June 30 in A.A. History

1940: Works Publishing, Inc. released its first financial report [right: “Receipts & Disbursements,” p. 4], consisting of eight pages. Note, however, the records used to compile this report were not entirely reliable.

Today in A.A. History—June 30–July 3

2005: Nearly 44,000 people attended the 12th International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous in Toronto, Ontario, celebrating A.A.’s 70th anniversary [left: scene from Rogers Centre Stadium]. The event’s theme was “I Am Responsible.” During the convention, the 25 millionth copy of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, was presented to Jill Brown, warden of San Quentin Prison.

A.A. History—month & day unknown

1930: Dr. Leonard V. Strong, Jr., and his wife, Dorothy W. Strong (Bill W.’s brother-in-law and sister), purchased the Brackett Place, a farm located at lot No. 143 on Wilkins Hill in Green River, Vermont [right: probable location]. The Strongs bought this property while residing in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Bill and Lois would occasionally visit the farm during the summers when the Strongs were away.

1932: Long & Smith published Let’s Operate [far left: cover] by Roy H. McKay, M.D. [near left], and Norman Beasley.^* In the preface, the authors stated, “with great reluctance,” that [emphasis in original]:

    What people don't know, or won't believe, is that in eighty per cent of the cases they would get better without the ministrations of a physician, if they would merely go to bed and follow a proper diet.

    Dr. McKay, once a prominent and wealthy surgeon, lived at 581 N. Portage Path [right] in Akron, Ohio, and had an office in the same building as Dr. Bob S. His life would take a tragic turn as he became a “terrific rake and drunk,” leading to his downfall. In a deeply unfortunate event, his wife would commit suicide on Christmas night in 1934. Within two weeks of Bill W.’s meeting with Dr. Bob Smith in early May, both men would began “12th-stepping” Dr. McKay.

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^*Beasley was an American journalist and author, best known for writing biographies. He also served as a colonel in the United States Army.

1933: [Fall] Bill W. was admitted to Charles B. Towns Hospital [left, c. 1940] for the first time. He later said that after his discharge, he believed he had remained sober for approximately two to four months, while Lois thought it had been “a month or so.”

1935: [Early] T. Henry Williams [near right; far right: machine based on one of his patents] of Akron, Ohio, Chief Engineer at National Rubber Machinery Co., lost his job. On March 15, the company reported [left: excerpt from a newspaper’s financial page] a loss of $123,038 [~$3,000,000 in 2026] in 1934 (more than double the previous year’s loss), and turmoil within the company prompted a proxy fight that would soon bring Bill W. to Akron, the company's headquarters.