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

something is. That is to say, I cannot weigh it or measure it, or define it in

words. That doesn't matter. I have passed the stage of wanting to 'explain'

everything. I am content with reporting what I see and hear."

"Perhaps, when I recover from the awe of what I saw and heard last night, I

may have a go at an 'explanation.' But I doubt it. The facts need no

embroidery."

That column, written in mid-1940 when the Chicago group had fewer than 40

members, brought many inquiries which O'Brien referred to his AA friends.

Among those who came into Chicago AA after reading the column was O'Brien's

21-year-old son.

Soon afterward, the famous Saturday Evening Post article by Jack Alexander hit

the newsstands. That brought the deluge for many established groups around the

country - including Chicago.

But in Minneapolis, Pat C. was still working alone, there was no AA

headquarters except Pat's small room, and there had been no local publicity to

tell alkies, many of whom had seen the Post article, where to make contact.

Pat had a great idea which he told me about in a letter dated March 14, 1941,

at which time he had established a personal record - four months dry.

He wrote:

"Chan, my boy, the Lone Eagle from Minneapolis still clings to that old

waterwagon, hoping to find companionship"

3/10/41

417, 12th Ave. S.E.

Minneapolis, Minn.

Dear Daniel,

God bless the Irish! We have been swamped with letters recently and better

than half of them are from Irishmen. When we get organized and going strong,

I'm sure you'll feel right at home with us.

At present though, we are just struggling to set up the frame of a local

chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous. I would suggest, in fact it's almost

necessary, that you get a March 1st copy of the "Saturday Evening Post" and

read the article in this magazine on our group, its aims and ambitions.

As soon as we have established contact with a few people like yourself, we

will determine on a meeting place and all get together for conference.

Please feel free to write us or drop around. We are just a bunch of men like

yourself who freely admit that drink has us down and we're willing to try

anything that might help us.

If your friends or druggist haven't a copy of the Post you'll find one on file

at any library. It states our aims much more clearly than I could in a letter.

You'll hear from us again shortly and until then I am,

Sincerely yours,

Frederick L. M.

Acting Secretary

Alcoholics Anonymous

"After the article appeared in the Post, I went in to see Cedric Adams, whose

column (in the Minneapolis Star) carries considerable weight in the Northwest.

He had been talking to Dr. Michael's, head of the mental and nervous

department (snake room, to you) at General Hospital."

"The doctor persuaded Adams to appeal for ex-drunks (meaning Minneapolis AAs,

if any) to look him up with a view to working on some of the prizes in his

ward. The appeal, which was quite vague, didn't pan out for them. But he

agreed a chapter of working AAs will help him solve some of his problems."

"Yesterday Adams ran another squib for me. Haven't been down to see the mail

as yet, but will stop in tomorrow. Don't know what to do with the guys when I

do contact them."

"Wish I knew the procedure you follow in Chicago. You might get together with

some of the members there and write me the procedure pronto so I can pass it

along to some of the shy lads who will be after writing me."

Meanwhile, Pat had called me on the phone several times as he kept looking for

advice and counsel and reassurance that he could handle the rummies who were

coming at him in droves.

Of course he could and did handle them.

Who could resist Pat's gift of the tongue and his down-to-earth and earnest

carrying of the message?

By April 28, 1941, Pat had somehow brought together a fledgling group of

alkies, including Orlo, one of my old friends.

Another of my very old and dear friends, Barry C., whom I had contacted during

the summer when he was critically ill in a hospital, was doing what he could

to help between his regular trips back to the operating room. And in the

hospital, Barry kept busy educating the doctors about AA.

So by now, Pat was the busiest guy in town, working full time and trying to

hold his group together.

He wrote on April 28, 1941: "Our weekly meeting is arranged for this evening,

at which 10 or 11 will be present. We had 10 at our last meeting. There are

four or five more who for some reason or other can't attend."

"Chan, we are getting some would-be members out of the upper brackets - a

lawyer, a big-shot insurance man."

It was almost three weeks before I heard from Pat again - a letter dated

December 12, 1940 - and I was getting a little worried.

But he was reassuring.

"Personally, I have been too busy to even think of a drink. My landlady has

developed fallen arches from running to the telephone, but we hope to remedy

that situation shortly. As you and Bill L. have intimated, a permanent meeting

place is our main problem. When we acquire one, we will have you up, we hope.

With your Big Book, we have four in circulation."

Two weeks later, on April 28, 1941, Pat was full of good news: "Chan, we have

a Post Office box, 594, also a couple of rooms at 201 East Franklin, and a

telephone GEneva 1251...

(When I later visited the group at the new address, I learned that it was a

beer flat left over from Prohibition years. How appropriate!)

Pat wrote: "A Scotsman and his wife, who were separated and reunited, are

living there. She answers the phone and we hold our meetings there...

It's crowded as hell, 26 at one meeting, but we hope to get hold of a

philanthropic realtor and arrange for a low-rental house, 8 rooms or so, where

we can take care of some of the boys who are coming out of it.

We now number a lawyer in our group, George W., and an insurance man, N. K.

P."

Others Pat mentioned as new pigeons included Guy T., Jesse C., Regis G., K. S.

A. who was a CPA, and one girl, Ruth B.

Pat added: "We are going to divide into squads at the next meeting and deal

out the assignments more equitably so everybody is working with some of the

stronger members..."

Again a moment of doubt: "Perhaps we have grown too fast, but what can you do

when the guys come for you?

I go to gatherings where whisky is served and my friends drink beer, but I

have no desire to slip, as yet. I am living the 24-hour schedule same as you

and it seems to work.

I try to impress on the boys, at every meeting, the necessity of asking for

Divine help."

Now we jump to May of 1942.

As you are aware, Pat and his cohorts did better than find a big house at low

rent in which to hold meetings. The good news is contained in an invitation

signed by Pat and Barry C. - and obviously sent out to many friends of the

Minneapolis group - to attend an open house on May 10.

The new home of Minneapolis AA, christened the Alano Club, was the old

Washburn mansion at 2218 First Avenue South.

Chan finished off his talk: So let's break off this chronicle right here.

The rest of the story - of the phenomenal growth of Minneapolis AA and the

growing pains, of the many groups throughout the Upper Midwest that owed their

start to Minneapolis, of Pat's happy marriage to Helga, and his later service

on the Board of Trustees of the AA Foundation - did not involve me.

Twice before, I have been a guest at your anniversary banquets.

The first time was, if my memory serves me right, the first annual banquet

held in the ballroom of the Leamington Hotel in 1941.

I have, somewhere among my souvenirs, a panoramic photograph of all who

attended that one, all lined up at the front of the hall. There probably were

more than a hundred that night at dinner, including spouses, a scattering of

judges, clergy and other friends of AA.

I am grateful to have been asked to share this 38th anniversary with you.

(Thanks to the Chicago Area 19 Archives Committee for furnishing a

transcript).

Bill Wilson (co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous) said in September 1965: "Pat

C. came among us (1940) when it was by no means clear that Alcoholics

Anonymous would succeed - whether permanent sobriety was going to be possible.

As we all know, he stands in the forefront of those few early ones who proved

that this could be so.

"In all my A.A. life I have never heard an ill word spoken of him and I was

always running across someone - indeed, hundreds - who owed him their very

lives.

"How well he kept the A.A. faith is now A.A. history, a demonstration for

which we shall be grateful to Pat - and to God."

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++++Message 1769. . . . . . . . . . . . LAST EYEWITNESS OF AA'S ORIGINS DIES

From: somrsickr . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/23/2004 2:17:00 PM

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LAST EYEWITNESS OF AA'S ORIGINS DIES IN MEMPHIS

(Memphis, Tenn. April 22, 2004) Robert "Bob" Smith II, last

eyewitness of the start of Alcoholics Anonymous, died of congestive

heart failure at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. about 5

o'clock Thursday evening, April 22, 2004. "Smitty," his

nickname in

youth and later at recovery gatherings worldwide, was the only son

of Anne Smith and Akron, Ohio physician Dr. Bob Smith. Then a

teenager, young Bob was there on Mother's day 1935 when his

father

met New York stockbroker Bill Wilson for the first time. The two co-

founded Alcoholics Anonymous, a twelve step recovery program that

has helped more than two million people worldwide recover from the

disease of alcoholism. AA's twelve step program has been

replicated

by more than 250 other groups that use the same steps to overcome

addictions to drugs, gambling, food, sex and other behaviors. Bob

Smith joined Al-Anon, a recovery program for the spouses, family,

friends and other loved ones of alcoholics, when one of his family

members began attending AA meetings in Nocona, Texas in the late

1970s. It was only then, the younger Smith would say, that he

realized the enormity of his father's contribution to the world

in

the co-founding of AA. In the past 27 years, Bob Smith accepted

invitations to speak at AA and Al-Anon Conventions worldwide thirty

to forty times a year. Smith made his last talk three weeks ago in

Chicago's Indiana suburbs at the Talumet Round-Up. He had cut

back

on his speaking engagements to twenty to twenty-five a year only as

he entered his mid-80s. Smith would say of such invitations,

"they

didn't invite me for who I am. It's who I know,"

referring to the

famous co-founders of AA who are regarded as spiritual giants by

recovering alcoholics worldwide. Bob Smith would share his memories

of AA's pioneering days at conferences, recalling how his

parents

and Bill Wilson allowed recovering drunks to stay in their Akron

home at 855 Ardmore Avenue. Bob Smith's childhood home is

visited

annually by thousands who wish to see where the program of recovery

had its origins. "It was such a gift to live with Bob. We

decided if

we had two weeks together or ten years together, we'd take it

one

day at a time and that's what we did, " said Mona

Sides-Smith, a

Memphis based therapist, who married the son of the AA co-founder in

September 2002. Smith's first wife of more than fifty years,

Betty

Smith, died several years earlier. Bob Smith leaves a son from huis

marriage to Betty, Todd Smith of Vernon, Texas and two daughters,

Penny Umbertino of Phoenix, Arizona and Judy Edmiston of Dallas,

Texas. He leaves one granddaughter, Kathy Graser of Denver,

Colorado. Smith also leave three stepdaughters: Rachel Farmer,

Elaine Orland and Elizabeth Douglas,all of Memphis. Smith spent his

working life in Texas as an oli producer. He served as a pilot in

World War II, flying the B-24 Liberator on 35 submarine huntinf

missions out of Africa. Smith worked as a commercial pilot for a

time after the war. But he spent the last three decades of his life

focused on sharing the gift his father helped bring into the world,

AA. In his book CHILDREN OF THE HEALER (Copyright 1992, Parkside

Publishing Company), co-authored with his late sister, Sue Smith

Windows, Smith's thoughts written on the dedication page seem a

fitting epitaph, "For the loving God who allowed me to lead a

very

exciting life and also loved me through my many mistakes and who

allows me to be of service. For the constant love and understanding

of four* good kids and a steadfast wife. I am truly grateful. For my

loving parents who tried to instill in me values by their tireless

example. For the many friends I have met and know as a result of 12

step programs. You have taught me a way of life in these programs

that I never would have figured out by myself. I am truly

grateful."

One AA member said upon learning of Smitty's death in Memphis,

"many

thousands of AAs who met Smitty and heard him tell the eyewitness

account of AA's origins will mourn his passing but will

celebrate

his life and the great gifts he shared." Memphis Funeral Home

on

Poplar Avenue in Memphis, Tenn. has charge.

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++++Message 1770. . . . . . . . . . . . old timers info?

From: text164 . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/24/2004 11:36:00 PM

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is there any other people alive from 1934-39?i also have a question

if I provide a photo can someone help me identify a couple in the

picture?im thinking its an ol AA from Little Rock but not sure.

maybe some of you have seen this photo,its of Bill W at Dr.Bobs

grave theres a group of people in the back ground and one of the

couples is of african american decent.Im thinking its a guy named Joe

McQ.

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++++Message 1771. . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Ripley Smith Jr.

From: [e-mail] . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/24/2004 9:48:00 PM

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A.A. co-founder's son is dead

Akron native Robert Ripley Smith Jr., 85, was proud that local program had

global impact

By Carol Biliczky

Akron Beacon Journal staff writer

As a child, ``Smitty'' came home to find a drunk in his bed, his house filled

with alcoholics.

Such was Robert Ripley Smith Jr.'s start in life as the son of the august --

and eventually revered -- co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

In 1998, Bob Smith Jr. told the Akron Beacon Journal that he and his sister

were eyewitnesses to history as they saw A.A. unfold in their Akron home to

become a worldwide organization with millions of members.

``I loved it,'' he said. ``The first 17 years of my life I lived with active

alcoholism, now there was recovery.''

Mr. Smith died Thursday at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., of

congestive heart failure. He was 85.

He was the only son of Dr. Robert and Anna Smith, who lived at a modest

bungalow with three bedrooms at 855 Ardmore Ave. in Akron.

The son was there on Mother's Day in 1935 when his father, an Akron

physician, and New York stockbroker Bill Wilson co-founded what would become

A.A.

The organization flourished and its 12-step foundation has been used by more

than 250 other kinds of recovery groups that combat gambling, prostitution,

drugs and more.

As for Mr. Smith, he became a pilot in World War II, hunting submarines off

the coast of Africa. After the war, he worked as a commercial pilot and in the

oil industry, settling in Nocona, Texas, about 20 miles from the Oklahoma

border.

He was elected to the City Council from 1984 to 1991 and was mayor of the

town of 3,000 from 1991 to 1993, recalled Minnie Walker, then the city

secretary

and now the city manager.

``He was a fun man, a real cut-up,'' she said. ``He told me every year how

many people he gained for Alcoholics Anonymous, and I'd tell him, `Look you're

not making any progress here.' ''

Mr. Smith joined Al-Anon, a recovery program for spouses and loved ones of

alcoholics, when his wife, Betty, began attending A.A. meetings in the 1970s.

It was then that he began to realize the enormity of his father's

contributions to the disease of alcoholism. He began to speak at A.A. and

Al-Anon

meetings across the country, most recently just three weeks ago in northern

Indiana.

``They don't invite me for who I am. They invite me for who I know,'' he said.

He would relate the stories of growing up in the Smith household, home to

A.A. meetings that approached 70 people before they were moved to the King

School

building.

He and his late sister, Sue Smith Windows of Akron, captured their memories

in a book called Children of the Healer: The Story of Dr. Bob's Kids in 1992.

``For the many friends I have met and know as a result of 12-step programs,''

he wrote on the dedication page. ``You have taught me a way of life in these

programs that I never would have figured out by myself. I am truly grateful.''

His Akron home is revered now as a national, state and local landmark and is

something of a shrine to A.A. devotees who return there in an annual

pilgrimage each year.

``He was a kind man, he loved his father,'' said Don C. of Cleveland, who is

chairman of the board of the nonprofit Dr. Bob's House, which has been

restored to the way it looked in 1935, complete with many of the Smith

family's

original furnishings.

In keeping with A.A. tradition, group members only use the first letter of

their last names.

Mr. Smith's first wife and a son died several years ago. He leaves his

current wife, Mona Sides-Smith of Memphis; son Todd Smith of Vernon, Texas,

and

daughters Penny Umbertino of Phoenix and Judy Edmiston of Dallas; three

stepdaughters and one granddaughter.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Memphis Funeral Home's Poplar Chapel

in Memphis.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--

Carol Biliczky can be reached at 330-996-3729 or

[e-mail]

--------------------------------------------------------

Submitted by Jocie, Chicago

JKNIGHTBIRD

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer;

it sings because it has a song.

-Maya Angelou

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++++Message 1772. . . . . . . . . . . . HUMILITY PLAQUE - Compilation

From: [e-mail] . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/26/2004 2:52:00 AM

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From: "dla32965"

Date: Sat Apr 17, 2004 8:11 am

Subject: HUMILITY PLAQUE

Does anyone know who wrote the text on the famous plaque that

sat on Dr. Bob's desk?

Humility is…Perpetual quietness of heart; It is never to be

fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that

is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at

rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised. It

is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut

the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in

a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming

trouble.

From: "victoria callaway" >

Date: Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:32 pm

Subject: Author of Plaque on Humility

Dr Bob's Plaque on Humility author is Andrew Murray, a

South African religous leader and writer who lived from

1828-1927-searched and found by Anne K., an AA member

with library experience. The results of her research

was printed in "The Point" a newsletter of the

Intercounty Fellowship of AA in San Francisco. A

research librarian found the citations in two

publications of religious quotations.

reprinted with permisssion from Box 459 aApril-May 1998

vicki

calllaway

From Bill L:

Please keep in mind that Dr. Bob's kids (Sue Smith Windows & Bob

Smith Jr./"Smitty") have both been asked about this plaque & (although they

were both in Dr' Bob's office many times) have stated that they had never seen

this plaque in Dr. Bob's office.

Interesting!

Just Love,

Barefoot Bill

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++++Message 1773. . . . . . . . . . . . Book ''12'' - Compiled from Previous

Posts

From: [e-mail] . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/26/2004 5:32:00 AM

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From: "steve "

Date: Sun Dec 8, 2002 2:46 pm

Subject: Book '12'

HistoryLovers,

I have stumbled across a book which I need help ientifying. The

cover is light blue with a gold `12' in the upper right hand

corner. The title page reads: TWELVE STEPS and the Older Member,

Older Member Press, Box 25, Guilford, Conn. Price Two Dollars

Copyright 1964, Older Member Press

Fourth Printing January, 1970

The book is 72 pages and its origination is articles in the

Grapevine from 1954-1956. At that time (1954) the author had 7

years of sobriety. The articles for the grapevine are written

about the steps. There are twelve

articles (one for each step). The book then reproduces these

Grapevine articles of an AA's experience with the steps at seven

years sober. The book also adds to these articles an AA's

experience with the steps at seven more years sober (14 years).

The Eleventh Step article mentions that the original eleventh

step article was printed in the April 1956 Grapevine, but none

of the other articles gives an original date for the articles.

Following the articles is `Lincoln on Alcoholism,' from