June 10 in A.A. History

1935: This generally accepted date for Dr. Bob S.’s last drink marks the official founding of Alcoholics Anonymous [right: co-founders Bill W. and Dr. Bob S. with circle and triangle]. Most historians, however, believe the founders incorrectly reconstructed the 
date, and that Dr. Bob’s last drink actually occurred on June 17.
    On June 10, Dr. Bob actually spent most of the day traveling to the annual American Medical Association Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He began drinking on the train that morning and likely checked into his hotel later that day [left: Chalfont-Haddon Hall, a possible good choice for Dr. Bob with modestly priced rooms, at ~$2–3 a night (~$49–73 in 2026)].
    As to the historicity of Dr. Bob’s dry date, for example, William “Barefoot Bill” L. [left] confirmed through the American Medical Association (AMA) Archives in Chicago, Illinois, that the 1935 AMA Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was held from Monday to Friday, on 10–14 June 1935.

      Another historian who investigated this is Arthur S. [right], who in his Narrative Timeline of A.A. History, says,

ACOA [Alcoholics Anonymous Comes Of Age on p.] 147, DBGO [Doctor Bob and the Good Oldtimers on p.] 72 and PIO [Pass It On on p.] 147 all erroneously state that the AMA meeting began the first week of June 1935. The AMA Archives has confirmed that it began in the second week on Monday June 10 [1935]. Allowing for 3-plus days of binging and blacking out in NJ [New Jersey] followed by three days of sobering up in Akron, Dr Bob’s sober date appears to be June 17 not June 10.
There are clues in AA literature for a reasonable deduction.…

Estimate of timeline based on the preceding [list of clues]:

June	Dr Bob
09 Sunday	Started drinking on the train on the way to Atlantic City, NJ. Bought several quarts and checked into an Atlantic City hotel
10 Monday	Stayed sober until after dinner
11 Tuesday	Started drinking in the morning - later checked out of the hotel.
12 Wednesday	In a blackout (likely greater than 24 hours)
13 Thursday	Blackout continues (may have arrived at Akron train station)
14 Friday	Picked up by his nurse in the morning at the train station. Then picked up by Bill W at the nurse’s house (5 days after leaving). Day 1 of a 3-day drying out period with Bill
15 Saturday	Day 2 of a 3-day drying out period with Bill
16 Sunday	Day 3 of a 3-day drying out period with Bill
17 Monday	Day of the surgery - Bill gives Bob a beer and a goofball

    An alternative theory speculates that Dr. Bob attended specialty meetings (e.g., for proctologists) before the convention, during which he started drinking. This would have prevented him from attending the main event and led him to go home early.