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IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Oregon GV Nov45, from the News Circuit column: The Portland, Ore., A. A. s now have their own club rooms in the heart of the city. Although the first Portland group was founded less than two years ago, two active groups are now functioning there and holding regular bi-weekly sessions. In a note from one of the members, headed "Handshake across the Rockies, " it is reported that the groups have rented 2, 000 square feet of space on the second floor of a building directly across the street from the public library. GV Feb46, from the News Circuit column: Acquisition of clubrooms by the Portland, Oregon, Group has been announced.
The M i l l Creek Group of Salem, Ore., recently held an essay contest for members, who wrote on "What A.A. Means to Me." .
From the Pacific Northwest: The Portland, Oregon, Group is making sure, steady progress.
Portland, Ore., now has three groups with possibility of having to start a fourth as the result of continued growth. GV June47, from the News Circuit column: Discuss Northwest Conference—Possibilities of a Northwest conference have been discussed recently, according to the Beacon Hill Group of Victoria, B. C., Canada, with Vancouver and Vancouver Island Groups to join with those from Washington and Oregon. Victoria has been mentioned as a possible locale with a two or three day meeting suggested. Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and other Northwest groups are reported as welcoming the idea and promising to send good representations if it is held. Victoria A.A.s are also following the amendments and debates on a brief presented recently to the Provincial Cabinet by Vancouver, Victoria and New Westminster A.A.s concerning education on alcoholism.
(Ocean Lake). GV Oct47, the New Groups column lists - OREGON—La Grande, Group No. I in Pendleton. GV Feb48, the New Groups column lists - OREGON—Roseburg GV Mar48, the New Groups column lists - OREGON — Portland (Business Professional Group) GV Apr48, the New Groups column lists - OREGON—Portland. GV May48, the New Groups column lists - OREGON—Medford. GV Jly48, the New Groups column lists - OREGON—Hood River. GV Aug48, the New Groups column lists - OREGON—Cottage Grove.
From: t . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/21/2009 7:08:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII North Carolina GV Jan45, from the News Circuit column: The husky Braves pitcher, Nate Andrews, while at training camp last spring, went on a terrific tear that involved hidden bottles, nerve pills, and frantic long-distance telephone calls. The whole of it ended in columns of bad publicity, He was rescued by the BOSTON A. A. s, and though there was lit - tle confidence that the good-natured, popular Nate would ever fully recover from his ordeal, he did. With a sixth-place team, Nate won 16, lost 15 games, He was the best pitcher on the club. An enthusiastic member of the Boston A. A. group, he spoke often at meetings. The publicity given his dive overboard and subsequent rescue brought into the group one hundred and fifty new men during the summer. Retaining his delightful sense of humor, Nate said just before returning to his home in North Carolina, "But Ah told 'em they needn't expect me to make an example out of myself every spring. " GV Aug45, from half page article, "Shelby Group helps Carolinian Find Himself"
In the fall of 1939 the first A. A. meeting was held in Shelby, North Carolina. A group of three men met in the office of Dr. M., the sponsor of the group. Since then the group has moved meeting places several limes. At present we have clubrooms in an uptown hotel. This location is ideal, being in the center of town. We have the usual club furnishings, lockers, showers, piano, radio, pool table, reading room, and a seating capacity of one hundred and twenty-five. The membership has grown from three to forty solid members. Since 1939 more than a hundred members have passed through the club, many of whom are now in the armed services; others have gone to work in war plants, while some have moved for business reasons. In the past year, the Shelby group has been instrumental in starting clubs in Asheville, Charlotte, and Gastonia, in North Carolina, and in Spartanburg and Rock Hill in South Carolina. Some of these groups in the larger cities have grown fast and are doing outstanding work; all have got over most of their growing pains. All of these towns and cities being nearby, we have many inter-club meetings, which have been most helpful.
GV May46, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA — Whitakers and Rich Square. GV Apr46, from the New Groups column - Belhaven, N. C. GV Apr46, from the News Circuit column: The Rock Hill, S. C., Group was host to all the North and South Carolina groups at a meeting last month. Two hundred representatives were present from Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Shelby, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Hendersonville, N. C., and Columbia, Anderson, Chester, Greenville, S. C. GV June46, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA—Lenoir and Washington. GV Jly46, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA—Henderson.
Chapel Hill, N. C., Weekly: "James S., the novelist who lives in Chapel Hill, is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. . . . "One day recently he got a telephone call from a fellow member, a business man in a town not far from here, who felt the mania coming on. 'Come right on over here,' said Mr. S. The man did come, but on the way be obtained a supply of liquor, and when be arrived late in the afternoon he was roaring drunk. "There was no hospital to take him to, so Mr. S. decided he would ask the police to let him stay overnight in the jail in the basement of the Town Hall. "The initial trouble was that the police did not know Mr. S. Not being familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous, naturally they did not at once understand his explanations. " 'No wonder they thought there was something queer about me,' be said afterward. 'I had just come off my farm. I was in old dirty clothes and had a heavy growth of heard.' "He named several persons in Chapel Hill with whom he was acquainted. The jail was empty at the time, and the police willingly took the stranger in. Mr. S., seeing that there was plenty of room, asked if he could stay there, too. The police said yes, and he went to bed in one of the four bunks in the cell. Next morning the stranger, sobered up, was attended to according to the approved A.A. method." GV Sept46, from the News Circuit column: Definite arrangements have been completed for the Southern Regional Meeting in Asheville, N. C., September 16, 17 and 18, with the George Vanderbilt Hotel as headquarters. Plans are being made to accommodate the largest A.A. crowd yet assembled in the South. Nationally known speakers will be heard, and scheduled A.A. clinics will be held. These plans were announced at an Inter-Group meeting of all the Carolina groups which took place recently in Shelby, N. C., and was attended by about 90 members and their families.
In Charlotte, N. C., where the group has been unable to find any permanent clubroom space at all, and where the various meetings are held in different places, the problem has been partially solved by a member of the judiciary. Judge Reed of the Domestic Court has generously given over his courtroom at the Mecklenburg County Court House for two meetings a week. . . . The Charlotte branch, which had its inception in 1942 and reports "92% happy and sober," was well represented at a big meeting in Greenville, S. C. Other members came from groups in Rock Hill, Anderson, Spartanburg, and Inman, S. C.; and from Shelby (the original group of the Carolinas), and Asheville, N. C. Bennettsville is a recent South Carolina group to get going; others reporting increasing numbers in the two states are Andrews, Charleston, Greensboro, Greenville and Hendersonville. The two-man Elizabeth City, N. C., Group visits religiously the meetings at Norfolk, Va. GV Oct46, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA—Greensboro, Greenville and Statesville. GV Nov46, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA—Asheville (No. 2), Bethel.
Asheville, N. C., Citizen: "With more than 300 delegates registered, and 100 more expected to arrive, the annual Southeastern convention of Alcoholics Anonymous held its sessions in the main ballroom of the George Vanderbilt Hotel here. "The delegates represented 139 Groups from 13 .states. Throughout the convention, several nationally-known members of the organization were speakers." GV Dec46, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA—Chapel Hill; High Point.
GV Jan47, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA : Hickory. GV Mar47, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA—Rowland; Graham. GV Apr47, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA—Wilmington; Charlott (Myers Park Group). GV May47, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA—Albemarle; Leaksville; New River. GV June47, from the News Circuit column: Since starting almost a year ago the Chapel Hill, N. C., Group has branched out with groups started in Burlington, Raleigh and Durham. Although losing some members to the new organizations, stimulating programs have kept the attendance between 20 and 40 and members report it has not been "to difficult to keep interest alive." . . . From Charlotte, N. C., The A.A. Grapevine hears that the Myers Park Group held its first meeting in February and has grown fast since that time. Meetings are Monday nights at 8 at the Myers Park Methodist Church.
Lumberton; Raleigh; Southern Pines. GV Aug47, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA—Bladenboro; Boone.
The Durham, N. C. Group was reorganized early this year with five members, one former member of the old group, and it now numbers about 30, all new except the one mentioned. Progress is felt to be on a solid basis. The Durham Group, with the cooperation of the Chapel Hill, Burlington and Raleigh Groups, hopes to hold a public meeting soon. Several Durham members recently visited New York and enjoyed a visit to the Alcoholic Foundation.
of Many In Salisbury, N. C. Group" We started our group here in Salisbury, N. C. November 6, 1946, with what we called five and one-half members! This half member had just come off a terrible three-weeks' bender and was so shaky we told him he really didn't count as a whole member. But, believe me, be counts now. He has enjoyed complete sobriety since then, and has brought many members to our group. During our ten months of existence, more than fifty alcoholics have joined us. Not all of them stuck, but the majority did. Some of these have moved away or have traveling jobs which prevent their taking an active part in our group work, but they are sober and giving credit to A.A. More than two dozen of us are wearing A.A. pins which means that the wearers have three or more months of sobriety to their credit.
Lincolnton.
(Beverly Hills Group), New Bern GV Nov47, from the News Circuit column: North Carolina Groups Solid—From Kings Mountain, N. C.. The. Grapevine's correspondent reports that not only his own Group with 12 members, but others, are "solid." The Kings Mountain Group was started some years ago by Paul M., a non-alcoholic, who provided transportation to Shelby for anyone wishing to try the A.A. way. The group reports a gain of about a member each week. . . The Shelby Group is over six years old and has been aiding men from all over the South. . . Lincolnton is growing and has a fine clubroom open all the time, while Hickory, too, has a growing Group and good quarters. . . The Gastonia Group has started for the third time, with new determination to suc- ceed. . . Rockhill now has about 30 members. They meet with men from York, Chester and Fort Mill each Wednesday. Members from other towns also attend. . . Andrews Group has also been growing and helping Conway, S. C., and Myrtle Beach get going. Bennettsville, S. C., and Rowland. N. C., are holding regular weekly meetings with good results. . . Average attendance at Charlotte has been about 50 with six to eight new men at each meeting. The new club room is ready to go. The Myers Park Group meets at Myers Park Methodist Church Monday and Friday nights at 8, with open sessions and fellowship gatherings following. New men and women from all groups meet at the YMCA on Sunday night to the number of about 85 to 90, starting with a general subject and splitting up into three discussion groups. . . . Another Women's Auxiliary—Along with a list of 10 subscriptions to The Grapevine, the Hickory, N. C., Group reports that all these new subscribers are part of a recently formed A.A. Auxiliary of 36 members who plan to study A.A. as well as help other women who are "going through what we have, and maybe through the wives bring other men into A.A." There are two meetings and one social every month.
A total of 24 states and Canada, and 112 groups were represented in the registration. Tennessee, of course, led in both the. number of groups represented—11—and in the number of individual A.A.s attending—173. Alabama was second with 57 members from 10 groups attending. North Carolina was third in the number of groups represented, accounting for nine, but Oklahoma, though technically outside the conference region, reported the third largest number of individual A.A.s present, with 47. GV Nov47, from the Clip Sheet column: Gastonia, N. C., Gazette—"A small but growing group of Gastonia men assembles in a room in uptown Gastonia each Thursday in the interest of self help. It is a sober group, pursuing a sane and sober objective. It is a unit of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization of those suffering from the disease of alcoholism or near-alcoholism, and to reclaiming their lives for wholesome and productive living. That it is a stride forward in the interest of both the individual and society is evident from the thousands of lives reclaimed from stagnation and turned to constructive pursuits by A.A. already." GV Jan48, from the News Circuit column: Asheville Into New Quarters—Formed in March, 1944, and now numbering 60 members, the Asheville, N. C., Group recently moved into its new club and celebrated with open house. Included in the new home are a spacious lounge, comfortably furnished club rooms, coffee bar, large log burning fireplace, a pool table and two bowling alleys.
GV Mar48, from the New Groups column - NORTH CAROLINA — Oxford GV Mar48, from the News Circuit column: Six Out of Seven—New quarters for the Henderson (N. C.) Group are ready for occupancy, the membership roll totals about 30 and the record shows two open banquets, with 80 persons in attendance at each, in addition to the regular weekly meetings—all in scarcely five months. The group held its first meeting last October 1, with seven alcoholics present. Of those original seven, six have gained and maintained their sobriety.
Rockingham. GV May48, from AA Digest [clips from group publications]: A.A. Rebound, Asheville, N. C.: "We have heard recent talk about A.A. Tradition and that we should study and familiarize ourselves with the 12 Points. There may be some who immediately view with alarm and look around inquiringly to ask, "What's wrong?" There is nothing wrong. The ship is on an even keel. All is well. But do we recall our various school day (and later) vaccinations and their purpose? Well, that's what a study of the A.A. Tradition can be, preventive medicine. We owe it to ourselves and to the group to inoculate ourselves against any possible disease of disharmony or disunity. In knowledge we are forewarned and forearmed. The booklet of A.A. Tradition, properly absorbed, is a concrete vaccination." GV June48, from the News Circuit column: Another new group is thriving in Oxford, N. C. Starting with five members last December the group now has 20 members and reports no slips to date.
November 5-6-7—North Carolina Groups; First Annual Convention, Charlotte, N. C. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5981. . . . . . . . . . . . Who suffered from grave emotional and mental disorders? From: katiebartlett79 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/22/2009 10:45:00 AM
"There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest."
do we know the names of any specific people who got sober in AA in spite of the fact that they suffered from "grave emotional and mental disorders"?
basing this statement? Thanks IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5982. . . . . . . . . . . . Review of Bill White''s book Slaying the Dragon From: allan_gengler . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/26/2009 9:08:00 AM
Bill W. and High Watch Farm, wrote: > > See William L. White, "Slaying the Dragon: > The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery > in America ," pages 172-175. Here's a pretty good book review of that book, which looks very interesting: http://www.unhooked.com/booktalk/slaying_the_dragon.htm - - - - From GC the moderator: For those who do not know about Bill White's book, it is on Charlie Bishop's list of the Fifty Best Books to read for a good understanding of A.A. history: http://hindsfoot.org/fiftybk.html IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5983. . . . . . . . . . . . First AA group in Louisiana From: Dale T. Doucet . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/25/2009 12:21:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII First registered group in Louisiana: New Orleans Group May 1943 - 12 members
in the Times Picayune** with an invitation for all with a drinking problem to come to an organizational meeting. The first lone member in New Orleans was in August 1942. Louisiana's first contact with New York was in 1940.
- - - - **The Times Picayune is the famous New Orleans newspaper, founded in 1837, when it sold for a Spanish coin called a picayune, worth one sixteenth of a U.S. dollar. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5984. . . . . . . . . . . . From the Grapevine: North Dakota From: t . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/21/2009 7:09:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII North Dakota GV Aug45, from the News Circuit column: In Fargo, N. D., a pastor speaking before a businessmen's club, said the basis for A. A. 's effectiveness was "spiritual. " GV Aug46, from the New Groups column - NORTH DAKOTA—Cando, Fargo, Grand Forks and Kenmare. GV Nov46, from the New Groups column - NORTH DAKOTA—Beach. GV Dec46, from the New Groups column - NORTH DAKOTA—Jamestown. GV Mar47, from the New Groups column - NORTH DAKOTA—New Rockford.
Jamestown, N. D,, Group, which was organized September 28, 1946, observed its first anniversary recently with the two members of the St. Paul, Minn., Group who started the organization returning for the meeting to present year pins to three of the original group. During the year the Group has tripled in growth and in becoming associated with the North Dakota State hospital in the city has aided with hospitalized alcoholics as a major part of its 12th Step work. More than 30 patients have been exposed to A.A. through this group and have been sent out to other groups or to organize their own groups in some other part of the state. The project for the coming year will be to acquaint better the local and civic community with the workings and benefits of A.A. GV Jly48, article titled "A New Club Room Comes From Price Of A Cup of Coffee"
A year ago there were 15 of us ex-stews in Fargo. Number 16, upon completion of hospitalization for his last drunk—that is —nervous breakdown—asked a 12th Stepper to pay for his coffee. Because, he said, all he had to his name was a silver dollar which had come his way the day he was released. This A.A. neophyte, still thinking alcoholically, saw an opportunity for a free cup of coffee. The old 12th Stepper saw hope. Fargo's ex-Scotch-drinking Scotchman and intellectual par excellence visualized a symbol. Says Mac, "And your carrying the silver as a Symbol of Sobriety?" So our group became the S.O.S. Group of Fargo. We purchased a new clubhouse . . . SILVER DOLLAR, SYMBOL OF SOBRIETY, SOCIETY OF FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, and became a non-profit corporation set up in accordance with the laws of North Dakota for giving the philosophy of A.A. and holding property. Perhaps we were piqued when we were tagged the Society of Soaks. Because that Silver Dollar was our own non-abstract symbol of the abstract philosophy freeing US from desperate terrifying distress . . . even as it is the international call of distress. And should we reach for the change for that first drink there is that 1922 mint dollar, with our initials and dry date suitably inscribed, reminding us of our morning pledge. Why even the United States Mint cooperated with the words . . . "In God We Trust"! ! ! Humorous Suggestions Yes, we were even flattered when such humorous suggestions as "Shakes Over Scotch"—"Scarcity of Stimulants"—"Solicitors of Stews"—"Soaks Often Shaky" . . . and such sober truths as "Surrender or Stumble"—"Slippers Often Skeptical"— "Soaks Open Sanitarium"—"Scotch, Opiates, Stumblebums" . . . were proposed. Now there are 50 of us ... and that Silver Dollar???? JUST ASK THE MAN WHO OWNS ONE! ! ! !— E.V.G., Fargo, N. D. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5985. . . . . . . . . . . . Beginnings of AA in New Hampshire From: Bob Kelley . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/27/2009 7:48:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII New Hampshire A.A. Chronology - Alcoholic Anonymous . New Hampshire . Area 43 1946 - 2003 JUNE 1946 In the 1962 Delegate report Glen E. S. said that in Portsmouth (1946) there were some closed private AA meetings in Lawyer Arthur M.'s office. Then a man by by the name of Arthur D. came from Boston. Arthur came from a family of musicians that liked to hassle the Italians whenever they could and there was old J.B., a well-known businessman in Portsmouth. They had AA meetings in Banker Bill W.'s House on Middle Street. Later the meetings moved to the Portsmouth Community Center. AUGUST 1946 Our first organized A.A. Group was in Manchester in August of 1946. A woman by the name of Mary W. who got sober in New Rochelle N.Y. went to the City Hall in Manchester and spoke with Judge Chretien and Monsignor James McGreal about starting an AA meeting, they liked the idea and gave her a meeting place in the City Hall building. This meeting eventually disbanded and in August of 1947 The Brookside Original AA Group was founded.
AA"?
From: juan.aa98 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/27/2009 9:31:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Is there a pamphlet or other piece of literature called "Widows of AA" ? I have run across a reference to it, but do not know if it actually exists. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5987. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Review of Bill White''s book Slaying the Dragon From: diazeztone . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/26/2009 9:20:00 PM
since its publication, has also been on the AA Bibliography website and its beginner's "Recommended AA History Readings": http://aabibliography.com/beginnersbooks.htm http://aabibliography.com/pdffiles/beginbksbibliography.pdf (list updated Jan 09) I have two other book reviews of this book I need to post, one by myself and one by another person.
to have a book review area like the one where the review of Bill White's book appeared: The Life Ring site at http://www.unhooked.com/ with the book reviews on its Book Talk section at http://lsrbooks.blogspot.com/ I have tried to imitate this on my own on the aabibliography.com site, but not with much success. The secular Life Ring folks seem to have much advanced, and have had much more dedication and concentration on reviewing books about drug addiction, alcoholism and even Alcoholics Anonymous, than the AA's and Alanons have.
they have is much more efficient than the way I had wanted to do it on the aabibliography site. (Even unhooked.com has changed from older manual format to blog format.) This site (unhooked.com) also reviews White's other book "Inebriates," which I do not own. LD Pierce aabibliograpy.com - - - - In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, "allan_gengler" > > John Barton > Bill W. and High Watch Farm, wrote: > >
> > See William L. White, "Slaying the Dragon: > > The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery > > in America ," pages 172-175. > > Here's a pretty good book review of that book, > which looks very interesting: > > http://www.unhooked.com/booktalk/slaying_the_dragon.htm > > - - - - > > From GC the moderator: For those who do not > know about Bill White's book, it is on Charlie > Bishop's list of the Fifty Best Books to read > for a good understanding of A.A. history: > > http://hindsfoot.org/fiftybk.html > IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5988. . . . . . . . . . . . From the Grapevine: Louisiana From: Glenn Chesnut . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/28/2009 4:18:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII From: t (tcumming at nc.rr.com) Louisiana GV Mar45, in the News Circuit column: "A.A.s of the lush, bayou country of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, wisely stress the lack of "moral lecturing" in their publicity."
"Our school system is gradually being instructed in A. A. Paul C. Young of the Louisiana State University faculty was recently quoted in the state newspapers for his enthusiastic support of our program." GV Dec45, in the News Circuit column: noted Louisiana as being one of the eleven states represented at the first regional AA convention in Birmingham Ala.
"Baton Rouge, La., A.A.s, at their first anniversary meeting, were hosts to representative groups from New Orleans, Covington, Bogalusa, Hammond, Franklinton, Gonzales, Plaquemine, and Tylertown, Miss. One of the guest speakers was the Rev. Henry A. Rickey of Bogalusa, who attended the Yale School of Alcohol Studies last summer; another was Dr. Glenn J. Smith, superintendent of the East Louisiana Hospital at Jackson, who spoke of how much the people of the state were being benefited by the work of A.A. . . . The 400 members of the eight St. Louis, Mo., Groups have held their fifth anniversary meeting. "
"A series of seven articles on A.A. have been prepared by the Shreveport, La., Group and are now appearing in the Shreveport Times. " GV Apr46, in the New Groups column mentions- Covington, West Monroe and Minden,
La.; GV Apr46, in the New Circuit column: " A Baton Rouge, La., A.A. spoke at a luncheon of the Cooperative Club of that city. In the same state, the Alexandria Group is now holding meetings in the Salvation Army's Red Shield center.
"Covington, La., A.A.s, whose membership encompasses Amita, Bogalusa, Franklinton, Hammond and Ponchatoula, are running a series of newspaper articles on alcoholism and A.A." GV June46, in the New Circuit column: The New Orleans, La., Group, started March 30, 1943, has grown to an active membership of almost 200. They have been instrumental in assisting to organize groups in Covington, Abbeville, and Pollack, La.; and Tylertown, Miss. The latest one started on the Mississippi Gulf Coast includes members from Gulfport, Biloxi, and other towns in the vicinity. This group was suggested by the major in charge of the Veterans Hospital at Gulfport, who is interested in A.A. work. The same applies to the Marine Hospital in New Orleans, where the chief psychiatrist is a friend of A.A. and has made some several talks before the group." "...Shreveport, La., members have helped the Minden Group to get started with two meetings weekly. . . . " GV June46, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- Monroe. GV Aug46, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- Baton Rouge (Capital Area Group). GV Oct46, in the News Circuit column: Two more groups, New Orleans and Houston, have participated in CBS's "Quiz of Two Cities" program. New Orleans came off the winner. . . . A.A.s from New Orleans addressed the Hammond, La., Group; attending were members from chapters which derived from the original New Orleans Group: Hammond, Covington, and Houma, La.; Tylertown and Gulfport, Miss. Quite a few veterans are coming into the New Orleans chapter, direct from the Veterans Hospital -- where the medical staff is 100% for A.A.
"Doctor, Psychiatrist Speak. -- Signing the letter "A-lways A-chieving," the A.A. Grapevine correspondent from New Orleans reports Tuesday night open meetings have heard a prominent doctor of psychiatry, who agrees with the A.A. program, and a national business executive who recommends it. Visitors from many places have visited the club room at 1113 Chartres Street in the basement of General Beauregard's former home and good Louisiana coffee is promised to all who come that way." GV Feb47, in the News Circuit column: "Group Branches Out. -- Covington , La. Group has started to include the towns of Hammond, Bogalusa and surrounding rural areas since its founding in November, 1945. After the usual growing pains about a dozen are continuously sober with two new members celebrating their first year at a supper recently. Bogalusa will have its own group in the near future and Hammond is expected to have a separate one soon. The three towns may then hold an open meeting each month with each town holding its own weekly meeting. Much cooperation has been received from the New Orleans Group." GV Mar47, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- Crawley. GV June47, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- Shreveport (Caddo Group). GV Jly47, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- Maplewood (Calcasieu Parish Group). GV Jly47, in the News Circuit column: "Still We Spread -- The Calcasieu Parish Group of A. A. with membership from Lake Charles, Sulphur and Maplewood, La., has been formed with other towns nearby listed as Vinton, De Ridder, De Quincy, Kinder and Jennings. Meetings are at the Charleston Hotel in Lake Charles, Room 201 at 7:30 on Thursday. The phone number is Lake Charles 4287 and the post office box 2584, Maplewood. " GV Jly47, in the Clip Sheet column: "New Orleans, La., States: "This evening A.A. makes one of its rare public appearances, the purpose being to explain to the public its manner of throwing the life-line to tragic, helpless and all but hopeless members of society. New Orleans has its share, and probably more, of the 300,000 alcoholics in the nation and the 7,000,000 persons in the country who drink more than they should or is good for them. The excessive drinker has a sickness, It is not a sickness that yields to ordinary medical or surgical treatment. it is not one that can be treated in clinic or hospital with a good prospect of success. But it can be treated, and is, with conspicuous success by this organization of anonymous practitioners." GV Sept47, in the News Circuit column: "60 At First Open Meeting -- The Calcasieu Parish Group held its first open meeting at Lake Charles, La., in July, with M. H. of Memphis as the guest speaker and 20 A.A.s and about 40 friends and relatives attending. Not only have several calls been received by the group since the meeting; the newspaper announcement of it also brought forth a couple who were formerly affiliated with the Kansas City, Kan., and Corpus Christ! Groups, and didn't know of the existence of a chapter in their new home." GV Oct47, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- Welch. GV Feb48, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- Houma GV Mar48, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- Hammond GV June48, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- LaFayette. GV Jly48, in the New Groups column mentions- LOUISIANA -- Natchitoches; Oak Grove, Caroll Group. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5989. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Is there a work called Widows of AA?
From: Shakey1aa@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/28/2009 6:12:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII One major list of AA pamphlets can be found on the silkworth.net site. Early to present pamphlets can be found here, both those published by the New York AA office, and those published by various AA groups, along with their history: http://silkworth.net/aa/aa_pamphlets.html Silkworth is a great site -- the answers to many archival questions can be found here. Yours in Service, Shakey Mike Gwirtz Phila, PA USA see you at NAW in Ca. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5990. . . . . . . . . . . . Beginnings of AA in Louisiana: Baton Rouge
From: Tom Hickcox . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/28/2009 4:49:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII The first A.A. meeting in Baton Rouge was held on December 10, 1944, at 720 Laurel Street. Tommy H in Baton Rouge - - - - See Grapevine reference in AAHL Message No. 5988 http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/message/5988 from: t (tcumming at nc.rr.com) >GV Feb46, in the News Circuit column: >"Baton Rouge, La., A.A.s, at their first anniversary >meeting, were hosts to representative >groups from New Orleans, Covington, Bogalusa, >Hammond, Franklinton, Gonzales, Plaquemine, >and Tylertown, Miss. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5991. . . . . . . . . . . . AA in Louisiana: Beauregard House in New Orleans (with photos) From: Tom Hickcox . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/28/2009 4:45:00 PM
New Orleans: See Grapevine reference in AAHL Message No. 5988 http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/message/5988 from: t (tcumming at nc.rr.com) >GV Jan47, in the News Circuit column: >"Doctor, Psychiatrist Speak. -- Signing the >letter "A-lways A-chieving," the A.A. Grapevine >correspondent from New Orleans reports >Tuesday night open meetings have heard a >prominent doctor of psychiatry, who agrees >with the A.A. program, and a national business >executive who recommends it. Visitors from >many places have visited the club room at 1113 >Chartres Street in the basement of General Beauregard's >former home and good Louisiana coffee >is promised to all who come that way." This is the famous Beauregard House. When we go to New Orleans, we stay at a motel on that same corner of Chartres and Ursulines. T - - - - PHOTO OF THE BEAUREGARD HOUSE: Tommy, This is the Beauregard House that is being referred to, isn't it? http://new-orleans.travelape.com/attractions/beauregard-keyes-house/ In the Old French Quarter of New Orleans, along Chartres Street, lies an architectural jewel in the Palladian and Louisiana raised-cottage style - the Beauregard House. Built in 1826 by the French auctioneer Joseph LeCarpentier, Beauregard House stands on land purchased from the Ursuline nuns whose convent is across the street. Designed by the Spaniard architect Francisco Correjolles, the cottage
was built as the residence of LeCarpentier. The famous chess master Paul Morphy
(son of LeCarpentier's daughter and Judge Alonzo Morphy) was born here in 1837.
Orleanian who rented rooms here after the Civil War. After passing through the
hands of many owners, the home almost became a macaroni factory in 1925. That
fate was halted when concerned citizens formed the Beauregard Memorial Association. The home sat is disrepair until purchased in 1944 by novelist Frances Parkinson Keys and she commissioned the restoration. She used the home
as a winter residence and wrote several of her novels here including 'Dinner at Antoine's'. She furnished the home with several original Beauregard pieces and memorabilia as well as her own collections. There are five portraits in the home of Beauregard, his daughter, and his granddaughters which belonged to the Beauregard family. Ms. Keys had impressive collections - ceiling fans, over 200
dolls from all over the world, and veilleuse (tiny teapots) - all here on display. The home is a lovely representation of the times. The lower level of the raised cottage, originally an above-ground basement, was used for storage and a wine cellar. - - - - OTHER PHOTOS AT: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Chartres_Street,_French_Quarter http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BeauregardHouseChartresDown1900s.jpg - - - - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_i n_Or\
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FQ29Jan07BeauregardHouse3.jpg - - - - Glenn C. (South Bend, Indiana) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5992. . . . . . . . . . . . Who are you sitting next to? From: Elisabeth . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/29/2009 2:18:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Hi All, A while ago, www.silkworth.net had a story on their website called "Who are you sitting next to?" Does anyone have that story either downloaded or have a link to it? I can't find it on the website, it seems to have disappeared. :-(
about the closed insider "clique" in an AA group seeing a newcomer/out-of-Towner, and not acknowledging them at all at the meeting. After that meeting that I called on that topic was over and to this day, a lot of the people in that group are still deliberately welcoming strangers at meetings, like we are supposed to. I would really like to get a copy of that story so I could use it again. Can anyone help? Elisabeth IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5993. . . . . . . . . . . . Spanish AA History From: juan.aa98 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/21/2009 9:54:00 AM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I have found that the first ever Spanish AA literature came out of Mexico in 1947. The Akron A.A. pamphlet was translated in Nuevo Leon in Mexico by a wife, Francisca Gonzalez, wanting to get her husband sober. She later divorced him for not being able to stay sober. That is the first piece of Spanish AA literature to be mass produced. Dick Perez made the first translation of the AA Big Book into Spanish, completed in early 1946 with his wife doing most of the work. It took them three years.
His version never made it to mass production. It is a mystery what happened to it. It was turned over to Bill W. but it is yet to be found. In late 1947, a Puerto Rican professional translator, Frank Muniz, also translated the Big Book. There are four main versions of the book in Spanish: the Puerto Rican, Mexican,
Salvadorian, and Colombian, and each has its own quirky history. There was even
a Castillian Spanish version made by Carlos Camara in Mexico in 1962 for the more "high society" AA readers. For North and South American Spanish speakers, it sounded like a translation of the Big Book into Shakespearean English. But that is a translation widely used today. Looking through the different translations and editions from different countries -- Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Spain, and Puerto Rico -- there are some words, phrases and ideas lost in translation. The New York central office pushed so that by 1961 all basic AA material was available in Spanish. But the gap from 1947-1961 gave rise to Spanish-speaking temperance/AA groups that came and went. The first actual Spanish-speaking group did not actually begin until the late
1950's, but is still there. The first group in Mexico or anywhere else in Latin
America was an English-speaking group in the late 1940's. This gap in the availability of Spanish AA literature was an important reason
for some of the major divisions in the Spanish program today. So we have the fact that in Mexico there are now two different central offices, AA Mexico and AA Seccion Mexico. The start of AA in Guatemala, the birth place of the Podium, was very interesting. In El Salvador, the Little Red Book was translated very early on, and was more
widely used than the Big Book during the early days. The early financial sponsorship of the Colombian AA Central Office by a Colombian tobacco company shaped some of the struggles in Colombia. The first translation of the Big Book in Columbia was done by a typing school, copy by copy. They were distributed mistakes and all -- not one of those books is alike.
Cleveland to try to piece together more of this information.
month.
> > > Sept 24-27, 2009, in Woodland Hills, > > > California, a western suburb of Los Angeles: > > > http://www.aanationalarchivesworkshop.com/
Al-Anons, the wives of these men, whom they were instrumental in getting sober. The other
big contribution came from sober AA members willing to translate and publish non-New York literature helpful to early AA's, like the Little Red Book, Father John Doe's Golden Books, and different letters and articles from the Grapevine published by now non-existent sobriety publications from the 50's and 60's. The AA people in Mexico and some of the archivists in the US have been very helpful in my search. But any other Spanish literature or information that anyone would like to share to continue solving some of these puzzles would be appreciated. My email address is: juan.aa98@yahoo.com (juan.aa98 at yahoo.com)
1st Spanish translation) From: juan.aa98 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/27/2009 2:18:00 AM
daughter? As mentioned in my earlier message, Dick Perez made the first translation of the AA Big Book into Spanish, which was completed in early 1946. His version was never published, as far as I have to been able to tell, and it is a mystery what happened to it. It was turned over to Bill W. but it is yet to be found.
daughter, to see if I can find out more. I have been told that she lives in southern California. Could any AA historians from California or Cleveland tell me how I could make contact with her? My email address is: juan.aa98@yahoo.com (juan.aa98 at yahoo.com)
history of Spanish-speaking AA. God bless Juan R. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5995. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Who are you sitting next to? From: aadavidi . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/29/2009 3:02:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Google search turned up: The Home Group: Who's Sitting Next to You? AA Grapevine, March 1991 See the Grapevine Digital Archive http://www.aagrapevine.org/da/ Here's the silkworth.net link: http://silkworth.net/grapevine/home_group.html IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5996. . . . . . . . . . . . Who''s sitting next to you? From: behunter34453 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/29/2009 4:50:00 PM IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WHO'S SITTING NEXT TO YOU? I know who you are. You are "X" who attends the ABC Meeting at the XYZ Club where AAs meet in Anywhere, U.S.A. I saw you there the other night at the eight o'clock meeting. I don't know how long you've been sober, but I know you've been coming around for a while because you spoke to a lot of people who knew you.
other night, a stranger in a strange town. I got a cup of coffee, paid for it, and sat down by myself.
you quickly averted your eyes and sought out a familiar face. I sat there through the meeting. It was okay, a slightly different format but basically the same kind of meeting as the one I go to at home. The topic was gratitude. You and your friends spoke about how much AA means to you. You talked about the camaraderie in your meeting place. You said how much the people there had helped you when you first came through the door - how they extended the hand of friendship to make you feel welcome, and asked you to come back.
entrance so welcoming and so comfortable. You talked about how the newcomer is the life blood of AA. I agree, but I didn't say so. In fact, I didn't share in your meeting. I signed my name in the book that was passed around, but the chairperson didn't refer to it. He only called on those people in the room whom he knew.
Although yours was a closed meeting, you didn't even ask if I belonged there.
and distrust, knowing AA wouldn't work any better than anything else I'd tried, and I would have left convinced that I was right.
someone would reach out and pull me from the pit of loathing and self-pity from which, by myself, I could find no escape.
assigned to write a paper on how AA works - someone who shouldn't have been permitted to sit there at all but could have been directed to an open meeting to learn what I needed to know. Or I could have been sent by the courts, wanting to know more, but afraid to ask. It happens that I was none of the above. I was just an ordinary drunk with a few years of sober living in AA who was traveling and was in need of a meeting. My only problem that night was that I'd been alone with my own mind too long. I just needed to touch base with my AA family. I know from past experience that I could have walked into your meeting place smiling, stuck out my hand to the first person I saw and said, "Hi. My name is - . I'm an alcoholic from - ."
welcomed. You would have asked me if I knew Old So-and-so from my state, or you might have shared a part of your drunkalog that occurred in my part of the country. Why didn't I? I was hungry, lonely, and tired. The only thing missing was angry, but three out of four isn't a good place for me to be. So I sat silently through your meeting, and when it was over I watched enviously as all of you gathered in small groups, talking to one another the same way we do in my home town.
meeting at a nearby coffee shop. By this time I had been silent too long to reach out to you. I stopped by the bulletin board to read the notices there, kind of hanging around without being too obvious, hoping you might ask if I wanted to join you, but you didn't.
out-of-state license plates you looked my way again. Our eyes met briefly and I mustered a smile. Again, you looked away.
I was staying. As I lay in my bed waiting for sleep to come, I made a gratitude list. You were on it, along with your friends at the meeting place. I knew that you were there for me, and that I needed you far more than you needed me. I knew that if I had needed help, and had asked for it, you would have gladly given it. But I wondered . . . what if I hadn't been able to ask? I know who you are. Do you remember me? IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ++++Message 5997. . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Silkworth''s home in Little Silver, New Jersey From: silkworthdotnet . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/29/2009 10:17:00 PM
makes mention of Dr. William Duncan Silkworth, MD commuting from a small house in Little Silver to work.
of this little house mentioned in the following article?
The Roundtable of AA History January 10, 1998 WILLIAM DUNCAN SILKWORTH, MD (1873-1951) From Mike O., of The Just Do It Big Book Study Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, DeBary, Florida.
began
an indispensable contribution to Alcoholics Anonymous during the early 1930's
from his position as medical director of Charles B. Towns Hospital, 293 Central
Park West (89th street), New York, N.Y. Towns, founded in 1901, was well known
then as a rich man's drying-out place; a rehab for the wealthy, and it served a
worldwide clientele. American millionaires, European royalty and oil sheiks from
the middle east walked its halls, side by side: brothers in humiliation in bathrobes and slippers. It was Dr. Silkworth who told Bill Wilson, during the summer of 1933, of the nature of alcoholism: that, in his opinion, the problem had nothing to do with vice or habit or lack of character. It was, he said, an illness with both mental and physical components. Silkworth is quoted widely as calling the illness a combination of "---an obsession of the mind that condemns one to drink and an allergy of the body that condemns one to die" or go mad if one continues to ingest alcohol. Dr. Silkworth was not the first highly respected authority to write about alcoholism. Solomon, considered the wise man of his era, wrote about it in Proverbs, Chapter 23, and Verses 29 through 35. Solomon's Biblical words seem an
accurate description of the alcoholic of today. Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of The Declaration of Independence, was
the first member of the medical community to write about alcoholism and suggest
it might be an illness. In a medical paper he wrote in 1784, Dr. Rush said he thought alcoholism was "-a disease process." He offered no further clinical evidence. So: Dr. Silkworth, it appears, was the first medical person to detail
alcoholism, in writing, as an illness. Silkworth, thus, disagreed with his employer, Charles B. Towns. Towns, who had
once claimed to have a "cure" for alcoholism, believed firmly in a physiological, medical model of addiction. But, he denied that alcoholism, per se, was a disease. Silkworth argued that certain individuals were "constitutionally susceptible to sensitization by alcohol" and that drinking sparked an allergic reaction. This, he insisted, made it physically impossible for an alcoholic ever to tolerate alcohol. Moreover, he said, that problem drinkers would have to learn and accept this fact as part of their treatment. Silkworth played a major role in many of the early recoveries from active alcoholism, particularly those in New York. It's estimated that he treated forty-thousand alcoholics during his career. The introduction to his writings in the book, "Alcoholics Anonymous" says early AA members considered the Brooklyn-born Silkworth no less than a medical saint. Dr. Silkworth advised Bill Wilson to stop preaching at the drunks he was trying
to help by telling them about his powerful spiritual experience. Silkworth urged
Wilson to begin, instead, by telling each of the alcoholics that his condition was hopeless, a matter of life-or-death. Only then, Silkworth believed, would
the drunks be willing to listen to a story about a spiritual remedy. Through no fault of the doctor's, there is disagreement about parts of his professional history and about his birth year. In Silkworth's biography in the book, "Dictionary of American Temperance Biography: From Temperance Reform to Alcohol Research, the 1600s to the 1980s," the historian Mark Edward Lender lists Silkworth's date of birth as July 22, 1877. All other sources used in this
compilation, which contain a date of birth for Silkworth, including his New York
Times obituary, agree that Silkworth's birth year was 1873. It's agreed, generally, that Silkworth graduated from Princeton University (A.B.
1896) and that he took his M.D. degree from New York University-Bellevue Medical
School (1899). But, two principal sources, "Pass It On," published by Alcoholics Anonymous, and, "Not-God," researched and written by the widely respected historian Ernest Kurtz, Ph.D and published by Hazleden, offer differing versions of his career path thereafter. "Pass It On," (p. 101) reports Silkworth became a specialist in neurology, a domain that sometimes overlaps psychiatry, and entered private practice in the 1920's. It says Silkworth invested his savings in a stock subscription for a new, private hospital. "Pass It On" says Silkworth's investment came with the
promise of a staff position when the hospital was built. But, the report says
Silkworth lost everything in the stock market collapse of 1929. And,"Pass It On"
quotes Bill Wilson as saying that Silkworth, in desperation, went to Towns in 1930 for compensation of about forty dollars a week, plus board. "Not-God," (p. 22) reports that after he received his medical degree from NYU, Silkworth began a coveted internship during 1900 at Bellevue Hospital, 462 First Avenue (27th. Street), in Manhattan. It says that in 1924-after completing specialty training as a neuro-psychiatrist---Silkworth became medical director of Towns. "Not-God" notes that Dr. Silkworth estimated his patients' rate of recovery, until Bill Wilson came along, at "approximately only two percent."
arrival
date at Towns. A third source offers a wider time differential but more information about Silkworth. The respected Journal of Studies on Alcohol, published monthly by The Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey reports Silkworth arrived at Towns in 1932. An article by Leonard Blumberg, (Professor of Sociology, Temple University, Philadelphia Vol. 38. No. 11, 1977, "The Ideology of a Therapeutic Social Movement: Alcoholics Anonymous") says Dr. Silkworth worked at Towns from 1932 until his death in 1951. Silkworth's entire career had a psychiatric emphasis. He was a member of the psychiatric staff at the US. Army Hospital in Plattsburgh, New York, for two years (1917-1919) during World War I.
Institute of Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan from 1919 to 1929. He had also been connected with Broad Street Hospital. The Blumberg article leaves room for speculation about the circumstances under
which Silkworth left the prestigious Presbyterian Hospital in 1929. It concludes that he probably was laid off during a staff reduction following the stock market crash of that same year. The article does not attempt to fill the time vacuum of approximately three years until it says Silkworth went to Towns. Regardless of his starting date at Towns, Wilson said Silkworth's arrival there
was the turning point in the doctor's life. Nearly all sources agree that he worked there approximately nineteen years. Additionally, Dr. Silkworth was a major influence in persuading the management of Knickerbocker Hospital in upper Manhattan to set aside a small ward, beginning in 1945, for the treatment of alcoholics. Knickerbocker was the first general hospital in New York to do so. (This is significant because many general hospitals at that time would not admit alcoholics as alcoholics. Their doctors had to admit them under false diagnoses.) Dr. Silkworth served six years at Knickerbocker as director of alcoholic treatment, attending an estimated seven
thousand alcoholics. Teddy R., a nurse who was an AA member, ran the alcoholism ward. Figures as to costs at Knickerbocker are unconfirmable. But, the fees and
other expenses there were much less than at Towns, where patients paid $125.00
for one week of treatment, during the early and mid-1930's. At Knickerbocker, drunks off the street with no financial resources were de-toxified.
attack
at his home, 45 W. 81st. Street, New York. He and his wife, Marie, had lived in Manhattan during their later years. But, it's known that he commuted for Yüklə 11,49 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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