Aa history Lovers 2004 moderators Nancy Olson and Glenn F. Chesnut page

to your own, an experience that I shared in common with two close friends,

Bucke and Whitman."

Naturally I inquired, "But why did your colleagues seem to like the paper?"

His reply went like this: "You see, we psychiatrists deeply know what very

difficult people you alcoholics really are. It was not the claims of your

paper that stirred my friends, it was the fact that AA can sober up alcoholics

wholesale."

Seen in this light, I was the more deeply moved by the generous and

magnificent tribute that had been paid to us of AA. My paper was soon

published in the American Psychiatric Journal and our New York headquarters

was authorized by the Association to make all the reprints we wished for

distribution (Excerpts from this talk are contained in Alcoholism The Illness,

by Bill W., a pamphlet available from AA World Services). By then the trek of

AA overseas had well begun. Heaven only knows what this invaluable reprint

accomplished when it was presented to psychiatrists in distant places by the

fledgling AA groups. It vastly hastened the worldwide acceptance of AA.

I could go on and on about Harry, telling you of his activities in the general

field of alcoholism, of his signal service on our AA Board of Trustees. I

could tell stories of my own delightful friendship with him, especially

remembering his great good humor and infectious laugh. But the space allotted

me is too limited.

So in conclusion, I would have Harry speak for himself. Our AA Grapevine of

November, 1963, carried a piece by him that, between its lines, unconsciously

reveals to us a wonderful self portrait of our friend. Again, we feel his fine

perception, again we see him at work for AA. No epitaph could be better than

this.

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++++Message 1718. . . . . . . . . . . . An Historical Announcement

From: [e-mail]> . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/21/2004 10:27:00

PM

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Hello group,

This is your invitation to examine the Second Issue of An Alcoholics Anonymous

History In Northern Illinois Area 20, copyright 1996, 2003 by NIA, Ltd.

Posted online at http://www.aa-nia.org this expanded monograph represents an

additional six years of research and discovery. Where the First Issue spanned

104 pages of text, this rewritten work, its Second Issue, goes to 152 pages.

My Assembly will soon vote on a limited printing for distribution to District

Archives and East Central Region Area Archives, to share its 'hard' copies in

their lending libraries. This work is an effective result of the AA committee

system, with full trust and procedural approval from the Area 20 Assembly.

Meanwhile, online, enjoy it in the same spirit of discovery that was given to

me as its author!

Yours in serenity and in fellowship,

Rick T.,

Area 20 past Historian

Algonquin, Illinois

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++++Message 1719. . . . . . . . . . . . Sparky H.

From: Victor A. Farinelli . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/22/2004 9:26:00 AM

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Hello Group,

I am looking for some information on Sparky H. from

the Chicago Il area. He passed away in the mid-80's.

Thanks,

Victor F.

__________________________________

Do you Yahoo!?

Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.

http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html

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++++Message 1720. . . . . . . . . . . . June 5, multi-district history &

archives gathering

From: [e-mail] . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/24/2004 3:02:00 AM

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JUNE 5, 2004 MULTI-DISTRICT HISTORY & ARCHIVES GATHERING:

District 36 of Area 59 (Eastern PA) will host a free one-day History &

Archives Gathering Saturday, June 5, 2004 at the Friendship Fire Co. at 171 N.

Mt Joy Street, Elizabethtown, PA. Full directions will be available to those

planning to come. Contact Jared Lobdell at [e-mail] or

[e-mail] or by phone at 717-367-4985 (not after 9:30 p.m. Eastern

time).

Registration 8-9 a.m. on Saturday, June 5, and the Gathering will open at 9

a.m. and run till about 5 p.m. The nearest motels are the Red Rose Motel on

Route 230 (Market St.) on the edge of Elizabethtown and the Holiday Inn

Express just off Route 283 on the edge of Elizabethtown. Please let us know if

you're coming. The Gathering will be looking at forming archives for history

and using archives for history, and there will be a concentration on three

times in AA history esp. in Eastern PA, in and around 1954 (we have invited

for local oldtimers with at least 50 years sobriety), in and around 1937

(looking particularly at some of the Eastern PA founders, including Fitz M.),

and in and around 1971 -- so 67, 50, and 33 years ago. The oldtimers are

scheduled for the morning, the archives/history panels in the early afternoon,

ending with history presentations and a roundtable.

As with last year's Gathering we hope there will be archives exhibits at least

from MD, Eastern PA, North Jersey, the Clarence S. Archive, and local

archives. Lunch will be served. More to follow, but be in touch if you're

intending to come. -- Jared lobdell

Please send all replies to [e-mail]

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++++Message 1721. . . . . . . . . . . . Jerseyites Buy Big Sociable Clubhouse (1944)

From: Lash, William (Bill) . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/23/2004 11:14:00 AM

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November 1944 AA Grapevine

JERSEYITES BUY BIG SOCIABLE CLUBHOUSE

To the A.A.s of North Jersey goes the honor of being the original contributors

to one phase of A.A. history, geographically speaking. They are the first of

the "Along the Metropolitan Circuit" groups to buy a clubhouse of their own.

Members of a dozen North Jersey groups, forming a company called Alanon

Association (Joe B. is their counsel), participated in the deal that ended, in

October, in the purchase of the three-story brick building at 8th Ave. and

North 7th St., Newark, N.J., known as the Roseville Athletic Association.

The purchase price of $22,000 includes furniture and equipment, which in turn

includes such things as billiard tables and bowling alleys. The transaction

involved a first mortgage of $15,000.00 with a non-alcoholic A.A. supporter,

the remainder (a large portion of which has already been subscribed) to be

pledged by individual A.A.'s. Certificates of indebtedness are to be issued to

all contributors, bearing interest, and redeemable in five to ten years. The

plan is, however, to clear off all indebtedness as quickly as possible,

including the mortgage. (Up to the time of purchase the building had sustained

itself financially with revenues from bowling, pool, billiards, and tobacco.)

The dues system will be voluntary weekly contributions - the amounts kept a

strictly confidential matter - with $1.00 as tops.

Participation of the A.A. men and women in Alanon, Inc., is entirely as

individuals. There were no group commitments, and care was taken to avoid

involving Alcoholics Anonymous in any way. The Board of Trustees of the

Corporation are: Chairman, Tom M.; Secretary, Jim G.; Treasurer, Herman G.;

Recording Secretary (handling dues), Hal R.; Stuart S., Dr. Arthur S., Pete

O'T., Oscar O., Helen D., Bea W., Ed M., and Leo D.

The Newark Group, who have been holding their meetings at the Roseville A.A.

for three years will continue to do so. Maintained for 58 years as a

conservative gentlemen's club, there has never been a bar in the club.

However, food facilities, which also do not exist at present, will be

installed pronto.

The big building is located one block from the Roseville Avenue station of the

Lackawanna R.R., about 20 minutes from New York. It is expected that the

clubhouse will develop into a clinical center for new people, and a social

haven for all A.A. men and women, irrespective of their group membership.

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++++Message 1722. . . . . . . . . . . . AA 2004 Founders'' Day Celebrations

(N.Y., VT., OH.)

From: Lash, William (Bill) . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/24/2004 12:11:00 PM

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Saturday, June 5, 2004

Stepping Stones (where Bill & Lois Wilson lived from 1941 until they died)

62 Oak Road, Bedford Hills (Katonah), NY

914-232-7368

House & Wit's End is open for viewing at 12NOON, AA (someone who knew Bill

Wilson)/Alanon/Alateen speakers meeting begins at 2PM.

Coffee, soda, & dessert served only.

Sunday, June 6, 2004

The Wilson House (where Bill Wilson was born & lived as a child, & where Bill

& Lois are buried)

Village St., East Dorset, VT.

802-362-5524

Gravesite ceremony at 1PM, speaker meeting (someone who knew Bill Wilson) at

2PM.

BBQ 3PM

Friday - Sunday, June 11-13, 2004

Akron, OH. (where Dr. Bob's house is, where Dr. Bob & Anne Smith are buried,

where AA meeting #1 is, where St. Thomas Hospital is, where Henrietta

Sieberling's gatehouse is, where the Mayflower Hotel is, etc.)

http://www.akronaa.org/FoundersDay/foundersdayindex.html

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++++Message 1723. . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Susan B. Anthony II

From: [e-mail] . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/26/2004 3:34:00 AM

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Since starting the AA History Buffs/Lovers four years ago, I have intended to

write a piece on my good friend and spiritual mentor Dr. Susan B. Anthony II.

Susan sobered up in Marty Mann's office on August 22, 1946.

Today I discovered this biography on the website of the University of

Rochester, River Campus Libraries, where Susan's papers are archived.

Nancy

__________

Dr. Susan B. Anthony (also referred to as Susan B. Anthony II), the

great-niece and namesake of the women's rights leader Susan B. Anthony

(1820-1906), was born in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1916. Her father Luther Burt

Anthony was the son of the suffragist's younger brother Jacob Merritt Anthony.

Anthony attended the University of Rochester, graduating in 1938. In 1938-39

she worked as a research assistant in the office of the National Youth

Administration in Washington, DC. While an undergraduate she was involved in

the peace movement, but learning of the plight of anti-fascists forces in the

Spanish Civil War, she lobbied in 1938 to lift the arms embargo against the

Spanish Republic. During this same period she was involved in the civil rights

movement, becoming a sponsor of the National Negro congress. In 1941 she

received a master of arts degree in Political science from American

University.

Anthony was a city desk editor for the Washington Star from 1939 to 1944. She

also published articles on women's issues and migrants in The New York Times

Magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, and other periodicals. Her first

book, Out of the Kitchen-Into the War was published in 1943.

In 1940 Anthony married political activist Henry Hill Collins, Jr.,

(1904-1961). During the war, she worked with Ann Shyne at Bryn Mawr College to

compile a comprehensive study of "Women During the War and After." A summary

of the results were published by the U.S. Women's Bureau and provided Anthony

with material for several articles and lectures. In 1946 she hosted five times

a week a radio program, "This Woman's World," over New York station WMCA.

After nine months it was canceled for being "too controversial to be

commercially feasible." The program was picked up by the New York Post station

WLIB, but canceled six weeks later. In 1948, she and Henry Collins were

divorced.

In 1945 she co-founded with Helen Snow the Congress of American Women. Anthony

represented the Congress and its affiliate, the Women's International

Democratic Federation, at the United Nations Status of Women Commission in

1948.

In 1949 or 1950, Anthony married Clifford Thomas McAvoy (1904-1957). McAvoy

had been the deputy commissioner of Welfare in New York City from 1938 to

1941. In 1941 he was appointed legislative and political action director of

the Greater New York Congress of Industrial Organizations Council, and in 1944

became the legislative representative in Washington for the United Electrical,

Radio and Machine Workers of America. At the time of their marriage he was the

New England Director of the Progressive Party Labor Committee, an organization

he had founded to support the Presidential bid of Progressive Party candidate,

Henry A. Wallace.

Now living in Boston, Anthony broadcast a radio program on which she discussed

the problems of alcoholism and interviewed alcoholics. Because of her

husband's associates, she was mentioned as a "fellow traveler" in a Life

magazine article. In 1951 she divorced Clifford McAvoy and moved to Key West,

Florida where she became a newspaper reporter for the Citizen.

In 1954 she married Aubrey John Lewis, a British citizen living in Jamaica.

Lewis was a Religious Science practitioner and owner of an allspice

plantation. In Jamaica Anthony became a reporter for The Gleaner, writing

several articles on celebrities who visited the island.

Beginning in the early 1950s, Anthony's espousal of liberal causes brought her

to the attention of the U. S. Justice Department, who requested her to come to

Washington, D.C. to testify before a Congressional committee investigating

communism. When, for health reasons, she refused to return to the United

States, she became subject to extradition. After being served a subpoena in

December, 1954, she took out British citizenship. Her lawyers advised her that

this action would give her dual citizenship, and not jeopardize her American

citizenship. This proved not to be the case.

In 1960 Anthony divorced John Lewis and left Jamaica. She arrived in the

United States on a visitor's visa, her passport having been confiscated by the

U. S. Consul in Kingston. In 1967 Congressman John Bardemas introduced a bill

to restore her citizenship. It was voted down by the House Immigration

Subcommittee, who ordered her immediate deportation. She won a stay of

deportation, and the case was reheard before the U.S. Board of Immigration

Appeals in 1969. The Board reversed all former Immigration and Naturalization

Service and Justice Department actions against her and restored her

citizenship.

In 1960 Anthony underwent a religious conversion and was baptized in the Roman

Catholic Church in 1961. She entered St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, and in

1965 received a Ph.D. in theology. She was one of the first fifteen Catholic

laywomen to receive this degree. She taught theology at Marymount College in

Boca Raton, Florida from 1965 to 1969.

A recovered alcoholic, Anthony dedicated much of her professional and personal

life to helping others overcome alcoholism. She wrote articles and traveled

extensively giving presentations on the issue. In 1973 she was a substance

abuse coordinator at South County Mental Health Center in Florida. In 1975 she

founded Wayside House, a rehabilitation center for chemically dependent women,

in Delray Beach, Florida. The United States Senate Committee on Alcoholism and

Drugs honored Anthony for her work with alcoholics at a reception in 1976.

Having found strength in contemplation and prayer, Anthony often wrote and

lectured on these subjects. For nine months in 1976 she was a novice at a

Cenacle convent drawn by their emphasis on prayer and teaching.

In 1978 Anthony appeared on the television game show, "$124,000 Question" as a

women's rights expert. In five appearances she won $16,000. The publicity

helped launch her national lecture tour. Her topics included women,

alcoholism, feminism, and prayer. In 1977 she attended the National Women's

Conference in Houston, Texas, where she endorsed the Equal Rights Amendment.

When the Susan B. Anthony dollar was issued in 1979, Anthony participated in

many of the celebrations, culminating in a reception at the White House hosted

by Rosalyn Carter.

During the 1980s, Anthony traveled throughout the country giving lectures on

substance abuse, feminist issues, and prayer. In 1983 she participated in the

Seneca Falls Women's Peace Encampment marching in the protest against nuclear

weapons stored in the Seneca Falls army depot.

In 1971, Anthony published her autobiography The Ghost in My Life (New York:

Chosen Books). It was reprinted by Bantam Books in 1973. Her other books

include Survival Kit (New York: New American Library, 1972), and Sidewalk

Contemplatives (New York: Crossroad, 1987).

Dr. Anthony died in 1991.

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++++Message 1724. . . . . . . . . . . . The Man Behind the A.A. Revolution

From: Lash, William (Bill) . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/26/2004 11:03:00 AM

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The Man Behind the A.A. Revolution

Susan Cheever talks about her new biography of Bill Wilson, the man she says

was made to found Alcoholics Anonymous

Interview by Paul O'Donnell

There have been several books and memoirs written about the founding of

Alcoholics Anonymous by Bill Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith in the 1940s. But as

Susan Cheever found when she was asked to write a profile of Wilson, there has

not been an authoritative biography, until now. Cheever, the daughter of

novelist John Cheever and the author of two memoirs of her own drinking life,

has written a very personal portrait of Wilson, portraying him as a restless

thinker who created A.A. the way an inventor might stumble on a revolutionary

technology. We talked to her recently about her book and her subject.

Bill Wilson was a complicated person with an amazing story. How did you go

about getting a handle on him?

There were a number of books about Bill Wilson, and by him, but a lot of the

basic biographical tasks had not been done. I used everything that had been

written, and I went to the archives at Stepping Stones [Wilson's home, now a

museum], where I had the amazing luck of getting there before it had been

indexed, so I could watch the process of archiving. There are a ton of

letters. Bill and [his wife] Lois were great letter writers, and much of the

early part of the book, when he's still drinking, are from their letters.

Whenever you're inside someone's mind in the book, whether it's Emily Wilson's

in the opening scene or Bill Wilson's in the Mayfair hotel, it's from their

letters.

I also went to [Wilson's birthplace] in Vermont. The more I hung out in East

Dorset, the more I saw how important Yankee free-thinking and pure democracy

and stubbornness is to the program of A.A. Dr. Robert Smith [A.A. co-founder]

was also from Vermont.

What was it about that Yankee mindset that led to AA?

Well, a lot of threads start in Vermont that end up in the 12 steps and the 12

traditions of A.A. One is the idea that each person has an equal voice. That's

enshrined in the bylaws. A.A. actually belongs to and is run by it's own

member. That whole idea of pure democracy comes right out of the Vermont town

meeting.

Another thing is that alot of New England was dry when Bill Wilson was growing

up. They taught temperance in the schools. Bill Wilson actually had an

education in how to stay sober and how not to stay sober. And of course there

is the rampant spiritualism of the turn of the century in Vermont and New

Hampshire and upstate New York. People were reaching out for a different kind

of God, throwing over the Calvinistic, British Puritan God. Not just of

humanism, but transcendentalism, which is also enshrined in the 12 steps.

Where do you find that in A.A.?

Well, "God as we understand him." That's Thoreau. That's Emerson. It seems to

me that he took all these different strands--the religious, pure democracy,

temperance, the transcendentalist-humanist strand, which was buttressed when

he married a Swedenborgian--and wove them all into this astonishing program

which has changed the way we think about addiction. When I look at his life, I

think, 'Wow, this was a machine designed for this job.' He came out of this

weird stew of educational and spiritual tenets that ended up being the best

treatment for alcoholism.

The temperance movement plays a crucial role. As a child, he refuses to take

the temperance pledge and rejects religion altogether. How does he get from

there to seeing a higher power as a central part of a sober life as an adult?

Well, I think that's the story. For him, God took the form of a specific

entity. He flirted and maybe even slept with Catholicism in his later years.

But he had learned that God was an extremely personal concept, and that you

can never say to anyone, this is the kind of God you must have. Part of his

genius was understanding that there are things no one person can prescribe for

another if the person wants to help the other.

This is where he really shifted the way we think. He understood that being

drunk wasn't a lack of willpower or discipline. He understood that the way to

treat addiction is to court a change of heart with the utmost gentleness. That

is a really revolutionary idea. That understanding came from his own desperate

attempt to get sober, through trial and error--mostly error. He became, as his

friend Aldous Huxley called him, "The Greatest Social Architect of the 20th

century."

His insight was that drinking was not a moral problem?

Absolutely. He took the idea that alcoholics were bad people and changed it to

the idea that alcoholics are sick people. It changed the way we view

addiction. It changed the way we see human nature. He changed the way we see

each other as much as Freud did, I think. Bill led us to see that what we