Why Study A.A. History?
Historian and archivist examines why it is important to study the history of Alcoholics Anonymous.

In the Beginning...
The study of the history of Alcoholics Anonymous begins way before its actual founding.

A Glimmer of Hope...
A historic meeting between Bill W. and Dr. Bob plants the seeds for A.A.

Correcting Errors...
Why some of this historical data does not match up with conference-approved literature.

Dr. Bob's Last Drink...
The date of Dr. Bob's last drink marks the official beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Early Efforts
After Dr. Bob's last drink, he and Bill continued attempting to "fix" rummies.

Roots of The Big Book
Most of the ideas and wording in the A.A. book came from other writers.

Writing The Big Book
The group in Akron stressed the spiritual and the New York group the physical aspects.

Financing The Big Book
Bill W. had no money to publish the Big Book, which he hoped would help produce funds for the movement now known as Alcoholics Anonymous.

Self-Supporting
The idea of Alcoholics Anonymous becoming a self-supporting organization came from a surprising source.

The First Step
From an Editorial from the Cleveland, Ohio Central Bulletin dated December, 1942.

The Saddest Day In A.A. History
A fight over literature in Germany has caused controversy within the fellowship of AA.