July 17 in A.A. History

1918: Bill and Lois W. were in Newport, Rhode Island, where Bill was stationed at Fort Adams. It was just a few hours before his deployment to Europe for possible action in World War I. He would later write,

I remember going out to dinner with Lois and another officer and his wife. A pall of gloom settled over us all. I remember feeling an aversion to the mood of pessimism and thinking how selfish and self-concerned it was. Lois and I stood alone on one of the beautiful cliffs at Newport, overlooking the sea. It was an utterly desolate part of the shoreline. She and I gazed out over the ocean, wondering. The sun was just setting, and we talked about the future with joy and optimism. There I felt the first glimmerings of what I was later to understand as a spiritual experience, while it evolved in me over the years. I shall never forget it [right: Cliff Walk in Rhode Island at a sunset in 1918].

1946: Margaret “Bobbie” B. [left], National Secretary at the Alcoholic Foundation in New York City, replied to an A.A. member from Atlanta, Georgia. The member had written to complain that the March of Time episode “Problem Drinkers” [below right] was not being shown in local theaters:

THE MARCH OF TIME headquarters here tells me today that they do not think any pressure group is keeping the film from Atlanta. They think it is a matter of local theatre policy. They suggest that you see [the] District Manager or [the], Branch Manager, for the local office of the 20th Century Fox at 127 Walton Street N.W., Atlanta 3 (MARCH OF TIME distributes their films thru 20th Century Fox). Perhaps these men may be able to help you on how to get the MOT film, Problem Drinkers, into an Atlanta theatre. It is worth a try anyway. I certainly hope you see it—it has been well received by the groups so far. Naturally we think it is pretty good but we could be prejudiced having worked on the parts dealing with AA for many long months.

1952: Bill W. wrote to Fr. Ed Dowling [left] about his difficulties writing essays on each Step for the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

The problem of the Steps has been to broaden and deepen them, both for newcomers and oldtimers. But the angles are so many, it’s hard to shoot them rightly. We have to deal with atheists, agnostics, believers, depressives, paranoids, clergymen, psychiatrists, and all and sundry. How to widen the opening so it seems right and reasonable to enter there and at the same time avoid distractions, distortions, and the certain prejudices of all who may read, seems fairly much of an assignment.

1960: Albert “Abby” G. [left], 70, died in at St. Alexis Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, following two years of failing health [right: obituary]. Notably, the first A.A. meeting in Cleveland took place in his and his wife’s home while he was under the care of Dr. Bob Smith at Akron City Hospital.

A.A. History—month & day unknown

1939: [Early] Knowing that James “Jim” S. [left] had a background in journalism, Dr. Bob S. asked him to help the Akron and Cleveland members write their stories. Jim gladly accepted, encouraging them to document their experiences and prodding them when they procrastinated. He edited and rewrote some stories, striving to maintain the original flavor. These stories were included in the first edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. Jim’s own story appeared in the first edition as “Traveler, Editor, Scholar” and in the second and third editions as “The News Hawk.”

1939: [Late spring] Bill and Lois W., their Brooklyn home having been foreclosed on in April 1939, stayed for a time at Frank “Horace” C.’s bungalow in Green Pond, New Jersey.