A.A. History in January

January 1

1946: The A.A. Grapevine increased the cost of a year's subscription to $2.50.

1948: Columbus Dispatch reported first anniversary of Central Ohio A.A. Group.

1948: First A.A. meeting was held in Japan, English speaking.

1988: West Virginia A.A. began the first statewide toll-free telephone hotline.

January 2

1889: Bridget Della Mary Gavin (Sister Ignatia) was born in Ireland.

2003: Mid-Southern California Archives moved to new location in Riverside.

January 3

1939: First sale of Works Publishing Co. stock was recorded.

1941: Jack Alexander told Bill W. the Oxford Group would be in his Saturday Evening Post article on A.A.

January 4

1939: Dr. Bob stated in a letter to Ruth Hock that A.A. had to get away from the Oxford Group atmosphere.

1940: First A.A. group was founded in Detroit, Michigan.

1941: Bill and Lois W. drove to Bedford Hills, NY, to see Stepping Stones and broke in through an unlocked window.

January 5

1941: Bill and Lois visited Bedford Hills again.

1941: Bill W. told Jack Alexander that Jack was "the toast of

A.A. -- in Coca Cola, of course."

January 6

2000: Stephen P., compiler of the Concordance to Alcoholics Anonymous, died.

January 8

1938: New York A.A. split from the Oxford Group.

January 12

1943: Press reported the first A.A. group in Pontiac, Michigan.

January 13

1988: Jack Norris, M.D., Chairman/Trustees of A.A. for 27 yrs. died.

2003: Dr. Earle M., author of Physician Heal Thyself, sober 9 years, died

January 15

1941: A.A. Bulletin No. 2 reported St. Louis group had ten members.

1941: Bill W. asked Ruth Hock to get him "spook book," The Unobstructed Universe.

1945: First A.A. meeting held in Springfield, Missouri.

1948: Polk Health Center Alcoholic Clinic for Negroes started operations with 14 willing subjects. The Washington Black Group of A.A. cooperated with the clinic.

January 17

1919: 18th amendment, "Prohibition," became law.

January 19

1940: First A.A. group met in Detroit, Mich.

1943: Canadian newspaper reported eight men met at "Little Denmark," a Toronto restaurant, to discuss starting Canada's first A.A. group.

1999: Frank M., A.A. Archivist since 1983, died.

January 20

1954: Hank P., author of The Unbeliever in the first edition of the Big Book, died in Pennington, NJ.

January 21

1951: A.A. Grapevine published memorial issue on Dr. Bob.

January 23

1961: Bill W. sent an appreciation letter, which he considered long-overdue, to Dr. Carl Jung for his contribution to A.A.

January 24

1918: Bill W. and Lois Burnham were married, days before he was sent to Europe in WW I, weeks after sending a postcard to Senator Harold Hughes of Iowa, saying he wanted to live long enough to see Hughes become President.

January 25

1915: Dr. Bob S. married Anne Ripley.

January 26

1971: New York Times published Bill's obituary on page 1.

January 27

1971: The Washington Post published an obituary of Bill W. written by Donald Graham, son of the owner of the Washington Post.

January 30

1961: Dr. Carl Jung answers Bill's letter with "Spiritus Contra Spiritum."

Other significant things that happened in January (no specific date available):

1938: Jim B., author of The Vicious Cycle, a former atheist, gave A.A. "God as we understand Him."

1940: First AA meeting not in a home meets at Kings School, Akron, Ohio.

1942: Drunks are Square Pegs was published.

1951: The A.A. Grapevine published a memorial issue on Dr. Bob.

1984: Pass It On, the story of Bill W. and how the A.A. message reached the world, was published.

Thanks to Billy C. and Nancy O. of the group "AA History Buffs" for this list, used by permission.