June 13 in A.A. History

1935: Dr. Bob Smith’s blackout, which had begun the previous day in Atlantic City, New Jersey, continued. He may also have arrived at Akron, Ohio’s Union Depot [right: West of S. College St, South of W. Market St.] on this date.

1936: Dr. Frederick B., Bill W.’s first “prospect” and Chair of the Brooklyn College Building Committee, replied to Mr. Fletcher Cooper of the New York World Telegram regarding an information request for their New World Almanac. Dr. B.’s reply [left: cover letter] was a two-page description of the new college, detailing its history, organization, and the first five buildings, then under construction [near right: sketch of new campus (c. 1935); far right: library nearing completion (1936)]. The buildings—financed by a $5.5 million [~$132 million in 2026] loan and grant from the Federal Emergency Administration of the Public Works Administration—were being built to accommodate the college’s 10,000 students, 5,500 of whom attended the Day Session, and 4,500 the Evening Session.

1939: On their arrival at Hank and Kathleen P.s’, Bill and Lois W. [far left] found Hank [center left] in a very bad mood. Lois recorded in her diary that she and Kathleen [near left] had attended a meeting in Bert T.’s apartment on 72nd Street in New York City. She noted that Kathleen had “stayed in town to go to a broadcast with some of the gang and [would] ride back later with Morgan R. But it rained so hard that she and Jean and Tyler M. and Margaret spent the night in Bert’s apartment.” She added that they had “found Hank in a murderous mood because Kathleen had just phoned him [to say] that she was staying at Bert’s apartment.”

June in A.A. History—day unknown

1946:  The Oklahoma City Group of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) held the first meeting in its new brick building, the Kelley Club, located at 2300 N. Kelly Ave. [right: 2011]. The group, which had grown to 200 members since its founding in September 1941, built the facility for themselves. It featured a 400-seat auditorium, a dining room, a kitchen, and various amenities. The land had been donated by a resident whose son A.A. had helped.

1946: Twenty-three existing groups in the New York City metropolitan area united to form the New York Inter-Group [left: logo]. This new organization replaced the New York City Central Committee, which had operated out of the A.A. Clubhouse at 334½ W. 24th St. The founding groups represented the following counties: Bronx, New York (Manhattan), Richmond (Staten Island), Kings (Brooklyn), Suffolk (western Long Island), and Westchester (encompassing the cities of Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Peekskill, Rye, White Plains, and Yonkers).

1946:The A.A. Grapevine published an announcement [right] regarding The March of Time documentary film “Problem Drinkers.”

    Release date for The March of Time documentary film on alcoholism has been announced as June 14.
    The picture includes scenes taken at the A.A. Central Office in Manhattan; the NCEA (Nat’l Committee for Education on Alcoholism); New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital; the Yale School for Alcohol Studies; and at the clubrooms of one A.A. group--chosen by The March of Time people because it seemed typical.
    A.A.s anonymity has been respected throughout. No A.A.s face is shown in the film. The faces distinguishable in the shots taken at the Central Office are those of non-alcoholics. And those seen at the group’s clubrooms are actors’.
    The one exception is Marty M., who emerged from her anonymity when called upon to become executive director of NCEA.