William Griffith Wilson
born Nov. 26, 1895, in a
small room behind a bar in
East Dorsett, VT., to Gilman
1901 - Professor and Emily Wilson.
William James lectures
at University of
Edinburgh, Scotland.
Lectures published as
The Varieties of
Religious Experience
in 1902. Bill's father, Gilman, deserts
the family.
Bill's mother, Emily, moves to
Boston and becomes an Osteopathic
Physician. Bill and sister
Dorothy live with maternal grand-
parents, Fayette and Ella
Griffith.
Bill's first "success" making a
boomerang - "a fitting irony".
@1907 - About age 12 Bill "leaves
the Church" over a required
1908 - Oxford Group temperance pledge.
begun as A First Century
Christian Fellowship.
Frank Buchman, Founder.
They espoused the Four
Absolutes: Honesty,
Purity, Unselfishness
and Love. They 1909 - Bill begins secondary
practiced the princi- education at Burr & Burton
ples of self-survey Academy.
confession; restitution;
and service to others. 1911 - Ebby Thatcher
and Bill first met.
1912 - Bill's "first love",
Bertha Bamford, dies after
surgery in New York. Bill
began a three year depression.
1914-1918, World War I
1914 - Bill enters Norwich
University - a military college
with strict discipline.
Bill meets Lois Burnham,
daughter of New York
physician Dr. Clark Burnham.
April 6, 1917 - U.S.
enters World War I.
Summer 1917 - a Second Lieutenant
in the coast artillery at Ft.
Rodman, Mass., Bill takes first
remembered drink - Bronx Cocktail
- feels a miracle - relaxed and
free. A profound experience he
recalled vividly more than 50
years later.
January 24, 1918 - Bill marries
Lois Burnham.
Summer 1918 - On way to France,
Bill visits Winchester Cathedral
and is stirred by a "tremendous
sense of presence". Reads
epitaph on headstone of a
Hampshire Grenadier.
Nov. 11, 1918 - January 16, 1919 - 36
Armistice signed, states ratified
World War I ends. constitutional
May 1919 - Bill returns home. amendment for
prohibition.
1920 - Bill enters Brooklyn
Law School.
1921 - An investigator for U.S.
F & G and also works around
Wall Street.
Christmas 1923 - Bill vows to
stay sober one year - Lasted
only 2 months.
1925-26 - Bought motorcycle and
became (First?) "Market Analyst."
Disease progressing.
1926 - On Wall Street full time.
Disease progressing.
Late 1928 - Early 1929 - Bill
crosses "invisible line" in
his drinking.
Oct. 1929 - Stock
Market collapse.
Nov. 1929 - Bill goes to Canada
for a job with Dick Johnson.
1930 - 31 - Back in Brooklyn and
Wall Street. Living with Lois's
family - unemployed. Disease
progressing.
Spring 1932 - Bill's business 1931 - Rowland Hazzard
deal in New Jersey - drank sees Dr. Carl Jung
Apple Jack and drunk three in Zurich, Switzerland.
days. Contract cancelled. Told no medical or
At Towns Hospital, Bill psychological hope for
meets Dr. William an alcoholic of his
Silkworth on second type; told the only
admission. "The Little hope was a spiritual or
Doctor Who Loved 1930-34 - Bill in "An Alcoholic religious experience
Drunks." Hell". 1933-34 - Bill in Towns or conversion. This
Hospital four times. considered "the first
in the chain of events
Dec. 5, 1933- that led to the
Prohibition ended. founding of A.A."
Bill resumes drinking after
each admission. Disease
progressing.
Dr. Silkworth Summer 1934 Rowland Hazzard
pronounces Bill a... "HOPELESS DRUNK" return to America and
becomes involved in
Oxford Group.
1934 - Emmett Fox
publishes The Sermon
On The Mount.
Nov. 1924 - Ebby T. carries Aug. 1924 - Rowland
message to Bill at home. Hazzard and Cebra
Tells his story. "One persuade court to
Alcoholic Talking To Another." court to parole Ebby
Thatcher in their
Bill starts attending Oxford custody. Ebby sobers
Group at Calvary Church, up at Oxford Group at
Bowery Mission. Calvary Episcopal
Mission, Sam Shoemaker.
Bill drinks again - Back to
Towns Hospital.
Dec. 1934 - Bill has "Hot
Flash" spiritual experience
at Towns Hospital. NEVER
DRANK AGAIN.
Dr. Silkworth assured
Bill he was not crazy;
rather a "psychic The next day Ebby
upheaval" or "conversion brought Bill a copy
experience." of William James'
Varieties of Religious
Experience.
Bill reads Varieties of Religious
Experience, an explanation of
need for Pain, Suffering, Calamity
and "Deflation in Depth" and the
"Simultaneous Transmission of
Hope." The two "Halves" are
joined into a "Whole."
Bill returns to Oxford Group and
works with other alcoholics, also at
Sam Shoemaker's Calvary Mission and
at Towns Hospital, emphasizing his
"Hot Flash" spiritual experience.
He noted they "seemed to do better"
talking of their common problems,
but no success in sobering up others.
Bill develops belief
that alcoholics are
resistant to the
"Four Absolutes" of
the Oxford Group.
1935 - Bill, still sober, but no
success yet in helping others. Still
frequents Wall Street. Went to Akron
Ohio for proxy fight. Lost proxy
fight. Bill at Mayflower Hotel.
Very discouraged and afraid he might
drink.
May 11, 1935 - Bill reached reali-
Rev. Walter Tunks zation of: I need another alcoholic.
. "He starts making telephone calls.
*The final founding moment
Referred to Norman of A.A.*
Sheppard
May 12, 1935 @5:00 P.M. - Bill Robert Holbrook
Referred to Henrietta meets Dr. Bob. Bob still Smith. Born August
Seiberling, an Oxford drinking. Bill tells Bob of 8 8, 1879 in St.
Group adherent. She his experiences with alcohol Johnsbury, VT.
arranged a meeting the the hopes, promises, failures Dartmouth College, Pre-
next afternoon at the told of the obsession, compul- Med at University of
Seiberling Estate with sion, and physical allergy; Michigan. M.D. at
Dr. Bob Smith. told him of Ebby's visit and Rush Medical College,
simple message, "show me your Chicago, IL. Intern
faith and by my works I will at City Hospital,
show you mine." Akron, OH. Procto-
logist. His wife,
Anne was a friend of
Henrietta Seiberling.
They brought Dr. Bob
to Oxford Group meet-
ings for 2-1/2 yrs.
Dr. Bob understood with sudden and he continued to
Bill had presented Dr. clarity - the difference with get drunk regularly.
Bob four aspects of one the Oxford Group. "The spirit-
core idea: ual approach was as useless as
(1) Utter Hopelessness any other if you soaked it up like
(2) Totally Deflated a sponge and kept it to yourself."
(3) Requiring Conversion The purpose of life was not to
(4) Needing Others "get" , it was to "give."
June 10, 1935
Dr. Bob has last drink
_______________________
ALCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS
FOUNDED
------------------------
June 11, 1935 - Dr. Bob
suggests they both start
working with other alcoholics.
June 28, 1935 - Bill and Dr.
Bob confront Bill Dotson,
first "Man on the Bed."
Bill D. was a prominent
attorney in Akron. The 3rd
A.A. Note: Bill D. had a
spiritual experience without
familiarity with Oxford
Group principals.
Henrietta Seiberling Summer, 1935 - Bill stayed in
supplied them with in Akron. He and Dr. Bob worked
"Infusion of Spirit- with alcoholics and attended weekly
uality" mainly through Oxford Group meetings and received
Paul to Corinthians on spiritual nourishment.
"Love" and James on
"Works" if faith is to
have meaning, Fall & Winter 1935 - Back in
New York on Clinton St. Hank P.
and Fitz M. got sober.
Mid 1936 - a small but solid Bill's efforts with
group developing at Clinton alcoholics receiving
St. in New York. criticism from
Oxford Group.
Charles Towns offers Bill a
job at Towns Hospital. Bill
wanted it. The question
presented to the Group and
rejected because - what they
had, the "thing" that bound
them together and those
feelings could not be bought
and paid for. The only
authority was the Group
Conscience and all decisions
were to be made by the
Group. 1937 - Beginning of
the split from the
Oxford Group.
Residents at Clinton St.
Ebby T.
Oscar V.
Russell R.
Bill C.
Florence R.
Nov. 1937 - Bill and Dr. Bob
meet in Akron and compare
notes. Forty cases sober and
staying sober. More than
twenty sober for more than
one year. All had been
diagnosed as HOPELESS.
+
A meeting of the Akron
Group to consider Bill's ideas
for a book, pamphlets and
how to expand the movement.
Presented but only narrowly
passed by a majority of 2.
Feb. 1938 - Rockefeller
gives $5,000 and saves
A.A. from professionalism.
May 1938 - The Alcoholic
Foundation established as a
trusteeship for A.A.
May 1938 - Beginning of the
writing of the book
Alcoholics Anonymous.
Dec. 1938 - Twelve Steps
written.
1939 - Membership reaches
100.
April 1939 - The book
Alcoholics Anonymous
published.
Summer 1939 - Withdrawal
from association with Oxford
1940 - Bill meets Group complete. Oxford
Father Ed Dowling who Group renamed "Moral
becomes his "spiritual Re-Armament."
advisor." "Rule No. 62."
March 1941 - Jack Alex- Feb. 1940 - First World Service January 1944 - Dr.
ander's Saturday Even- Office for A.A. Harry Tiebout's first
ing Post article paper on the subject
published and member- June 1944 - The A.A. of "alcoholics
ship jumped from 2000 Grapevine established. anonymous"
The Washingtonians in 1946 - The Twelve Traditions
the 1840's failed, due of A.A. formulated and
principally to failure published.
to adhere to "Single-
ness of Purpose," and June 1, 1949 - Anne Ripley
this failure influenced Smith died.
the development of the
A.A. Traditions.
July 1959 - First international
convention of A.A. at Cleveland,
Ohio. Twelve Traditions
adopted.
Nov. 16, 1950 - Dr. Robert
Holbrook Smith, co-founder
of Alcoholics Anonymous died.
June 1953 - The book Twelve
Steps and Twelve Traditions
published.
Oct. 1954 - The "Alcoholic
Foundation" becomes the
"General Service Board of
A.A."
July 1955 - 20th Anniversary
Convention at St. Louis, MO
Second edition of Alcoholics
Anonymous published. The three
legacies of Recovery, Unity
and Service turned over to the
movement by its oldtimers.
1957 - Creation of first overseas
General Service Board of A.A.
in Great Britain and Ireland.
A.A. Comes of Age published in
October. Membership reaches
over 200,000 in 7,000 groups in
70 countries and U.S. possessions.
1959 - A.A. Publishing, Inc. became
A.A. World Services, Inc.
July 1960 - 25th Anniversary Convention
at Long Beach, CA
1962 - Publication of Twelve Concepts
for World Service written by Bill W.
July 1965 - 30th Anniversary Convention
at Toronto, Canada. Keynote adopted,
"I Am Responsible."
1966 - Change in ratio of trustees
of the General Service Board; now
two-thirds majority of alcoholic
members; the A.A. fellowship accepts
ütop responsibility for all it's
future affairs.
1967 - Publication of the book The A.A.
Way of Life now titled As Bill Sees It.
Oct. 9-11, 1969 - 1st World Service
meeting held in New York with delegates
from 14 countries.
1970 - 35th Anniversary International
Convention at Miami Beach, Florida.
Keynote: "This we owe to AA's of the
future. To place our common welfare
first; To keep our fellowship united.
For on A.A. Unity depend our lives, and
the lives of those to come." Bill's
last public appearance.
Jan. 24, 1971 - William Griffith Wilson,
co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, dies
at Miami Beach, FL.
Oct. 5-7, 1972 - 2nd World Service meeting
held in New York.
1973 - Publication of Came to Believe.
April 1973 - Distribution of the book
Alcoholics Anonymous reached one
million mark.
1975 - Publication of Living Sober.
1976 - Publication of 3rd Edition of
Alcoholics Anonymous.
October 5, 1988 - Lois Burnam Wilson died.
==========================
Sources: Bill W. by Robert Thompsen
Not God. A History of Alcoholics Anonymous by Ernest Kurtz
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, A.A. World Services, Inc.
Pass It On - Bill Wilson and the A.A. Message, A.A. World Services
The Language of the Heart, The A.A. Grapevine
Dr. Bob and the Good Old-Timers, A.A. World Services, Inc.
On The Tail of a Comet, The Life of Frank Buchman by Garth Lean
The Washingtonian Movement, by Milton A. Maxwell, Ph.D.
A.A. The Way It Began, by Bill Pittman
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