First was the Washingtonians founded by six inebriates in 1840 – their purpose was to work with the drunkards themselves the group grew to over 600,000 members. Sadly, the movement began to dwindle as it may have been the single purpose to help other alkys could well have been diluted as anyone became a member of the Washingtonians. Also, the single primary purpose AA has didn’t stay with the Washingtonians and there may have been more in-fighting and want to commit to other issues.
Below is a picture of Washingtonian Hall.
Frank Buckman – Born in 1878, passed away in 1961. He was the founder of the Oxford Group, a Christian-based movement and the birthplace of A.A. The purpose was to give its members a moral rearrangement. The Oxford Group wasn’t only alcoholics but many people who needed or wanted help. Dr Bob and Bill W were members of this movement, as was Rowland whose words were heard by Ebby and so on….and so on.
Rowland Hazard – Born 1881, passed away 20th December 1945. Rowland had passed a message of sobriety which led to Ebby T contacting his friend Bill W. Rowland never joined AA but was a member of the Oxford Group. Rowland went to see Dr Carl Jung who told Rowland that he was a chronic alcoholic and beyond the help of medicine. He told him his only hope was for a life-changing “vital spiritual experience” — an experience which Jung regarded as a phenomenon. Rowland developed his spiritual life in the Oxford Group.
Ebby Thacher – The friend of Bill W who set the seed for sober living. Ebby was a member of the Oxford group founded by Frank Buchman. There Ebby heard Rowland speak of his experience in the Oxford Group meetings. Ebby was born in 1896 and passed away on 21st March 1966.
Bill W – my name is Bill (Friend of Bill) all that stuff. Bill was born in 1895 – Bill had his moment of clarity or gift of desperation in the Towns Hospital. Bill became sober on 11th December 1934 and remained that way until his passing in 1971. The co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous and main writer of the Big Book who aided in saving the lives of many people around the world.
Below is the gravestone outside Winchester Cathedral that features in Bill’s story.
Dr Bob – Co-Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous – Born 1879 – His last drink was June 1935. Dr Bob – Co-Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous – Born 1879 – His last drink was June 1935. Dr Bob passed away on 16th November 1950 at 71 years old. Below is a pic of Dr Bob with Anne Smith. Dr Bob had been called the prince of the twelfth steppers. Dr Bob gave his final public talk in the same year he died at the first international convention in Cleveland, where he penned the phrase, Keep it simple.
Lois Wilson – the wife of Bill who was married in 1918 – I assume had to put up with a lot, shall we say. Lois was born on 4th March 1891 – passed away on 5th October 1988. Lois with Anne B was the Co-Founder of the Al-Anon fellowship and worked tirelessly to help this fellowship group over the years.
Anne Smith – Wife of Dr Bob and some call Mrs Anne Smith the mother of A.A.. Anne was born in 1881 and married Dr Bob in 1915. Anne Smith died June 12st 1949 at the age of 68 years old. Even before the Al-Anon groups were created, Anne and Lois were doing more for the families of the alcoholics.
Charles B Towns – The hospital was founded in 1909 by a man, with the same name, a bit of luck. The hospital was built to treat alcoholism. This is the hospital where Bill W had walked out a sober man and remained so. Charles B Towns was enthusiastic about A.A. and loaned a considerable sum of money to the group so that they could get their book published in 1937. Charles B Towns passed in 1947.
Hank P – AA number 2 in New York, a pioneer of getting the Big Book out there. Hank got sober in 1935 and drank again in 1939. Hank Passed away on January 18th 1954. His story ‘The Unbeliever’ is in the first edition of the big book. Hank is often forgotten in the history of A.A. and is believed to be the actual co-founder of A.A. and may have even come up with the name itself…but no one really knows.
Bill D – The Man in the Bed, Alcoholic number 3. His last drink was on June 26th 1935. His story is in 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions – Alcoholics Anonymous Number Three. Bill D passed away on September 17th 1954.
Florence R – the first woman to come to AA, Florence had written the story ‘A Feminine Victory’ and was sober over a year when she wrote this. Florence prayed for inspiration to tell her story that would encourage other women to seek help as she did. Because Florence was sober for over a year, the name ‘A Hundred Men’ had to be discarded as the name of the Big Book. Sadly, Florence drank again and later died at the age of 47 years old in 1943.
Jim B – Born 1898 – Passed away 8th September 1974. Jim was probably known as A.A.’s first atheist. His Story ‘The Vicious Cycle’ can be seen in editions 2,3 and 4. Jim arrived in AA in January 1938, Jim B drank again and arrived back through the doors in June 1938 and stayed sober up to his passing. Jim helped start AA in Baltimore when he moved there in 1940. Jim has been given credit for tradition three and also the use of “God as we understood Him”.
Marty Mann – born 15th October 1904 – passed away 22nd July 1980. Marty wrote the story ‘Women Suffer Too’ which appeared in Editions 2, 3 and 4. Marty is considered one of the first female members to achieve long-term sobriety from 1944 until she died in 1980. Marty had begun attending AA in April of 1939.
Sylvia K’s sobriety date is around September 1939 and stayed sober until she died in 1974. Sylvia’s story is in the 2,3 and 4th editions of the big book – Keys of the Kingdom. One of the earliest female members of A.A. Sylvia travelled to Akron to look for this cure…..Anyway, Sylvia became one of the founding members of AA in Chicago with Earl T. Sylvia passed on October 31st 1974 and sober.
Tom Powers – Born in 1911 and passed away in 2005. Tom attended his first meeting in New York in 1941 and took his last drink in 1946. He called Bill W his sponsor and helped write the Twelve and Twelve, published in 1953. Tom fell out with Bill and opened a clinic in New York whose principles of recovery eventually became All Addicts Anonymous (AAA). He is credited with applying the Twelve Step Program to the treatment of other addictions such as drugs, eating and sex.
Chuck C – Born 1902 – he became sober in January of 1946. Chuck was known as an inspiration in early AA and helped many alcoholics to recover. His New Pair of Glasses talk was turned into a book, a book many have passed to others in the fellowship for many years. Chuck passed away in 1984. Below is a 4-minute talk that is paramount.
Chuck C with Bill W below.
Barry L – The author of Living Sober. Barry L. got sober in 1947, and he wrote Living Sober in 1975. He also wrote the pamphlet ‘Do You Think You’re Different’ in 1977. Barry L. passed away in 1985 not long after he spoke at the 1985 World Convention where he spoke about the traditions and the relationship between AA and the LGBTQ Community he said “We weren’t in closets; we were sealed in Vaults”. Barry got sober 40 years earlier when homosexuals were treated as sexual deviants. In 1945 there was no Gay pride.
Clancy I – Born 07/07/1927 – Clancy ended up being gifted sobriety on 31/10/1958. He became a much-loved circuit speaker who was the link from Bill W to the near present day. Clancy passed away on 24/08/2020 giving him 62 years of continuous sobriety. Clancy was the founder of the Pacific Group of L.A. The group still meet in person and on Zoom. In 1974 Clancy became managing director of the L.A. Midnight Mission, where he was once a client. You can listen to many of Clancy’s speaker tapes if you search that famous internet engine.
Sandy B – Born September 1931. Sandy became an inspired speaker for AA and spoke of the principles of the program and fellowship. Sandy peacefully passed away while in an AA meeting on September 28th 2014 while reading step one from the 12×12. Sandy was given the gift of sobriety on December 7th 1964.
Dr Paul O – Whose story in the big book was Dr Addict Alcoholic became ‘Acceptance was the answer”. His original sobriety date was in December 1966 but drank again, he stayed sober from July 1967 up to his passing on May 19th 2000. His wife, Max was a longstanding member of Al-Anon the two had been married for 28 years when Dr Paul O entered AA. ‘I must keep my magic magnifying mind on my acceptance and off my expectations’.
Joe and Charlie travelled the world making the big book come alive, explaining it in a way Joe and Charlie travelled the world making the big book come alive, explaining it in a way many could understand. Joe McQ got sober around 1962 in Little Rock Arkansas – being an African American Joe was only allowed to stand at the back of the meeting, not engage in fellowship, and not touch the coffee, so Joe studied the big book then In 1973 at an Al-Anon Convention, the two met. Charlie got sober in 1970 and was a student of the Big Book like Joe. As years went on the two members travelled the world with their affectionately named The Joe and Charlie big book study. Sadly, Joe passed away in 2007 and Charlie passed away in 2011.
Some of you may have known that Joe McQ was unable to continue with the schedule of the Big Book studies and had to step down. In came another Joe, Joe McC from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Joe McC was born in 1939 and a long-time member of A.A. when he took the partnership on with Charlie. Joe McC passed away on 23rd November 2014, his sobriety date is unknown.
Marty M – Currently, it may appear the person with the longest continued sobriety a day at a time is. From North Carolina, Marty’s sobriety date is 1954. that will make him nearly 69 years sober. There are plenty of recorded messages that Marty provided during the lockdown era.
Ethel N – June 15th 1955 is the sobriety date of Ethel N from Philadelphia. Another member who has carried the message in all her long-term sobriety, you can hear many of Ethel’s speakers tapes online.
Hope you have enjoyed it.
East London Archives of Alcoholics Anonymous. 