March-May 1938 - Bill begins writing the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Works Publishing Inc. established to support writing and printing of the book. (AACOA vii, 153, 159, BW-RT 248-250, LR 197, BW-FH 115, PIO 193, 235, LOH 106-107, WPR 79, HIW 96-99) March 1940 - Mort J. came to LA from Denver; started custom of reading Chapter 5 Big Book at Cecil group. (www) March 1941 - Second printing of Big Book. The term “spiritual experience” was changed to “spiritual awakening” and “as the result of these steps” was changed to“as the result of those steps”Appendix II Spiritual Experience was added. (AACOA 256, www). March 1946 - The March of Time documentary news film, began production with the cooperation of the New York Central Office. (GV) March 1948 - Grapevine reports: She's Glad to Be Free!, by R. K., Muncie. March 1951 - American Weekly publishes memorial article for Dr. Bob. (www) March 1, 1941 - Jack Alexander's Saturday Evening Post article published and membership jumped from 2,000 to 8,000 by years end. (AACOA vii, 35-36, 190-191, BW-RT 281, LOH 149-150, BW-FH 146, PIO 245-247) March 3 1947 - Nell Wing started work at Alcoholic Foundation 415 Lexington Avenue. (GTBT 15, GB 67) March 4, 1891 - Lois W is born. (WPR 54) March 5, 1945 - Time Magazine reports Detroit radio broadcasts of AA members. (GSO-AC) March 7, 1940 - Bill and Lois visited the Philadelphia AA group. (GSO-AC) March 7, 1941 - Boston newspaper reported that any drunk who wanted to get well was more than welcome at the AA meeting at 115 Newbury St., at 8 p.m. (www) March 9, 1941 - Wichita Beacon reports AA member from NY who wants to form a group in Wichita. (www) March 10, 1944 - New York Intergroup was established. (www) March 11, 1949 - The Calix Society, an association of Roman Catholic alcoholics who are maintaining their sobriety through participation in Alcoholics Anonymous, was formed in Minneapolis by five Catholic AA members. (www) March 15, 1941 - 1st AA group formed in New Haven, Connecticut. Not reported in paper until Oct 1, 1941. (www) March 16, 1940 - Alcoholic Foundation & Works Publishing move from Newark to 30 Vesey St in lower Manhattan. First headquarters of our own. (BW-RT 268, AACOA 179, 187, LR 129, 197, BW-FH 112, SM S6, PIO 235, LOH 147) March 18, 1951 - Bob W. ,was elected 1st Delegate to represent Indiana at the General Service Conference. (GSO-AC, meeting transcript) March 18, 1973 – Anderson Herald report “The Silent Invader” 26th Anniversary in Anderson, IN. March 20, 1948 – Chicago Herald report a three part series on “American Billion Dollar Problem for Industry Alcoholism”. (www) March 21, 1881 - Anne R, Dr Bobs wife, is born. (GV June 1950) March 21 1966 - Ebby dies. (LOH 367, EBBY 143, PIO 336) March 22, 1951 - Dr William Duncan Silkworth dies at Towns Hospital. (AACOA 14, SW 110-111, 127, BB xvi, GV April 1951) March 22, 1984 - Clarence S, "Home Brewmeister", dies. (HIW 224) March 22, 1981 – Anderson Herald report on “UAW’s Crisis Center” (local archives) March 25, 1898 - Jim B ("The Vicious Cycle") was born. (www) March 25, 2005 – Nancy O., Founder of AAHL dies. (www) March 29, 1943 - The Charleston Mail, WV, reported on Bill W's talk at St. John's Parish House. (GSO-AC) March 31, 1947 - 1st AA group formed in London, England. (GSO-AC)
SOURCE REFERENCES
Information has been gleaned from the library noted below:
12&12 Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, AAWS AABB Alcoholics Anonymous, the "Big Book" AAWS AACOA AA Comes of Age, AAWS ABSI As Bill Sees It, AAWS AGAA The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, by Dick B (soft cover) BW-RT Bill W by Robert Thomsen (soft cover) BW-FH Bill W by Francis Hartigan (hard cover) BW-40 Bill W My First 40 Years, autobiography (hard cover) CH Children of the Healer, Bob Smith and Sue Smith Windows by Christine Brewer (soft cover) DBGO Dr Bob and the Good Old-timers, AAWS EBBY Ebby the Man Who Sponsored Bill W by Mel B (soft cover) GB Getting Better Inside Alcoholics Anonymous by Nan Robertson (soft cover) GTBT Grateful to Have Been There by Nell Wing (soft cover) GSC-FR General Service Conference - Final Report (identified by year), AAWS GSO General Service Office - Presentations and Literature, service pieces, AAWS/GSO US/Canada GSO-AC General Service Office Archives Collection Gv Grapevine - identified by month and year HIW How It Worked by Mitchell K (illustrated PDF file version) HT Harry Tiebout - the Collected Writings, Hazelden Pittman Press (soft cover) LOH The Language of the Heart, AA Grapevine Inc LR Lois Remembers, by Lois Wilson MMM Mrs Marty Mann, by Sally and David R Brown (hard cover) MSBW My Search for Bill W, by Mel B. (soft cover) NG Not God, by Ernest Kurtz (expanded edition, soft cover) NW New Wine, by Mel B (soft cover) PIO Pass It On, AAWS RAA The Roots of Alcoholics Anonymous, by Bill Pittman, nee AA the Way It Began (soft cover) SI Sister Ignatia, by Mary C Darrah (soft cover) SD Slaying the Dragon, by William L White (soft cover) SM AA Service Manual and Twelve Concepts for World Service, AAWS SW Silkworth - the Little Doctor Who Loved Drunks, by Dale Mitchell (hard cover) WPR Women Pioneers in 12 Step Recovery, by Charlotte Hunter, Billye Jones and Joan Ziegler (soft cover) www Internet Sources (e.g. Google, Microsoft Encarta, US National Archives & Records Admin. NARA, etc.)
Page numbers follow the source reference: e.g.: PIO 111, 113 = Pass It On pages 111 and 113.
Abbreviations: AA Alcoholics Anonymous GSB General Service Board AAWS AA World Services Inc. GSC General Service Conference AFG Al-Anon Family Groups MRA Moral Re-Armament BBS Big Book Story OG Oxford Group
This Timeline of A.A. History is based on information provided to the AAHistoryLovers e-group, with local "Hoosier" events added, with references.
"AA Members seem to have a warm place in their heart for AA history. AA also has a very strong verbal tradition. Much information is circulated in AA by word of mouth. This has both its good and difficult sides. How do you know what is fact and what is myth? A great deal of myth circulates by word of mouth in AA. To help address this, the timeline items in this paper (history) are cross-referenced to one or more reliable written references. The references provide both corroboration and sources for further investigation and historical research." - Arthur S., TX.