September 5 in A.A. History

1907: Nancy F. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She would come to A.A. in New York City in June 1945 at the age of 38, and struggle to stop drinking. Her story, “The Independent Blonde,” would be published in the second edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. However, according to her later account, she was not the author and did not even know her story would appear in the Big Book.

1938: [Labor Day] Archibald “Archie” T. [left] arrived at Dr. Bob and Anne S.’s house [right: Bob and Anne on their porch] in Akron, Ohio, having had his last drink the day before. Sarah Klein and her husband had driven Archie down from Detroit. Bob admitted him to Akron City Hospital that day. Archie would later recall,

I spent Labor Day in the hospital reading Emmet Fox’s [The] Sermon on the Mount [left]. It changed my entire outlook on life. It changed my direction.

He would stay with the S.s for 10½ months before moving on to start A.A. in Detroit, Michigan. His story, “The Man Who Mastered Fear,” appeared in the first edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, and was retitled “The Fearful One” in the second and third editions.

1939: Lois W. [near right] wrote in her diary, “Kathleen [P――] [far right] phoned to say she thought Hank [her husband] was drunk.”

1947: This is the “official” date of Brazil’s first A.A. group—in Rio de Janeiro [left: map showing Brazil and Rio de Janeiro]. The date was established as a tradition during a group meeting on 29 August 1950, around its third anniversary. While no one knows exactly how or when the Rio de Janeiro Group was formed, it is likely that Herbert “Herb” D., a sober American expatriate who had been living there since 1946, played some role in its creation.

September in A.A. History—day unknown

1939: Prior to the September 30 publication of an article about A.A. in Liberty magazine, which would be A.A.’s first national publicity, Bill W. [far left] wrote to Dr. Bob S. [near left]:

We are growing at an alarming rate, although I have no further fear of large numbers.

Bill’s concern arose from the recent sudden expansion to thirty groups and several hundred members in Cleveland, Ohio. This rapid growth demonstrated that the Fellowship could reach a significant size. A few weeks later, Bill wrote to Dr. Bob again:

The press of newcomers and inquiries was so great that we have to [sic] swing more to the take-it-or-leave-it attitude, which curiously enough, produces better results than trying to be all things at all times at all places to all men.

1939: Dr. Bob S. [above, near left] wrote to Bill W. [above, far left] at this time regarding the mutual support between the Akron and Cleveland A.A. groups in Ohio, saying that he had…

attended a meeting of the Cleveland gang, as I do once or twice a month, and enjoyed a wonderful gathering. Think they have about 38 in their bunch now—refer to men only. Our [Oxford Group] meetings still have 75 or 80 every week, including both men and women.

At this time, some members from Akron were attending meetings in Cleveland, while others from Cleveland were attending meetings in Akron.

1939: Mort J. [right], a resident of Denver, Colorado, bought a copy of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous. Without even looking at it, he packed it in his suitcase and forgot about it. In November, after coming to in Palm Springs, California, following a weeks-long international spree—still shaking violently—he found and began to read it. He would never drink again, and would eventually help reestablish A.A. in Los Angeles, California.