June 19 in A.A. History

1946: While in South America, an American wrote the letter [right: text], which would lead to the establishment of Alcoholics Anonymous in Argentina.
    Herb, an American advertising executive, had gotten sober in Chicago, Illinois, in 1945. He and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he began a three-year contract as art director at a large international advertising company.
    Someone at the Cosmopolitan Club obviously forwarded this letter to the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City, because Margaret “Bobbie” B., A.A.’s National Secretary, responded to him. She sent contact information for two additional people who she thought might be able to help: Don N. and Douglas C. She also provided the name of a young man from Recife^* whom Herb might be able to assist and informed him that she had mailed him a “free supply of literature.”

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^*Recife is the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, almost 2,400 miles [~3,800 km] NE of Rio de Janeiro. It’s unclear what Bobbie thought Herb could do with this contact [left: global view of Argentina, showing Rio de Janeiro and Recife].

1949: A new Alcoholics Anonymous group held its first meeting in the Ohio Penitentiary (colloquially known as “Pentown”), an initiative “heartily endorsed” by Warden Ralph Alvis. Twelve days later, on July 2nd, The Ohio State News published “‘Residents’ At Pen Join ‘A.A.’ Unit” [right], reporting:
    The inmates of Ohio Penitentiary at Columbus are being reformed in more ways than one. The nation-wide “Alcoholics” Anonymous has established a chapter in Pentown.
    The first meeting was held June 19, and a goodly number of “residents” attended to begin their trip back to “normalcy.”…
    In keeping with the unique policy of “A.A.,” names of inmates are omitted so that no one knows who is a member and who is not.

Today in A.A. History—June 19–21

1981: The University of Akron in Ohio hosted the 46th Annual A.A. Founders’ Day Weekend, as noted in issue #9 of the 1981 Founders Day Herald [left].

Today in A.A. History—June 19–23

1977: The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates, its primary legislative and policy-making body, endorsed the International Classification of Diseases’ dual classification of alcoholism, recognizing it under both psychiatric and medical sections [right: resolution].