May 6 in A.A. History

1896: Gilbert “Gib” K., was born in Germania, Wisconsin. He would establish the first A.A. group in Milwaukee; it was the first in Wisconsin as well.

1939: Clarence S. [left], not for the first time, approached his sponsor, Dr. Bob S. [right], to discuss the challenges Catholic alcoholics faced within the Oxford Group. This group served as the meeting place for early alcoholics around Akron, Ohio, until Alcoholics Anonymous separated from them in late 1939.

Dr. Bob:	What do you have in mind?
Clarence:	To start a group without all this rigmarole that’s offensive to other people. We have a book now, the Steps, the absolutes. Anyone can live by that program. We can start our own meetings.
Dr. Bob:	(referring to OG members, especially to Henrietta Seiberling, and to T. Henry and Clarace Williams) We can’t abandon these people. We owe our lives to them.
Clarence:	So what? I owe my life to them, too. But what about all these others?, referring to Catholic A.A. members.
Dr. Bob:	We can’t do anything about them.
Clarence:	Oh yes, we can.
Dr. Bob:	Like what?
Clarence:	You’ll see.

    Less than a week later, Clarence founded the first A.A. group in Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as the third A.A. group overall. This group was also the first to adopt the name “Alcoholics Anonymous,” taking it from the book published just the previous month.

  1941: The first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota, took place in the home of Dr. Glenn Clark [left], a non-alcoholic professor at Macalester College. Inspired by Jack Alexander’s article in The Saturday Evening Post, Dr. Clark sought to help a friend struggling with alcoholism. Just weeks later, a local story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press further boosted membership to 15, including the group’s first woman.

1947: A letter from the New York office to group secretaries announced the availability of Bill Wilson’s first known recorded talk. Made the previous month, this wire-recording* captured a brief talk of just over 13 minutes (though initially referred to as 15 minutes)—a notably short duration for Bill. Bill had initially been very reluctant to make any recordings but had finally agreed.
     The original wire-recording was first converted to a 16-inch vinyl record, then subsequently to a set of two 12-inch phonograph records [right: 1 × 16" vs. 2 × 12" records]. This conversion ensured compatibility with standard phonographs, as not everyone owned equipment that could play the larger 16-inch size.
    The June A.A. Grapevine further publicized the availability of these recordings, describing them [left] as 

    A 15-minute general talk on A.A. by Bill has been transcribed on a set of two regular 12-inch phonograph records. The records can be played on any standard phonograph.
    These records, which are of interest to A.A. members, groups and friends of A.A., are available at the price of $3.30 per set, prepaid air express, New York; $4.00, Canada.
    The records may be obtained by writing Works Publishing Co., Inc., P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Annex, New York 17.
    Because the set is sold at near-cost price, it is requested that persons ordering it enclose check or money order with letter. Cost of the set to persons in foreign countries may be obtained on request.

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^*Recorded on a thin metal wire coated with magnetized particles [right: spools of recording wire].