The story of Alcoholics Anonymous starts in 1935 when a failed stockbroker and a booze-soaked surgeon met. Together they founded the group that has helped millions find recovery.
Their meeting in the living room of Akron matron Henrietta Sieberling was a rebirth for these two alcoholics. They soon began working with alcoholics at the city hospital. This resulted in one patient achieving sobriety and later the first AA meetings.
Alcoholics are people who drink too much alcohol to maintain their health. They need to stop drinking and recover from their addictions. They can do this by attending meetings of an organization called Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson were both alcoholics who had tried to get sober but had failed. When they met at the Mayflower Hotel in Akron, Ohio, they were both looking for help.
The pair shared their stories and began helping each other one person at a time. Their friendship grew until they founded Alcoholics Anonymous.
AA is now an international organization with millions of members worldwide. Founded in 1935, it is still a powerful force in the fight against alcoholism. Its 12-step program helps people recover from their addictions by focusing on honesty, purity, and service. It has also helped people with many other types of addictions.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an organization that teaches its members that drinking is a disease and that they need to stop drinking and learn how to live a life of sobriety. Through meetings, members share their personal experiences and strength with others.
A group meeting is typically held once a week and lasts an hour or so. It includes a reading, sharing, and a discussion.
AA meets in homes, hotels, hospitals, and offices. These meetings are open to anyone who wants to get help with his or her drinking problems.
The meeting is usually conducted by a secretary, who is responsible for making sure that all the meetings run smoothly. During the meeting, people share their story and take turns speaking.
Throughout the years, AA has grown into a global organization. Today, the organization is able to help millions of alcoholics around the world. Its philosophy and program is still very similar to what it was when it first began in 1935.
In 1915, Dr. Bob Smith married his high school sweetheart, Anne Ripley. The couple had a 17 year courtship and their marriage was based on faith.
Born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Bob’s father was Judge Walter Perrin Smith. He was a prominent citizen in the archetypal New England village of 7,000. He sat on the Caledonia Probate Court, served as a State’s Attorney, and was director of the Merchants National Bank. He also taught Sunday school at the North Congregational Church.
He was a steady drinker, but he worked hard to achieve his dreams. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1902, he became a medical doctor. His family had strong beliefs in strict parental supervision, no-nonsense education, and regular spiritual devotion.
A seemingly unplanned meeting in Akron, Ohio, in 1935, between a failed stockbroker and a struggling surgeon, started Alcoholics Anonymous. It began a program of recovery that has touched millions around the world.
Bill Wilson was born and grew up in East Dorset, Vermont, where he spent most of his life. He was an excellent hunter, fisherman and a student at Burr and Burton Academy, a private school a few miles away in Manchester.
Despite the fact that he often drank during his youth, he was always a very good student. He was class president, captain of the baseball team and a lead violinist in the school orchestra.
When he retired from Wall Street, Wilson returned to his hometown in order to help others recover from alcoholism. He was also able to help get the organization that he founded, Alcoholics Anonymous, established. Lois Wilson, his wife of 67 years, was there for him and worked hard to support his efforts to establish AA.
