1950 A.A.'s first International Convention

"In July 1950, Alcoholics Anonymous' 15th anniversary is marked with an international convention in Cleveland, with some 3,000 people in attendance. One of the most significant events is the adoption of the Twelve Traditions. The convention, held at the Cleveland Public Auditorium, also features the last public message to the Fellowship by Dr. Bob, who stresses, in his brief remarks, kindness and "keeping it simple.""

(AAWS Inc)

1949 Rapid growth in Holland

"In January 1949, Henk Krauweel, of the Medical Bureau for Alcohol in Amsterdam, reports to the Alcoholic Foundation that he and two of his patients, John V. and Carel A., intend to organize an A.A. meeting in mid-February. They do so, and with much success. In the next two years, a number of groups will be started in Rotterdam, Haarlem, The Hague, and other Dutch cities."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1949 Bill W. addresses the American Psychiatric Association

"At the invitation of Dr. Kirby Collier of Rochester, New York, one of A.A.'s earliest admirers in the psychiatric profession, Bill W. participates in an alcoholism symposium at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Montreal, May 1949. His address marks the acceptance of A.A. by yet another major American medical organization. Bill's address is titled "The Society of Alcoholics Anonymous.""

(AAWS Inc)

1949 The Scottish messenger

"In 1948, Sir Philip D., a Scottish gentleman farmer who has long struggled with alcoholism, travels to the U.S. at the invitation of the Oxford Group. There he meets A.A. member George R., who acquaints him with the Fellowship's principles. Sir Philip returns home determined to stop drinking and to carry the A.A. message. He succeeds, and Scotland's first known groups are founded in May 1949 in Edinburgh and in Glasgow, where meetings are held in the St. Enoch Hotel ."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1948 Dr. Bob's illness

"In the summer of 1948, Dr. Bob learns he has terminal cancer, leading him to shut down his office and retire from medical practice. In December 1948 Dr. Bob will give his last major talk before a crowd of A.A.s in Detroit, Michigan."

(AAWS Inc)

1948 A.A.'s post-war boom in Japan

"After an article on A.A. appears in Pacific Stars and Stripes, the Alcoholic Foundation is flooded with letters from American servicemen based in Japan. The Foundation forwards their names to Harry G., who was in Tokyo writing a book on the War Crime Trials of 1945-48. (Harry had written the Foundation in December 1947, suggesting that Japan was fertile ground for A.A.) He and an A.A. member from Indiana start an English-speaking group, eventually leading to the establishment of native groups across Japan."

(AAWS Inc)

1948 Akron marks its thirteenth anniversary

"Some 4,000 A.A. members from Ohio gather in Akron to celebrate another milestone: A.A.'s thirteenth anniversary. The meeting, attended by both Bill W. and Dr. Bob, opens with a prayer from Rev. Walter F. Tunks, the Episcopal rector who had referred Bill to Henrietta Seiberling in 1935."

(AAWS Inc)

1948 Start-ups in Korea

"In early 1948, a nonalcoholic priest named Father Mosley starts a group in Seoul after he receives A.A. literature from New York. Two other groups meet sporadically over the next three years, but the first group to be listed with the Alcoholic Foundation will not be formed until 1952: Yong Dong Po, named after the town in which it first meets."

(AAWS Inc)

(See here)

1948 Finland gets the message

"A few alcoholics join weekly meetings at the home of a couple employed by the Helsinki Welfare Office. Along with "Mom and Dad," as the leaders are called, they learn of Alcoholics Anonymous when "Maybe I Can Do It Too" appears in the Finnish edition of Reader's Digest. The group soon begins to adhere to the principles of both A.A. and the Sweden-born Links Society. In years hence, Finnish groups will become connected to A.A.""

(AAWS Inc)

(See here)

1948 A Swedish offshoot

"Frank B., a Swedish-American who had become sober in Newark, New Jersey, moves to Sweden and reports to the Newark group that he has joined an A.A. group in the town of Borås - much to the surprise of the Alcoholic Foundation. The group is in fact affiliated with the Links Society. (Founded by an officer of the Temperance Board in Stockholm, the Links Society was loosely based on the A.A. concepts, with which the officer had become familiar on a trip to the U.S. in 1939.) An exchange of letters between the Foundation and the secretary of the Borås Links group ensues, leading to a listing with A.A. in February 1948. In later years, more Swedish groups will shift their affiliation from the Links Society to A.A., and the Swedish G.S.O. will issue the Twelve Steps in booklet form."

(AAWS Inc)

1947 A fitful start in Brazil

"After two years of sporadic correspondence between the Alcoholic Foundation and a few American residents of Brazil, the Foundation lists Herb D. as an A.A. official contact. In September 1947, Herb requests and receives a batch of A.A. pamphlets and the name of another A.A. member living in Rio de Janeiro. The two men seek members and the first group in Brazil takes shape."

(AAWS Inc)

1947 Expansion in Canada

"By late 1947, Alcoholics Anonymous groups begin to form in the Maritime Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. The Fellowship is now country-wide, with groups having been founded in Ontario in 1943, Quebec in 1944, Alberta and Manitoba in 1945, British Columbia in 1946, and Saskatchewan in 1947. "

(AAWS Inc)

1947 The A.A. Preamble

"In the June 1947 edition of the A.A. Grapevine, a statement defining the Fellowship and its mission appears for the first time. The statement, known as the A.A. Preamble, is quickly adopted by A.A. groups and becomes a standard inclusion in A.A. literature."

(AAWS Inc)

1947 A.A. becomes self-supporting

"Bill W. reports that income from the Big Book and contributions from individual A.A. groups have made the Alcoholic Foundation "self-supporting." The idea of contributions grew from an estimate that all expenses could be met if each group were to send the Foundation a sum equal to $1 per member per year. Contributions were entirely voluntary, and equal service was provided to all groups regardless of their contribution record - a policy still in effect today."

(AAWS Inc)

1947 A mission to Norway

"George F., a Norwegian immigrant and coffee shop owner in Connecticut, writes home after many years to share the good news of his sobriety through A.A. When he learns that his brother, a typesetter for an Oslo newspaper, is an alcoholic one step from ruin, George and his wife sell their shop and move to Norway. After initially showing no interest in the Twelve Steps, George's brother takes the message to heart and becomes sober almost immediately. Through placing small ads in his paper George eventually forms a group of A.A. members - Norway's first."

(AAWS Inc)

1947 Servicemen launch groups in the Pacific

"In the wake of World War II, American servicemen stationed at military bases in the Pacific launch A.A. groups, with the Alcoholic Foundation acting as facilitator. In the summer of 1947, a group in Guam grows from four members to 24 in one month. In Okinawa, the Pioneer Group begins meeting in the fall of 1947."

(AAWS Inc)

1947 First stirrings in England

"Though the first official A.A. group in England won't be formed until 1948, the ball gets rolling when a visiting American woman, Grace O., writes to five Londoners who are in touch with the Alcoholic Foundation and schedules a meeting at the Dorchester Hotel for March 31, 1947. The eight attendees include two A.A. members from North America: an A.A. from Hollywood, California, whose acquaintance she had made on the voyage across the Atlantic, and "Canadian Bob," whom Grace had met in a London restaurant and who will figure large in A.A.'s growth. Meetings will continue in restaurants and residences, among them the home of Canadian Bob."

(AAWS Inc)

(See here)

1946 New Zealand's first group

"Ian McE., a resident of the South Island town of Richmond, voluntarily admits himself to a psychiatric hospital in an effort to sober up. There, he comes across the Reader's Digest article "Maybe I Can Do It Too." Struck by his identification with the article's subject, he writes to Bobbie B. of the Alcoholic Foundation. His letter launches a long-term correspondence with (and sponsorship by) Bobbie that will lead to the formation of the first New Zealand group."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1946 Trustees issue statement on fund-raising

"In an effort to halt attempts by various charities to ride the coattails of A.A.'s ascendancy, the Alcoholic Foundation issues a statement aimed at organizations that imply sponsorship by A.A. in their personal appeals to the public. It reads, in part, "Alcoholics Anonymous not only fails to endorse the present solicitations of funds but looks with disfavor on the unauthorized use of its name in any fund raising activity.""

(AAWS Inc)

1946 Roads into Africa

"In 1946, the A.A. movement springs to life in South Africa in three different places. The founders, unknown to one another, are: Arthur S., who reads of A.A. in Reader's Digest, contacts the Alcoholic Foundation and forms a group in Johannesburg; Pat O'F., of Capetown, who also has consulted the Alcoholic Foundation; and Val D., who achieves sobriety after reading a copy of the Big Book handed to him by a priest and soon starts a group in the town of Springs."

(AAWS Inc)

1946 First known meetings in Mexico

"Americans Lester F. and Pauline D. organize a group for Mexico City's English-speaking community. Meanwhile, a Mexican resident of Cleveland, Ricardo P., translates portions of the Big Book into Spanish. The importation of Spanish-language alcoholism-related publications and the creation of Spanish-speaking A.A. groups is approved at a late-summer conference of Mexico's Board of Public Information."

(AAWS Inc)

(see here)

1946 A.A. in the news

"The rapid growth of A.A. is reflected in the increasing press coverage the society receives. The Kings Feature Syndicate article appeared in newspapers nationwide in the spring of 1946. It focused on women alcoholics, who were joining A.A. in ever-greater numbers."

(AAWS Inc)

1946 The Twelve Traditions

"One by one, A.A.'s Twelve Traditions [and long form] developed by Bill W. are put into print for the first time. The medium for their distribution is The Grapevine."

(AAWS Inc)

See here for Core Principles

1946 Ireland joins the program

"The decision of a Philadelphia A.A. member and former tavern owner, Connor F., to travel to Ireland leads to the formation of the first Irish group. Connor and his wife visit a Dublin sanitarium, where a doctor introduces them to patient Richard P. of Belfast. After reading the Big Book presented to him by Connor, Richard writes to a number of contacts who had learned of A.A. through Fr. Tom Dunlea. (Dunlea, a nonalcoholic and one of the founders of Australia's first group, had also spread the message on a trip to Ireland.) Before long, Ireland's inaugural A.A. group is meeting in a room at the Country Shop on Dublin's St. Stephen's Green."

(AAWS Inc)

1945 Overtures from Hollywood

"In the wake of the success of The Lost Weekend - the Oscar-winning 1945 film about a struggling alcoholic - three Hollywood studios offer A.A. as much as $100,000 for rights to the Fellowship's story. The Alcoholic Foundation, fearing such films would amount to a violation of privacy, refuses the offers on behalf of A.A. members."

(AAWS Inc)

1945 The lighter side

"The reports and letters printed in the Grapevine are interspersed with the occasional alcohol-related cartoon, like the "Down Alibi Alley" submission by a member. Early editions of the magazine also include a jokes column called "Barley CORN!!""

(AAWS Inc)

1945 An Atlantic outpost

"After seeking advice from the Alcoholic Foundation, Steve V., an A.A. member formerly of Trenton, N.J., forms a group in St. Georges, Bermuda. It jumps from two to six members within a month and grows quickly thereafter. The next year, the Hamilton Mid-Ocean News will publish a series of twelve articles on Alcoholics Anonymous."

(AAWS Inc)

1945 African-American groups spring up

"Early in 1945, five African-American residents of St. Louis form a group that quickly expands. In Washington D.C., Jim S., sponsored by a local A.A. named Charlie, begins to hold meetings in a rented room at a local YMCA; Jim later helps start the first group in Harlem. By 1950, African-Americans will have formed groups in Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and other cities and towns. In a country of great diversity, A.A. groups will welcome all alcoholics who wish to stop drinking."

(AAWS Inc)

1945 First meetings in Australia

"In a letter to Archie McKinnon, a psychiatric nurse interested in helping alcoholics in Sydney, Bobbie B. of the Alcoholic Foundation provides the names of two other men who share the same aim: Dr. Sylvester Minogue and Fr. Tom Dunlea, the founder of Boystown in Australia. The three nonalcoholics band together to form the country's first A.A. group, with Rex A. the first member to achieve and maintain sobriety."

(AAWS Inc)

See here

1945 A magazine article's reach

""Maybe I Can Do It Too," an article about A.A. member Edward G. that ran in the October 1944 edition of Reader's Digest, appears in translation in several of the magazine's international editions, as it will for the next four years. As a result, alcoholics from around the globe write to the Alcoholic Foundation seeking to learn more about the Fellowship."

(AAWS Inc)

1945 A.A.'s tenth anniversary

"More than 2,500 of the Fellowship's members and friends from 36 states and two Canadian provinces gather in Cleveland to honor Bill W. and Dr. Bob and to celebrate ten years of Alcoholics Anonymous. Sponsored by the city's 44 groups, the two-day event includes open-house meetings, parties, a tea, an assembly at Severance Hall, and a closing dinner at the Carter Hotel. According to a Grapevine reporter, the speeches of Bill and Dr. Bob trace the development of A.A. with "gratitude, humility, and simplicity.""

(AAWS Inc)

1945 Joining the fold...

"After World War II ends, A.A. groups begin to spring up in other lands, with word of the fledgling organization spreading south of the border, across the Atlantic, and to the Pacific Rim. The next decade also witnesses the Fellowship's first international convention and the creation of the General Service Conference."

(AAWS Inc)

1945 Knickerbocker Hospital Treats Alcoholics

"At New York's Knickerbocker Hospital, a pioneering experiment accepting alcoholic patients for treatment begins. The A.A. ward is headed by our first friend in medicine, Dr. William Silkworth."

(AAWS Inc)

1944 The first French-speaking group

"Dave B. of Montreal, an ex-bank clerk and accountant who had slipped far down the ladder because of alcoholism, sobers up after reading the Big Book sent to him by his sister. He contacts A.A. in New York and soon starts holding meetings in his home, launching the first French-speaking A.A. group in the world."

(AAWS Inc)

1944 Women's prison groups begin to meet

"The first reported women's prison group meets on March 18, 1944, at Clinton Farms in Clinton, New Jersey."

(AAWS Inc)

1944 Marty M. and the NCEA

"Inspired largely by the efforts of Marty M., Dr. E. M. Jellinek, America's premier researcher on alcoholism, joins two other medical authorities to form the National Committee for Education on Alcohol (NCEA). NCEA is headquartered in a Yale University Building in New Haven, CT. On behalf of the NCEA, Marty embarks on a nationwide tour to tell of her struggle with alcoholism."

(AAWS Inc)

1944 Box 459 opens to receive mail

""About Your Central Office," a bulletin distributed to A.A. groups by the Alcoholic Foundation, announces "As of May 1, 1944, our new address will be P.O. Box 459, Grand Central Station." Box 459 will become both the post office address and symbolic address of Alcoholics Anonymous. In its early days A.A. is an organization that must rely heavily on communication by mail."

(AAWS Inc)

1944 The AA Grapevine debuts

"An eight-page bulletin intended to bring A.A. news to members (including soldiers overseas) expands to become the Fellowship's official magazine, with the first issue published in June 1944. It comes to be called A.A.'s "meeting in print.""  (AA Grapevine)

(AAWS Inc)

1943 A.A. in wartime

"As World War II is fought overseas, the Fellowship does its part. An April 1943 article in the Fort Worth (Texas), Star-Telegram reports that A.A. has reduced war industries worker absenteeism due to alcoholism. The article states that the A.A. program has helped as many as 5,000 workers return to their jobs."

(AAWS Inc)

1943 Canada's second group forms in Windsor

"In October 1943, a second Canadian group gets off the ground when alcoholics begin to meet in Windsor, Ontario."

(AAWS Inc)

1943 Bill keeps traveling

"As group after group sprouts up, Bill continues traveling around the country, often accompanied by Lois. His arrival in towns large and small is cause for great excitement as A.A. members flock to hear his talks and speak with him one-on-one."

(AAWS Inc)

1942 A letter from Australia

"After reading an article on Alcoholics Anonymous in the American Journal of Psychiatry, Dr. Sylvester Minogue, the medical superintendent of Rydalmere Hospital in Sydney, writes a letter to the AJP with a request that his letter be forwarded to the Alcoholic Foundation. His request for information leads to his getting a copy of the Big Book and continuing correspondence with secretary Bobbie B. of the New York office, setting the stage for the startup of A.A. groups in Australia."

(AAWS Inc)

1942 A.A.'s prison groups

"A campaign for prison reform by Clinton T. Duffy, warden of San Quentin Prison in San Francisco, calls for addressing the special needs of inmates who had been drinking when committing a crime. Duffy seeks aid and advice from California A.A. members, leading to the formation of a prison group at San Quentin. The inmates hold their first meeting in 1942."

(AAWS Inc)

1941 Bill hits the road

"Membership reaches some 2,000 by Spring 1941, and by the end of the year jumps to approximately 8,000 members in 200 groups across the country. Bill begins what will be three years of traveling to visit groups, getting to know many members individually."

(AAWS Inc)

1941 Bill and Lois move to Bedford Hills

"Friends in Westchester County, a half-hour north of New York City, help Bill and Lois work out a financial plan that enables them finally to acquire a house in Bedford Hills. On April 11, 1941, the couple spends their first night there. The comfortable shingled, hip-roofed house, which they will name Stepping Stones, affords them a measure of privacy for the first time since Alcoholics Anonymous was founded."

(AAWS Inc)

1941 The first specialized interest group

"The first known all-women group is founded in Cleveland in 1941, making it A.A.'s inaugural specialized interest group. Women in New York, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and San Diego soon follow suit, and by the mid 1940s the ratio of women to men in the A.A. population is roughly one in six. Women's groups light the way for other specialized groups, which will eventually include those for young people, the elderly, gays and lesbians, and doctors, lawyers, and other professionals."

(AAWS Inc)

Note:  It is unclear how such groups square with AA tradition on membership requirement and indeed whether such "specialisms" constitute a breach of those principles. cf. Tradition 3.—Our membership ought to include all who suffer from alcoholism. Hence we may refuse none who wish to recover. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend upon money or conformity. Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation.

1941 The Saturday Evening Post makes history

"The interest of Judge Curtis Bok, owner and publisher of The Saturday Evening Post, is piqued when he learns of A.A. from two Philadelphia friends. Bok then calls on hard-nosed reporter Jack Alexander (and here and here) to tell the organization's story. The resulting 7,500-word article is published in the magazine on March 1, 1941, putting Alcoholics Anonymous on the map of public consciousness and spurring a dramatic increase in Big Book sales and membership alike."

(AAWS Inc)

1941 A.A. marches west

"A.A. spreads beyond Ohio, with groups beginning to meet in cities as large as Chicago and New Orleans and Houston. Alcoholics in Topeka, Fort Worth, Tucson, Omaha, and Honolulu also "join the club," as do those in smaller towns in the Midwest and West."

(AAWS Inc)

1941 The Serenity Prayer

"Ruth Hock receives a newspaper clipping of the Serenity Prayer that had been printed in the New York Herald Tribune in June 1941. Ruth and many A.A. members in New York and elsewhere all immediately feel this prayer's relevancy to A.A.'s principles. Soon, the prayer is printed on cards and is being passed out to A.A. members everywhere. The prayer has since become a central part of A.A. heard in meetings around the world. The prayer's authorship is generally attributed to well-known Protestant theologian Dr. Reinhold Neibuhr."

(AAWS Inc)

1940 Toronto gets the message

"The Fellowship's message will spread north when Rev. Dr. George Little, a Toronto United Church minister who is also active in the temperance movement, learns of the Big Book in 1940, orders a few copies, and gives two to a small group of alcoholics who have been gathering for mutual support. Led by Tom E., the men will become Canada's first A.A. group as they begin to hold meetings in a room above Toronto's Little Denmark Tavern in 1943."

(AAWS Inc)

See also: The God Concept in Alcoholics Anonymous

1940 Enter Father Dowling

"On a rainy winter night in late 1940, a kindly clergyman from St. Louis appears at the 24th Street Clubhouse. Leaning on his cane, Fr. Edward Dowling, SJ,  introduces himself to Bill, states that he has been reading Alcoholics Anonymous, and then points out the parallels between the Twelve Steps and his own Jesuit order. Thus begins a spiritual sponsorship between Fr. Dowling and Bill that will last for the next 20 years."

(AAWS Inc)

1940 A challenge to the principle of anonymity

"A star catcher for the Cleveland Indians, described by the press as "rollicking" because of his heavy drinking, announces that he has achieved sobriety through his year-long membership in Alcoholics Anonymous. His name and face are splashed over sports pages nationwide. Such violation of the Fellowship's principle of anonymity leads Bill and members everywhere to consider anonymity's pros and cons."

(AAWS Inc)

1940 A.A.'s first headquarters

"In March, 1940, Works Publishing moves from Newark to a small office at 30 Vesey Street  in lower Manhattan. Though something of a financial gamble, the move means that for the first time the Fellowship has a headquarters of its own."

(AAWS Inc)

1940 The first New York clubhouse

"With the house at 182 Clinton Street no longer available for meetings, New York members meet wherever they can. Two of them, Bert T. and Horace C., find and guarantee the rent on a small building at 334 1/2 West 24th Street in Manhattan. The clubhouse soon bustles with activity, and Bill and Lois, still homeless, move into one of the two upstairs bedrooms later in the year."

(AAWS Inc)

1940 Rockefeller's dinner

"John D. Rockefeller, Jr. hosts a dinner at the exclusive Union Club to publicize Alcoholics Anonymous. Because Rockefeller believes that A.A. should be self-supporting, and this is understood by the guests, no money is solicited or raised. Nevertheless, Rockefeller sees to it that the event receives favorable and widespread publicity. Within a month, small donations trickle in from members, slightly easing the financial difficulty faced by A.A. during this early period."

(AAWS Inc)

1939 Another split from the Oxford Group

"In the fall, tensions grow in the Akron Oxford Group, with the alcoholic members wanting more independence. The alcoholics decide to meet at Dr. Bob's home, though Bob remains loyal to T. Henry and Clarace Williams. As this fledgling group grows, it shifts its meetings to King School, an elementary school in Akron."

(AAWS Inc)

1939 A lift from Liberty

"Seeking publicity for A.A., Charles Towns recounts its history to writer Morris Markey, who will submit the article "Alcoholics and God" (a title with which Bill isn't comfortable) to Fulton Oursler, editor of the popular weekly Liberty. After the article's publication on September 30, 1939, sales of the Big Book increase by several hundred and the Newark office receives 800 pleas for help from alcoholics and their loved ones."

(AAWS Inc)

1939 A first for women

"After reading the Big Book while a sanatorium patient in Greenwich, Connecticut, Marty M. starts attending meetings at 182 Clinton Street. She will become the first woman in Alcoholics Anonymous to achieve lasting sobriety."

(AAWS Inc)

1939 Dr. Bob serves with Sister Ignatia

"In the spring of 1939, Dr. Bob suggests to Sister Ignatia Gavin, with whom he had worked at Akron's St. Thomas hospital since 1934, that they start treating alcoholics. She agrees, and over the years Sister Ignatia and Dr. Bob will bring comfort and aid to almost 5,000 hospitalized patients."

(AAWS Inc)

1939 Bill and Lois lose 182 Clinton Street

"As the Great Depression eases and property values rise, the company that owns the mortgage on 182 Clinton Street sells the building, forcing Bill and Lois to move out. Thus begins the couple's two years of temporary residency in the homes of Hank P. and other A.A. families. Bill and Lois continue carrying the program's message for the duration of this unsettled period."

(AAWS Inc)

1939 Publication and disappointment

"In April 1939, some 5,000 copies of the Big Book - titled Alcoholics Anonymous - roll off the press. After an anticipated Reader's Digest article fails to materialize and a radio broadcast results in no orders, sales are few and far between. This disappointment foreshadows a bleak summer for the New York fellowship."

(AAWS Inc)

1939 An offshoot - and new name - in Cleveland

"Clarence S., a Cleveland resident who attends Oxford Group meetings in Akron, announces that he and other Clevelanders will be starting a group open only to alcoholics and their families. Like some other breakaway groups, they will also adopt the name of the Big Book mimeographs now circulating in Akron-"Alcoholics Anonymous." In May 1939, the first A.A. meeting in Cleveland is held in the home of Al G. (also known as Abby G.), a patent lawyer."

(AAWS Inc)

1939 The Big Book tests the waters

"Four hundred mimeographed copies of the Big Book manuscript are sent out for comments and evaluation by members, friends, and other allies. Among those making valuable contributions are a Baltimore doctor who suggests having a physician write the introduction (a job taken on by Dr. Silkworth) and Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, the highly respected minister of Manhattan's Riverside Church, who warmly approves of the book and responds with a positive review to be used as the Fellowship wishes."

(AAWS Inc)

1938 Works Publishing: a farsighted plan

"Harper & Brothers offers to publish the Big Book, much to the delight of Bill and the trustees. But the astute businessman, Hank P., convinces Bill to sell shares in their own company and to publish the volume themselves. Hank works up a prospectus for what will become Works Publishing Company, with 600 shares of stock selling at $25 per share."

(AAWS Inc)

1938 The Big Book gets started

"Bill writes a book meant to aid the alcoholic who is unable to attend meetings or find fellow alcoholics with whom to talk. At the Newark office, he dictates his handwritten notes to Ruth Hock as she types, reviewing and revising drafts all the while. These chapters are mimeographed and mailed to potential financial backers, as well as to Eugene Exman, the religion editor at Harper & Brothers publishers."

(AAWS Inc)

1938 The Twelve Steps

"As he begins to write the A.A. Book, Bill comes to the point where he must outline an actual program for the recovering alcoholic to follow. Drawing on the teachings of Sam Shoemaker, William James's The Varieties of Religious Experience, and the Oxford Group-inspired six-step procedure used by Bill and Dr. Bob as they carry the message. The steps grow to 12, and the A.A. Twelve Step program is born."

(AAWS Inc)

1938 The Alcoholic Foundation

"Frank Amos and others who had attended the December meeting offer to confer with Bill, Leonard Strong, and various members of the New York group to consider how the movement can be given an organizational framework. As a result, the Alcoholic Foundation is formally established on August 11, 1938, with Dr. Bob as a trustee and Bill on the advisory committee."

(AAWS Inc)

1938 Rockefeller's stance

Frank Amos, who attended the December meeting and is a close friend of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., agrees to assess the Akron group and explore the possibility of opening a small hospital for alcoholics. In February 1938 he spends several days in the city. Impressed by the recovery rate of Akron group members, he proposes a recuperative facility to be run by Dr. Bob. To Rockefeller he recommends a sum of $50,000 for the early work, but Rockefeller thinks the Fellowship should be self-supporting. The philanthropist does, however, contribute $5,000 toward Bill and Dr. Bob's basic needs. 

(AAWS Inc)

1937 A momentous meeting

"Bill's attempts to raise money for his and Bob's vision prove unsuccessful. In 1937, his brother-in-law, Dr. Leonard Strong, Jr., is able to set up a meeting with men connected to the philanthropies of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. At a December meeting attended by Bill, Dr. Bob, Dr. Silkworth, and a few group members from New York and Akron, the potential backers are moved and impressed by the Fellowship's work. However, after it is pointed out that money could spoil the movement's purpose, the meeting reaps welcome enthusiasm and moral support, but no funds."

(AAWS Inc)

1937 Action in Akron

"Oxford Group meetings for alcoholics continue at the large home of T. Henry and Clarace Williams, with Dr. Bob sometimes joining Mr. Williams to lead meetings. The recovering alcoholics of the group refer to themselves as the "alcoholic squadron of the Oxford Group.""

(AAWS Inc)

1937 Plans for the future

"In late 1937, Bill pays another visit to Dr. Bob in Akron. Comparing notes, they are astonished to find that at least 40 of the many alcoholics with whom they've worked have stayed sober for two years. This discovery leads to exciting possibilities: Bill and Bob discuss developing a chain of hospitals dedicated to the treatment of alcoholics; employing salaried workers who would spread the word; and literature - especially a book, meant to carry the message far and wide."

(AAWS Inc)

1937 The office that will go down in A.A. history

"Bill begins to commute to a small office at 17 William Street, Newark, New Jersey, joining Hank P. to raise money for a new business venture - Honor Dealers, an attempt to create a cooperative program for gasoline dealers in northern New Jersey. The office secretary is a young woman named Ruth Hock [see under Works Publishing]."

(AAWS Inc)

1936 An offer spurs "group conscience"

"Charles B. Towns, owner of Towns Hospital suggests that Bill move his work to the hospital, where he could treat alcoholics, conduct his meetings, and share in the establishment's profits. At the Clinton Street meeting that very evening, Bill tells his group of the offer - but the members object, insisting that spreading the message for money would violate its integrity."

(AAWS Inc)

1935 Weekly meetings at 182 Clinton Street

"In an effort to strengthen his prospects' chances for recovery, Bill welcomes alcoholics to his home at 182 Clinton Street in Brooklyn. The Tuesday night meetings soon give way to temporary residency for some participants - the kind of "way station" arrangement that Dr. Bob and his wife Anne [Smith] have pioneered in Akron."

(AAWS Inc)

1935 "The man on the bed"

"Eager to carry the message, Bill and Dr. Bob search for another person to help. After a slow start, their call to Akron City Hospital yields a prospect - Bill D. [under An Akron Group and a New York Group], a lawyer. During the visits of Bill and Dr. Bob, Bill D. takes their message to heart and promises never to drink again - a vow he keeps for life. Now remembered as the "man on the bed" (right, as depicted in a painting by an A.A. member), Bill D. becomes the third member of what will eventually be called Alcoholics Anonymous."

(AAWS Inc)

1935 Bill's return to New York

"Bill returns home to New York to seek a job, but his need to help other alcoholics is no less urgent. He begins to look for prospects at Towns Hospital, where he finds Hank P., an ambitious businessman who becomes his first success from Towns. Another success is Fitz M., [ see under Jim Burwell: introduction] a Southerner and the son of a minister. Both become Bill's close friends and allies."

(AAWS Inc)

1935 Men on a mission

"Dr. Bob lapses into drinking again but quickly recovers. The day widely known as the date of Dr. Bob's last drink, June 10, 1935, is celebrated as the founding date of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dr. Bob and Bill spend hours working out the best approach to alcoholics, a group known to be averse to taking directions. Realizing that thinking of sobriety for a day at a time makes it seem more achievable than facing a lifetime of struggle, they hit on the twenty-four hour concept."

(AAWS Inc)

1935 Forging friendships in Akron

"Bill joins the Smiths at the weekly Oxford Group meetings held in the home of T. Henry Williams and his wife Clarace, both particularly sympathetic to the plight of alcoholics. Soon, at the suggestion of Dr. Bob's wife Anne, Bill moves to their home at 855 Ardmore Avenue."

(AAWS Inc)

1935 The meeting at the gatehouse

"Henrietta Seiberling, daughter-in-law of the founder of the Goodyear Rubber Company, invites Bill to the Seiberling estate, where she lives in the gatehouse (right). She tells him of the struggle of Dr. Robert S. [Robert Smith], and the meeting of the two men takes place the next day - Mother's Day, May 12, 1935. In the privacy of the library, Bill spills out his story, inspiring "Dr. Bob" to share his own. As the meeting ends hours later, Dr. Bob realizes how much spiritual support can come as the result of one alcoholic talking to another alcoholic"

(AAWS Inc)

1935 Bill's group within a group

"Bill is asked to speak at a large Oxford Group meeting at Calvary House. His subject is alcoholism, and after the meeting Bill is approached by a man who says he desperately wants to get sober. Bill invites the man to join him and a small group of alcoholics who meet at nearby Stewart's cafeteria after the meetings. Bill is unsuccessful in his efforts to reach these alcoholics. Eventually his ability to help alcoholics grows, after he seeks counsel from Dr. William Silkworth of Towns Hospital. Dr. Silkworth suggests he do less preaching and speak more about alcoholism as an illness."

(AAWS Inc)

1935 A business trip to Akron

"A short-term job opportunity takes Bill to Akron, Ohio. In the lobby of his hotel, he finds himself fighting the urge to join the conviviality in the bar. He consults a church directory posted on the wall with the aim of finding someone who might lead him to an alcoholic with whom he could talk. A phone call to Episcopal minister Rev. Walter Tunks results in a referral to Henrietta Seiberling, a committed Oxford Group adherent who has tried for two years to bring a fellow group member, a prominent Akron surgeon, to sobriety." 

(AAWS Inc)

1935 Bill and Lois join the Oxford Group

"Following Bill W.'s spiritual awakening at Towns Hospital (late 1934), he and wife Lois [Lois Wilson née Burnham] join the Oxford Group - a nondenominational movement whose tenets are based on the "Four Absolutes" of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love - and begin to attend meetings at Calvary House, behind Manhattan's Calvary Episcopal Church there. Bill is inspired by the charismatic rector Rev. Dr. Samuel Shoemaker, who emphasizes one-on-one sharing and guidance."

(AAWS Inc)

1935 Joining the fold...

"An alcoholic from New York has a vision of the way to sobriety and is introduced to a like-minded doctor from Akron. Their first meeting will lead to the creation of a Twelve Step recovery program and a book that will change the lives of millions"
(AAWS Inc)

Charles B. Towns

"Bill W. had been a golden boy on Wall Street, enjoying success and power as a stockbroker, but his promising career had been ruined by continuous and chronic alcoholism. Now, approaching 39 years of age, he was learning that his problem was hopeless, progressive, and irreversible. He had sought medical treatment at Towns Hospital [Charles B. Towns] in Manhattan, but he was still drinking.

Bill was, at first, unconvinced by Ebby's story of transformation and the claims of the Oxford Group. But in December 1934, after again landing in Towns hospital for treatment, Bill underwent a powerful spiritual experience unlike any he had ever known. His depression and despair were lifted, and he felt free and at peace. Bill stopped drinking, and worked the rest of his life to bring that freedom and peace to other alcoholics. The roots of Alcoholics Anonymous were planted."
(AAWS Inc)

Bill Wilson

"One of Ebby's schoolmate friends from Vermont, and a drinking buddy, was Bill W. (Bill Wilson) Ebby sought out his old friend at his home at 182 Clinton Street in Brooklyn, New York, to carry the message of hope."
(AAWS Inc)

Ebby Thacher

"Rowland later introduced fellow Vermonter Edwin ("Ebby") T. to the group, and the two men along with several others were finally able to keep from drinking by practicing the Oxford Group principles."
(AAWS Inc)

Rowland H (Rowland Hazard III)

"In the early 1930s, a well-to-do Rhode Islander, Rowland H., visited the noted Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung for help with his alcoholism. Jung determined that Rowland's case was medically hopeless, and that he could only find relief through a vital spiritual experience. Jung directed him to the Oxford Group."
(AAWS Inc)

Frank Buchman

Some background

Note: In some areas this article's factual accuracy is disputed as well as its neutrality

The Oxford Group

"The origins of Alcoholics Anonymous can be traced to the Oxford Group, a religious movement popular in the United States and Europe in the early 20th century. Members of the Oxford Group practiced a formula of self-improvement by performing self-inventory, admitting wrongs, making amends, using prayer and meditation, and carrying the message to others."
(AAWS Inc)

Wikipedia entry: Oxford Group

Note: Neutrality and copyright issues applicable to this entry.

The origins of Alcoholics Anonymous

The beginnings 
1935-1944
1945-1954
1955-1964
1965-1984
1985-2012