History of Alcoholics Anonymous

AA Big Book

The history of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been documented in books, movies, and AA literature from its founding in 1935 as a solution for alcoholism by Bill Wilson (known as Bill W.) and Dr. Robert Smith (known as Dr. Bob), through early struggles and worldwide growth.

Main article: Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholism in the 1930s

Public opinion in post-Prohibition 1930s America saw alcoholism as a moral failing, and the medical profession saw it as a condition that was incurable and lethal. Those without financial resources found help through state hospitals, the Salvation Army, and other charitable and religious groups. Those who could afford psychiatrists or hospitals were subjected to a treatment with barbiturate and belladonna known as "purge and puke" or were left in long-term asylum treatment.

The Emmanuel Movement was founded in 1906 by Dr. Elwood Worcester and Dr. Samuel McComb in Boston's Emmanuel Church, and in 1931 they published a book called Mind, Body, and Spirit addressing the nature of alcoholism. The movement worked closely with the medical field and produced lay therapists like Courtney Baylor and Richard Peabody. Peabody wrote The Common Sense of Drinking and his ideas became paralleled in the Big Book.

1931 Jung and The Oxford Group

In 1931 an American business executive Rowland Hazard sought treatment for alcoholism with psychiatrist Carl Jung in Switzerland. When Hazard ended treatment with Jung after about a year, he soon resumed drinking and returned for further treatment. Jung told Hazard that his case was nearly hopeless like other alcoholics and that his only hope might be a spiritual conversion with a religious group.

Back in America, Hazard joined the Oxford Group, a non-denominational Christian Evangelical association and the source of AA concepts such as meetings and sharing for witness, finding a higher power, making restitution, and rigorous honesty. Hazard underwent a spiritual conversion with the help of the group and finally achieved sobriety.

Members of the group introduced Hazard to Ebby Thacher. Hazard brought Thacher to the Calvary Rescue Mission, lead by Oxford leader Dr. Sam Shoemaker, which had over the years helped over two-hundred thousand needy people. Thacher also attained periodic sobriety and in later years died sober. In keeping with Oxford practices which taught that a new convert must win other converts in order to preserve his own conversion experience, Thacher contacted his old friend Bill Wilson, who he knew still had a drinking problem.

1934 Bill Wilson sober

Bill Wilson, also known as Bill W., was an alcoholic who had seen a promising career on Wall Street ruined by his drinking. He also failed to graduate from law school because he was too drunk to pick up his diploma, damaged his marriage, and was hospitalized for alcoholism under the care of Dr. William Silkworth, yet he still continued to drink.

When Thacher visited him at his New York apartment, Wilson was astonished to find that his old drinking companion had become sober through spiritual means. Until then, Wilson had struggled with the existence of God, but of his meeting with Thacher he wrote, "My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea. He said, 'Why don't you choose your own conception of God?' That statement hit me hard. It melted the icy intellectual mountain in whose shadow I had lived and shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last."

After attending his first Oxford Group meeting at the Calvary Mission, Wilson excitedly told his wife Lois about his spiritual progress, yet the next day he drank again and eventually found himself back in hospital under Silkworth's care. While lying in bed depressed and despairing Wilson cried out, "I'll do anything! Anything at all! If there be a God, let Him show Himself!" He then had the sensation of a bright light, a feeling of ecstasy, and a new serenity. Wilson described his experience to Dr. Silkworth who told him not to discount it.

Thacher visited Wilson at Townes hospital and introduced him to the basic tenets of the Oxford Group and the book Varieties of Religious Experience by American psychologist and philosopher William James, which described experiences similar to Wilson's. Upon his release from the hospital on December 18, 1934, Wilson moved from the Calvary Rescue Mission to the Oxford meetings at Calvary House. There Wilson socialized after the meetings with other ex-drinking Oxfords and became interested in learning how to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.

1935 Dr. Bob sober

Armed with his new-found spiritual ideas, Wilson spent the first half of 1935 trying to help other alcoholics but failed to bring any to sobriety. Silkworth advised Wilson to stop preaching and talk more about alcoholism as a disease that condemns alcoholics to go mad or die. After a failed business venture in Akron, Ohio, Wilson was tempted to drink and realized that he must talk to another alcoholic to stay sober. He phoned local ministers to ask if they knew any alcoholics and Norman Sheppard directed him to Oxford member Henrietta Seiberling whose group had been trying to help a desperate alcoholic named Dr. Bob Smith.

While he was a student, Smith had started drinking heavily and as a consequence almost failed to graduate from medical school. He opened a medical practice and married, but his drinking put his business and family life in jeopardy. For seventeen years Smith's daily routine was to stay sober until the afternoon, get drunk, sleep, then take sedatives to calm his morning jitters. Seiberling convinced Smith to talk with Wilson, but Smith insisted that the meeting be limited to fifteen minutes. However, Smith was impressed with Wilson's knowledge of alcoholism and ability to share from his own experience, and their discussion lasted for six hours. Smith became the first alcoholic Wilson brought to sobriety, and Smith's last drink was on June 10, 1935 (a beer to steady his hand for surgery) which is considered by members to be the founding date of AA.

A new program

Wilson and Smith sought to develop a simple program to help even the worst of alcoholics, and a more successful approach that empathized with alcoholics yet convinced them of their hopelessness and powerlessness. They believed active alcoholics were in a state of insanity rather than in a state of sin, an idea they developed independently of the Oxford Group.

To produce a spiritual conversion necessary for sobriety and sanity, alcoholics needed to realize that they couldn't conquer alcoholism by themselves, and that surrender to a higher power and work with another alcoholic was required. Sober alcoholics could show drinking alcoholics that it was possible to enjoy life without alcohol, thus inspiring a spiritual conversion that would help ensure sobriety.

A new group

After he and Smith worked with AA members three and four, Bill D. and Ernie G., and an initial Akron group was established, Wilson returned to New York and began hosting meetings in his home in the fall of 1935. He allowed alcoholics to live with him for long periods of time but stopped the practice in 1936 when he saw it did little to help them recover.

At the end of 1935, Oxford member Jack Smith publicly disapproved of Wilson's work with alcoholics and in 1937, Wilson left the Oxford Group, while the Akron group separated from Oxford in 1939. Wilson stated that among other reasons, the Oxfords were too aggressive and public in their recruiting tactics, as well as exclusionary to non-Christians. However, in 1955 he acknowledged Shoemaker and the Oxfords for their contributions to the founding of AA.

Wilson returned to Akron where he and Smith concluded that over forty alcoholics in Akron and New York had remained sober since they began their work. Wilson was overjoyed and made plans to finance and implement his program on a mass scale, which included publishing a book, employing paid missionaries, and opening alcoholic treatment centers.

Early Literature

Prior to availability of the Big Book, early members of AA used a variety of written material for guidance like The Varities of Religious Experience by Willam James, the Oxford book For Sinners Only by A.J. Russell, The Common Sense of Drinking by Richard Peabody, I will Lift Up My Eyes and This Changing World by Glen Clark, The Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox, This Believing World and The Conversion Experience by Lewis Browne, and The Edinburg Lectures on Mental Science by Thomas Troward.

1939 The Big Book

Rockefeller

Initial fundraising efforts failed after the new program idea was approved by Smith and a majority of members, but in 1938 Wilson's brother-in-law Leonard Strong contacted Willard Richardson who arranged for a meeting with A. Leroy Chapman, an assistant for John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Wilson envisioned receiving millions of dollars but Rockefeller refused stating that money would spoil things. Instead he agreed to contribute five thousand dollars in thirty dollar weekly increments for Wilson and Smith to use for personal expenses.

Later in 1940 Rockefeller also held a dinner for AA which was presided over by his son Nelson, and attended by wealthy New Yorkers as well as members of the newly-founded AA. Wilson hoped the event would raise much money for the group, but upon conclusion of the dinner, Nelson stated that Alcoholics Anonymous should be financially self-supporting, and that the power of AA should lie in one man carrying the message to the next, not with financial reward, but only the goodwill of its supporters.

Although Wilson would later gave Rockefeller credit for the idea of AA being non-professional, he was initially disappointed with this consistent position, and after the first Rockefeller fundraising attempt fell short he abandoned plans for paid missionaries and treatment centers. Instead, Wilson and Smith formed a non-profit group called the Alcoholic Foundation and decided to publish a book which would share their personal experiences and what they did to stay sober.

Works Publishing

Wilson began work on the book and as financial difficulties were encountered, the first two chapters "Bill's Story" and "There Is a Solution" were printed to help raise money. After receiving an offer from Harper & Brothers to publish the book, early New York member Hank P., whose story The Unbeliever appears in the first edition of the Big Book, convinced Wilson to retain control over the book by publishing it themselves.

Hank devised a plan to form Works Publishing Inc and raise capital by selling its shares to group members and friends. With Wilson's knowledge as a stockbroker, Hank issued stock certificates although the company was never incorporated and had no assets.

At first there was no success in selling the shares, but eventually Wilson and Hank obtained what they considered to be a promise from Reader's Digest to do a story about the book once it was completed. On the strength of that promise, AA members and friends were persuaded to buy shares and Wilson received enough financing to continue writing the book. The editor of Reader's Digest claimed not to remember the promise and the article was never published.

Bill and Hank held two thirds of six hundred company shares and Ruth also received some for pay as secretary. Two hundred shares were sold for $5000 at twenty-five dollars each, and they received a loan from Charlie Towns for $2500. This only financed writing costs, and printing would be an additional thirty-five cents each for the original 5000 books. Edward Blackwell at Cornwall Press agreed to print the book with an initial five hundred dollar payment, along with a promise from Bill and Hank to pay the rest later.

Hank P. returned to drinking after four years of sobriety and could not account for Works Publishing assets. Hank blamed Wilson for this as well as his own personal problems. By 1940, Wilson and the Trustees of the Foundation decided that the Big Book should belong to AA, so they issued some preferred shares, and with a loan from the Rockefellers they were able to call in the original shares at par value of $25 each. Hank P. initially refused to sell his 200 shares, then later showed up at Wilson's office broke and shaky. Wilson offered Hank $200 for the office furniture which belonged to Hank, provided he sign over his shares. Hank agreed to the arrangement after some prodding from Wilson. Not long after this, Wilson was granted a royalty agreement on the Book, similar to what Dr. Bob received at an earlier date. The transaction left Hank resentful and later he accused Wilson of profiting from Big Book royalties, which Cleveland group founder Clarence S. also seriously questioned. Using principles he had learned from the Oxford group, Wilson tried to remain cordial and supportive to both men.Works Publishing became Incorporated June 30th, 1940

Twelve Steps

After the third and fourth chapters of the Big Book were completed, Wilson decided that a summary of methods for treating alcoholism was needed to describe their "word of mouth" program. The basic program developed from the works of William James, Dr. Silkworth, and the Oxford Group, and included six basic steps:

1. We admitted that we were licked, that we were powerless over alcohol.
2. We made a moral inventory of our defects or sins.
3. We confessed or shared our shortcomings with another person in confidence.
4. We made restitution to all those we had harmed by our drinking.
5. We tried to help other alcoholics, with no thought of reward in money or prestige.
6. We prayed to whatever God we thought there was for power to practice these precepts.

Wilson decided that the six steps needed to be broken down into smaller sections to make them easier to understand and accept. He wrote the Twelve Steps one night while lying in bed, which he felt was the best place to think. He prayed for guidance prior to writing, and in reviewing what he had written and numbering the new steps, found they added up to twelve. He then thought of the Twelve Apostles and became convinced that the program should have twelve steps. With contributions from other group members including atheists who restrained religious content like Oxford material that could later result in controversy, by fall 1938 Wilson expanded the six steps into the final version of the Twelve Steps which are detailed in Chapter Five of the Big Book called How It Works.

Promotion

Initially the Big Book did not sell. Five thousand copies sat in the warehouse and Works Publishing was nearly bankrupt. Morgan R., recently released from an asylum, contacted his friend Gabriel Heatter, host of popular radio program We the People, to promote his newly-found recovery through AA. The interview was considered vital to the success of AA and its book sales, so to ensure Morgan stayed sober for the broadcast, members of AA kept him locked in a hotel room for several days under a twenty-four hour watch. The interview was a success and Hank P. arranged for twenty thousand postcards to be mailed to doctors announcing the Heatter broadcast and encouraging them to buy a copy of Alcoholics Anonymous. Book sales and AA popularity also increased after positive articles in Liberty magazine in 1939 and the Saturday Evening Post in 1941.

Revisions

The second edition was released in 1955, third in 1976, and fourth in 2001. The first half of the book which details the program has remained largely intact with minor statistical updates and edits. The second half contains personal stories which are updated with every addition to reflect current AA membership, resulting in earlier stories being removed which in 2003 were published in the book Experience, Strength, and Hope.

Anonymity

Originally anonymity was practiced as a result of the experimental nature of the fellowship and to protect members from the stigma of being seen as an alcoholic. The name Alcoholics Anonymous referred to the members, not to the message. If members made their membership in AA public and especially at the level of public media, then went out and drank again, it would not only harm the reputation of AA but threaten the very survival of the fellowship. Later, as a result of anonymity breaks in the public media by celebrity members of AA, Wilson determined that the deeper purpose of anonymity was to prevent alcoholic egos from seeking fame and fortune at AA expense. Wilson also saw anonymity as a principle that would prevent members from indulging in ego desires that might actually lead them to drink again. Hence Tradition Twelve, which made anonymity a core spiritual requirement for AA.

Into the 21st century

Movie about Bill W. and Dr. Bob

As AA grew in size and popularity from over 100 members in 1939, other notable events in its history include:

• 1944 June AA Grapevine magazine was published containing first-person stories of AA members. Its slogan "an AA meeting in print" was adopted after receiving supportive letters from AA members in overseas military.
• 1945 AA adopted the AA Grapevine as its national journal.
• 1946 April AA Grapevine first published the Twelve Traditions as Twelve Points to Assure Our Future. They were derived by Wilson from group letters to AA headquarters asking how to handle disputes over issues like finance, publicity, and outside affiliations, and intended to be guidelines for group conduct and avoiding controversy.
• 1949 AA Grapevine became the international journal of AA due to added readership in Canada and Europe.
• 1949 A group of recovering alcoholics and AA members founded Hazelden Farm, a Minneapolis refuge and treatment center. Since then 93% of alcohol rehabilitation clinics use AA concepts in their treatment, and a reverse influence has also occurred with AA receiving 31% of its membership from treatment center referrals.
• 1950 16 November Dr. Bob Smith died, leaving about 100,000 AA members with his suggestion to "keep it simple."
• 1950 The Twelve Traditions were adopted at AA's First International Convention.
• 1953 The Twelve Traditions were published in the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,
• 1953 Narcotics Anonymous received permission from AA to use the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in its own program.
• 1955 Second Edition of the Big Book released with estimated 150,000 AA members.
• 1957 Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age was published.
• 1962 The Twelve Concepts for World Service were adopted by AA as a guideline for international issues.
• 1962 The movie Days of Wine and Roses depicted an alcoholic in AA.
• 1971 Bill Wilson died, his last words to AA members were "God bless you and Alcoholics Anonymous forever."
• 1976 Third Edition of the Big Book released with estimated 1,000,000 AA members.
• 1980 Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers gave an account of AA development.
• 1984 Pass It On detailed Wilson's life story.
• 1988 The movie Clean and Sober depicted aspects of AA culture like sponsorship.
• 1989 The movie My Name is Bill W. portrayed the AA story.
• 2001 The Fourth Edition of the Big Book was released with an estimated 2,000,000 or more members in 100,800 groups meeting in approximately 150 countries around the world.

See also

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Addiction recovery groups
• Drunkenness
• Alcoholism

• List of twelve-step groups
• Twelve-step program
• Substance abuse
• Recovery model

Further reading

• Ernest Kurtz. AA: The Story (A Revised Edition of Not-God). Random House Value Publishing, 1991. ISBN 0517064057, ISBN-13 978-0517064054.

External links

• AA official website
• AA Grapevine
• La Viña Spanish Grapevine