplement to its Commerce Reports, the U.S. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce published Trade Information Bulletin No. 231, “British Dyestuffs Industry” [far left], authored by Dr. Frederick B. [near left, 1923], the American trade commissioner to Germany.

1942: The War Department’s Office of the Adjutant General responded to Bill W.’s 6 March 1942 request for a World War II commission with a non-responsive form letter [right] that stated, among other things:

• All new applicants for the Army or the Army Specialist Corps are now being asked to fill out a revised form of questionnaire in duplicate.
• You will note that the new questionnaire calls for more details than the old form you filled out originally. The reason for asking for more details is that they are needed by the Army Specialist Corps so that the applicant’s training, experience, skills, and interests can be adequately considered by that Corps when the branches of the Army call upon it to locate and appoint civilians fitted for specific technical, professional or administrative duties.
• Sending you the new form to fill out does not mean that an offer of appointment will necessarily be made in the immediate future. All that can be said is that the revised system will make it easier to consider your application when men with your qualifications are needed. You are particularly requested not to make inquiries of the War Department as to the probability of your employment.

2000: Dr. Paul Hubert O. [left, with wife Max], sometimes referred to as “the funniest man in A.A.,” died at 83 in Mission Viejo, California.
    His story, “Bronzed Moccasins,” initially credited to “A Physician in California,” first appeared in the May 1975 issue of the A.A. Grapevine. It was later republished in the third edition of Alcoholics Anonymous as “Doctor, Alcoholic, Addict,” and in the fourth edition as “Acceptance Was the Answer.” Dr. Paul began his journey to sobriety in December 1966, achieving permanent sobriety in July 1967.

    Though he founded Pills Anonymous and Chemical Dependency Anonymous, he did not attend either group. Notably, he also did not introduce himself as “an alcoholic and addict,” and was irritated by those who sought to include addictions other than alcoholism in A.A. meetings. In a July 1995 interview with the A.A. Grapevine, he expressed concern that his story may have “overshot the mark” because it was used to justify drug discussions in meetings. He felt “most uncomfortable” when members recognized him and thanked him for providing justification for such discussions. Despite these reservations, he maintained there was nothing in his story he would change.

Today in A.A. History—May 19–25

2019: The 69th General Service Conference was held at the Crowne Plaza Times Square [right: view from an upper floor] in New York City. Among the Advisory Actions were the following:

• “a draft Fourth Edition of the Spanish Big Book, Alcohólicos Anonimos, be developed;”
• “the pamphlet ‘A.A. for the Black and African-American Alcoholic’ be updated;”
• language be added to “Questions and Answers on Sponsorship” to emphasize anonymity;
• “update the pamphlet ‘The Twelve Steps Illustrated’;”
• “update the pamphlet ‘The Twelve Concepts Illustrated’;”
• “allow time for discussion [during] the ‘Process for Polling the General Service Conference between Annual Meetings’;”
• “A.A. World Services, Inc. apply for Google AdWords/Grants, for the purpose of providing information about A.A. to the public;” and
• “The pamphlet ‘A.A. for the Older Alcoholic—Never Too Late’ be updated with a revised introduction; current and inclusive stories; reference to online A.A.; and an updated ‘How Do I Find A.A.?’ section;”