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

as by her sharing.

Marty provided not only a place in which I could sober up that day, but

equally important and seldom mentioned today when even wives of ex-presidents

come out of the closet as alcoholics, Marty provided a witness. She was the

first and a continual sign, a witness, that an upper middle class lady can

also become a low class drunk, and then climb back up from that bottom to new

heights.

I grew up thinking of my suffragist great aunt Susan B. as "The Mother of Us

All," the title Gertrude Stein gave to her opera about Aunt Susan. She was a

"mother" to us in the sense of her concern for our rights and our work. Marty,

I believe is "The mother of the woman alcoholic" not only the first to stay

sober in AA, but the first to carry the message to the outside, non-alcoholic

world, women and men, the message that alcoholism is a disease and that it is

treatable.

As Bill Wilson's (co-founder of AA) biographer, Robert Thomsen says: "Marty

was to become one of the pioneers in the field of alcoholism education, but at

this point she was primarily one of AA's spectacular recoveries." That was

when Marty, an "Attractive intelligent young woman with tremendous charm"

attended an early A meeting at Brooklyn. She instantly caught the message and

returned to Blythwood Sanitarium in Connecticut to spread the message among

other alcoholic patients of Dr. Harry Tiebout, one of the first medical

champions of AA.

Marty will go down in history as the founder and director in 1944 of the first

public health organization on alcoholism in history, the National Council on

Alcoholism. Her work finally lifted the nation's consciousness about

alcoholism so that the American Medical Association accepted that it is a

disease and that it is treatable. She went on to mold public opinion, laying

the ground work for the passage of the Hughes Act of 1970, the Comprehensive

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, treatment and Rehabilitation Act

under which the vast expansion of facilities for treatment has taken place,

providing networks of out-and inpatient clinics, detoxification and

rehabilitation programs.

A years before she died, Marty's 75th birthday was celebrated in advance by

our great friend and colleague, Felicia M. who put on a memorable party. It

was also her birthday, plus my 33rd anniversary sober. Among the three we

totaled 104 years of sobriety!

I spent much of my time with Marty that night trying to persuade her to

dictate her own autobiography now that she was less on the road. She dodged

and demurred. I realized that she had reached that stage I have observed

over the years of interviewing some leading men and women. Self as subject

bored her. She had become increasingly "unsettled" in her later years. She

didn't want to spend the time that was left writing about herself, so that

task remains for someone else to do, someone who knew her, or even some

younger woman.

Marty is a model for the young women of today, not only the model of an

"unselfed" sober woman. She is what I hoped to be when I was young, a

liberated woman. She became a crusader, reformer, educator, organizer,

agitator, lobbyist, a truly great speaker, a lucid writer, a great 12th

stepper. She addressed U.S. Congressional committees and joint sessions of

state legislatures. She received honorary degrees. She was liberated not only

from the disease of alcoholism but liberated from restrictions upon her as a

woman back in the 1940s when I was broadcasting on New York radio against

those restrictions. Marty transcended the double stigma of being a woman and

an alcoholic.

In so doing she incurred snubs, distastes and dislike, and controversy. Even

her best friends, her A.A. buddies, were critical of her. When I worked for

NCA back in Boston in 1949, doing the first radio program that ever broadcast

interviews with live alcoholics, I sensed that hostility of local AA's toward

Marty's program of educating the public on the disease of alcoholism. NCA was

only five years old then, my sobriety was only three years old. Even these

friends thought NCA was competitive with AA, that when Marty crusaded for

public education and prevention she somehow was detracting from AA. She didn't

need enemies among her own, but in those early days she had them. Happily she

outlived those misunderstandings.

When the history of alcoholism is written, this century will carry three names

ahead of the others, Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, co-founders of A.A. and

Marty Mann, pioneer woman AA member and pioneer alcoholism educator.

Marty lived to see her concern for women alcoholics begin to show results in

1976 when Jan du Plain launched NCA's office on women. In rapid succession

occurred the first national Congress of Task Forces on women and alcoholism,

then came a gathering of the alcohol establishment hosted by NCA and the U.S.

Senate subcommittee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, a reception in the Senate

Caucus room honoring my 30th anniversary sober. Growing out of this the next

month, September 1978, the first ever Congressional hearing on Women and

alcoholism was held.

At lunch a few weeks later, Marty rejoiced at all this headway and said, "Do

you realize, Susan, that a the age of sixty you have begun an entirely new

career?"

I asked what she meant. She said the lecture tour that was launched by massive

coverage of the Senate activities. It would in the next four years carry me

35,000 miles in 75 cities, 46 states and to Africa and Alaska speaking on

women and alcoholism.

Some of those talks were before the great main line women's organizations,

ranging from the National Federation of Business and Professional Women to

the Junior League. Marty herself had dreamed when first forming NCA that these

women's groups would grasp the importance of educating on the disease concept

of alcoholism, especially for girls and women. But in the 1940s they were

uninterested. Perhaps had they begun their efforts then, they might have

helped avert the epidemic of alcoholism among girls and women in the 1980s,

what I call the "age of anesthesia" that blankets us.

With their women's focus they might have seen as we do today that alcoholism

among women is different and distinct, and requires differences in prevention

and treatment. Women have problems that men do not have such as stigma,

discrimination, child care problems that bar women from residential treatment,

and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

In November 1979, I added another career, private practice in alcoholism

counseling here in South Florida. Marty wrote me in her own hand her

encouragement and recommendation for my certification. It is a letter I shall

literally have framed. She wrote:

"Susan dear --

"Your activities exhaust me, just reading about them! and yet they too -- like

Jan's -- are a replica of my own pattern, so I understand and applaud you

--"Alcoholism needs people like us: 'dedicated idiots' Selden Bacon

once call Yev (Gardner) and me and we lifted it as our banner and proclaimed

it good, which wasn't what he had meant!

"Anyway - again you are in the pattern by turning to counseling, which is what

I do, plus a once weekly lecture at Silver Hill and Yev also, at Freeport

Hospital. So we've all come full circle, back to AA's one-on-one. It's good

and I love it. So will you."

I pray I will continue to be a "dedicated idiot" and as she said "a replica"

of her pattern, carrying the message as she did, until the day I die."

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++++Message 1697. . . . . . . . . . . . Texas Oldtimer, Clinton Ferrell, Dead

at 93

From: [e-mail] . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/10/2004 6:55:00 AM

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A friend forwarded this to me. I don't know what paper it appeared in.

Nancy

Clinton Ferrell

KERMIT â€" Clinton Ferrell, a longtime resident of Kermit, Texas, passed away

Saturday, March 6, 2004, at the age of 93. He was born on August 3, 1910, in

Oklahoma. He married Sally Jones from Como, Texas, on June 17, 1938, in Pecos.

They moved to Kermit in 1938 and lived there continuously until Sally’s

death on Sept. 25, 1991. Clinton continued to live in Kermit and would

consider no other place as home.

Clinton is survived by his two sons, Freddie of Tucumcari, N.M., and Robert

“Buddy” of Austin, Texas.

Clinton touched the lives of many, many people throughout the years with his

kindness and generosity. He was well known for his fast cars, gun collections

and desire to live life to the fullest, but always with consideration for his

fellow man. One of Clinton’s greatest accomplishments was to recognize that

he was an alcoholic and to join AA on June 30, 1947, and to be a member for

the next 56 years. He would regularly attend the meeting of AA in Kermit three

times a week plus several other meeting each week in Monahans, Andrews,

Odessa, Midland and other places in the Permian Basin. Clinton had the

second-longest number of years of sobriety of anyone living in Texas, and he

was rightfully proud of that fact.

Clinton worked in the oil fields with his father in the 1930s, ’40s and

’50s. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, he worked in the car business, and in the

‘80s he served as constable of Winkler County until he retired (but didn’t

slow down). He had many friends in law enforcement and in particular the Texas

Rangers. To acknowledge all of the hundreds of friends of Clinton would take

the pages of an entire book, but special mention must go to Don and Debbie

Turner and their two kids, Derrick and Dessie Lou.

In lieu of recounting all the wonderful things Clinton did and the principles

for which he stood, it is hoped that everyone that knew him will take a moment

to reflect upon some experience they had with him and feel so very fortunate

to have known such a great man.

Funeral services will be held in Kermit at Cooper Funeral Chapel, Wednesday,

March 10, 2004, at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your

local AA group, for that is the way Clinton would have wanted it to be.

Services entrusted to Cooper Funeral Chapel.

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++++Message 1698. . . . . . . . . . . . Bert Taylor - Compiled From Old Posts

From: [e-mail] . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/11/2004 3:05:00 AM

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I am continuing to combine old posts, which are then deleted, in

order to make it easier for researchers to search the archives.

The following is excerpted from old posts by Charles K. and Rick

T.

Charles wrote that Bert Taylor was an early AA member who

borrowed $1,000.00 from a Mr. Cockran one of his customers and a

prohibitionist. "The loan was to help buy some time from the

printer until the Liberty Magazine article came out. Once that

article came out we sold some books were able to settle with the

printer and get the remaining Big Books out of hock, so to

speak. He also allowed meetings to be held in the loft in his

shop.

"Now whether the debt was not repaid on time or Bert just fell

on hard times is uncertain, but he did loose ownership of the

shop, but was able to keep his business and he died sober. He

also was one of the first Trustees of the Alcoholic Foundation."

Rick responded to Charles' message:

"Much of this additional history was gleaned in on-site research

through minutes and correspondence at the GSO Archives....

"His $1,000 would have brought him 400 shares in Works

Publishing, and I'm sure he was able to cash in the shares, when

and if any of the loan was needed to be paid. There are scant

records on file of whose and how many shares were eventually

traded in to the

Alcoholic Foundation. The AF Trustees' ledgers remained pretty

thin for many years into the mid-1940s, and only a few shares

were probably ever recorded as 'bought back' by the Board of

Trustees. Bill wrote in 'AA Comes of Age'

about a few buy-backs, which turned out to be traded only at

face value."

Rick said he did not think Bert was a Trustee, but Charles

responded:

"I still believe Bert was a member of the Alcoholic Foundation,

only from what I have read.

"In the August 1947 Grapevine article 'Last Seven Years Have

Made AA self-supporting' Bill writes:

"'Two of the alcoholic members of our Foundation traveled out

among the AA groups to explain the need. They presented their

listeners with these ideas: that support of our Central Office

was a definite responsibility of the AA groups; that answering

written inquiries was a necessary assistance to our Twelfth Step

work; that we AAs ought to pay these office expenses ourselves

and rely no further upon outside charity or insufficient book

sales. The two trustees also suggested that the Alcoholic

Foundation be made a regular depository for group funds; that

the Foundation would earmark all group monies for Central Office

expenses only; that each month the Central Office would bill the

Foundation for the straight AA expenses of the place; that all

group contributions ought to be entirely voluntary; that every

AA group would receive equal service from the New York office,

whether it contributed or not. It was estimated that if each

group sent the Foundation a sum equal to $1 per member per year,

this might eventually carry our office, without other

assistance. Under this arrangement the office would ask the

groups twice yearly for funds and render, at the same time, a

statement of its expenses for the previous period.

'"Our two trustees, Horace C. and Bert T., did not come back

empty handed. Now clearly understanding the situation, most

groups began contributing to the Alcoholic Foundation for

Central Office expenses, and have continued to do so ever since.

In this practice the AA Tradition of self-support had a firm

beginning. Thus we handled the Saturday Evening Post article for

which thousands of AAs are today so grateful.' (Reprint of this

article can be found in 'Language of The Heart' see pages 64-65)

"Also from 'AA Comes Of Age'

"Page 186.........

"'At about this time our trusteeship began to be enlarged. Mr.

Robert Shaw, a lawyer and friend of Uncle Dick's, was elected to

the Board. Two New Yorkers, my friends Howard and Bert, were

also named. As time passed, these were joined by Tom B. and Dick

S. Dick had been one of the original Akronites and was now

living in New York. There was also Tom K., a hard-working and

conservative Jerseyman. Somewhat later more nonalcoholic,

notably Bernard Smith and Leonard Harrison, took up their long

season of service with us.'

"(FYI: This was around the time of the Rockefeller Dinner Feb.

1940, this also shows the alcoholic members of the Foundation

made up of more than just Bill & Dr. Bob. I have a copy of the

minutes of the Alcoholic Foundation in July 25, 1949. Dick S.,

Tom B, and Bernard Smith were already trustees of the Foundation

in 1949.)

"Page 192:

"'We also realized that these increased demands upon the office

could not be met out of book income. So for the first time we

asked the A.A. groups to help. Following the Post piece.

Trustees Howard and Bert went on the road, one to Philadelphia

and Washington, the other to Akron and Cleveland. They asked

that all A.A. groups contribute to a special fund in the

Foundation which would be earmarked 'for AA. office expenses

only.' The contributions would be entirely voluntary. As a

measuring stick, it was suggested that each group send in one

dollar per member per year.'

"Please let me repeat myself, I am not sure if this is the same

Bert T. that owned the Tailor Shop in New York, but sure sounds

like it to me. Rick, maybe on your next trip to the Archives in

New York you might look for the name Herbert F. Taylor. Again I

am not sure if this is the same person either, but his name and

signature appears on Works Publishing Company stock certificates

date September 26th 1940 (see 'AA Everywhere-Anywhere' the

souvenir book from the 1995 International Convention page 23)

and Bert is short for Herbert. I also have a photocopy of the

same stock certificate dated June 20th 1940 and his name is on

that one too, as president I might add . May have no connection

at all, but worth looking into.

"Well, I hope this sheds some light on the source for my

assumption that Bert the Tailor might have been a Trustee of the

Alcoholic Foundation. This has open a whole other question about

the early make up of the Alcoholic Foundation and I think I

might explore this to find out what I can."

The following is from Jim Burwell's memoirs:

"It was also in June of this year that we made our first contact

with the Rockerfeller Foundation. This was arranged by Bert

Taylor, one of the older members, who had known the family for

years in a business way. Dr. Richardson, who had long been

spiritual advisor for the Rockerfeller family, became very

interested and friendly, and Bill and Hank made frequent visits

to him, with Hank on one side asking for financial help and Bill

on the other insisting on moral support only."

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++++Message 1699. . . . . . . . . . . . International Conventions -- Part One

From: [e-mail] . . . . . . . . . . . . 3/11/2004 1:09:00 PM

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A.A. International Convention, Cleveland, 1950:

The first A.A. International Convention was held in Cleveland July 28-30,

1950.

Prior to the first International Convention, the Cleveland fellowship of

Alcoholics Anonymous hosted a big meeting in June 1945 to celebrate A.A.’s

tenth anniversary. The speakers were Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Twenty-five hundred

people were in attendance, from 36 states and two Canadian provinces, and one

from Mexico. Obviously, Cleveland wanted to host the first International

Convention.

A.A. membership was approaching a hundred thousand and there were thirty-five

hundred groups worldwide. The decision to hold this first International

Convention was a fine example of how Bill Wilson was always able to stay on

top of trends that threatened to divide A.A. His enormous personal popularity

was the cement that bound A.A. together, but it was also something other

members of A.A. thought they would enjoy if they became A.A.'s head man.

By 1946 there were more than two thousand AA members in Cleveland, far more

than in New York. Chicago had more than twice as many members as New York, and

Detroit about as many as New York. Many people in these locations didn't see

why A.A. had to be run by Bill Wilson from New York.

Many state and regional A.A. conventions were being held, and Texas, among

others, was planning to hold its own international convention, independent of

New York and the Alcoholic Foundation.

Bill Wilson, with "Disraeli-like diplomacy," according to Francis Hartigan,

told the Texas AA members he thought it would be all right if they invited

whomever they wanted to their planned 1952 convention, but he suggested they

not call it an "international" convention because this could inspire other

states to do the same.

Bill then quickly began to organize an international convention of his own, to

be held before the planned Texas convention.

Three thousand people attended the first international convention in Cleveland

at the end of July 1950. This was the only International Convention attended

by Dr. Bob. His wife, Anne, had died the year before, and Bob was very ill

with cancer.

Bill chose Cleveland for several reasons:

(1) It would be possible for Dr. Bob to attend, since it was not far from

Akron.

(2) It had one of the largest and earliest concentrations of sober alcoholics.

(3) It was the home turf of Clarence Snyder (the "Home Brewmeister) who had

begun claiming that he was the founder of AA. He based this claim on the fact

that when the Cleveland members broke away from the Akron group because

priests were refusing to allow Catholics to attend Oxford Group meetings, the

Cleveland group was the first group that used the name Alcoholics Anonymous.

(4) Convention planning required a lot of cooperation between Cleveland,

Akron, and New York, which would help to ameliorate friction between the three

groups.

To demonstrate the significance of the greater whole to which each group was

joined, Bill opened the convention wearing a lei over his right shoulder. He

explained that it was a gift to all A.A.s from a group whose members would

never attend any A.A. gathering but their own, the A.A. group at the leper

colony in Hawaii.

Dr. Bob, whose cancer was painfully advanced, spoke only briefly. The

experience exhausted him. He left the convention early and was driven home to

Akron. He died within six months, November 16, 1950.

But during his brief talk he told the assembled members: "My good friends in

A.A. and of A.A., I feel I would be very remiss if I didn't take this

opportunity to welcome you here to Cleveland, not only to this meeting but

those that have already transpired. I hope very much that the presence of so

many people and the words that you have heard will prove an inspiration to you

-- not only to you, but may you be able to impart that inspiration to the boys

and girls back home who were not fortunate enough to be able to come. In other

words, we hope that your visit here has been both enjoyable and profitable.

"I get a big thrill out of looking over a vast sea of faces like this with a

feeling that possibly some small thing I did a number of years ago played an

infinitely small part in making this meeting possible. I also get quite a

thrill when I think that we all had the same problem. We all did the same

things. We all get the same results in proportion to our zeal and enthusiasm

and stick-to-itiveness.

"If you will pardon the injection of a personal note at this time, let me say