August in A.A. History—day unknown
1950:
The first permanent Alcoholics Anonymous group in Richmond, Virginia—founded
in 1941 with just five members—had grown to 250 members.
1950: The Devonport Group in New Zealand, started in June 1948 with three members, had since grown to twelve members.
1950:
During this year, up until Dr. Silkworth’s death in March 1951, Bill W. and
others raised funds to allow “Silkie” and his wife, Marie
[shown at right], to retire in New Hampshire. Silkworth’s most famous patient collected
$25,000
[~$346,000 in 2026], which was given to Marie after her husband’s death to support her in her
remaining years.
1950:
The National Committee for Education on Alcoholism (NCEA) changed its name
to the National Committee on Alcoholism (NCA). It was renamed again in 1990,
becoming the National Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD),
and in 2021 it was acquired by JBKM, Ltd.
[left: common portion of NCEA, NCA, and NCADD logos].
1952:
The first Alcoholics Anonymous Roundup in continental Europe was held at the
American High School in Wiesbaden, Germany—formerly known as General H. H.
Arnold High School
[right, 1956].
1952:
Bill W. bought several greeting cards from Rust Craft Co., at least one of
which featured a translation of the so-called “St. Francis Prayer”
[left: card with prayer]. He used this same translation in the chapter on Step 11 in
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, published the following year.
Several of these cards are preserved in the archives at Stepping
Stones.
1953: Art Linkletter [right, c. 1950]
interviewed a masked woman who was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous on one
of his TV shows, likely “House Party” on CBS.
1953: Hams of Alcoholics Anonymous (HAAM), an international fellowship of amateur (“ham”) radio operators within A.A., was established to “extend warmth and friendship to their members who have difficulty attending regular meetings. A.A. short-wave listeners also are invited to participate.…”
1950: The Devonport Group in New Zealand, started in June 1948 with three members, had since grown to twelve members.
1950:
During this year, up until Dr. Silkworth’s death in March 1951, Bill W. and
others raised funds to allow “Silkie” and his wife, Marie
[shown at right], to retire in New Hampshire. Silkworth’s most famous patient collected
$25,000
[~$346,000 in 2026], which was given to Marie after her husband’s death to support her in her
remaining years.
1950:
The National Committee for Education on Alcoholism (NCEA) changed its name
to the National Committee on Alcoholism (NCA). It was renamed again in 1990,
becoming the National Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD),
and in 2021 it was acquired by JBKM, Ltd.
[left: common portion of NCEA, NCA, and NCADD logos].
1952:
The first Alcoholics Anonymous Roundup in continental Europe was held at the
American High School in Wiesbaden, Germany—formerly known as General H. H.
Arnold High School
[right, 1956].
1952:
Bill W. bought several greeting cards from Rust Craft Co., at least one of
which featured a translation of the so-called “St. Francis Prayer”
[left: card with prayer]. He used this same translation in the chapter on Step 11 in
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, published the following year.
Several of these cards are preserved in the archives at Stepping
Stones.
1953: Art Linkletter [right, c. 1950]
interviewed a masked woman who was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous on one
of his TV shows, likely “House Party” on CBS.1953: Hams of Alcoholics Anonymous (HAAM), an international fellowship of amateur (“ham”) radio operators within A.A., was established to “extend warmth and friendship to their members who have difficulty attending regular meetings. A.A. short-wave listeners also are invited to participate.…”
The first known attempt to connect with other ham radio operators in A.A.
likely came from Lew in Seaford, Delaware. In a letter to the June 1953
A.A. Grapevine, he wrote, “I have a small homemade transmitter that
cost about $20
[~$250 in 2026; left: a vintage homemade transmitter]
(I have spent that much plenty of times for whiskey), and have contacted
fellows 500 miles [~800 km]
away.… I will answer all letters and help
however I can.”
A.A. History—month & day unknown
~1954: Annie C. died with about seven years of sobriety. In the second edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, her story was titled “Annie the Cop Fighter.”
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