A.A. History For January #esssentialsofrecovery.com #recovery #spiritual #History

January 1: 

1943: Columbus Dispatch reports 1st anniversary of Columbus A.A.
1946: The A.A. Grapevine increased the cost of a year's subscription to $2.50.
1948: "Columbus Dispatch" reported 1st anniversary of Central Ohio A.A. Group.
1948: 1st A.A. meeting was held in Japan, (English speaking).
1988: West Virginia A.A. began 1st statewide toll-free telephone hot line.

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: 1st sale of Works Publishing Co. stock was recorded.
1941: Jack Alexander told Bill Wilson the Oxford Group would be in his Saturday Evening Post article on A.A.

January 4:
1940: 1st A.A. group was founded in Detroit, Michigan.
1941: Bill & Lois Wilson drove to Bedford Hills, New York to see Stepping Stones & broke in through an unlocked window.

January 5:
1939: Dr Bob tells Ruth Hock in a letter that A.A. has "to get away from the Oxford Group atmosphere".
1941:
-Bill & Lois visited Bedford Hills again.
-Bill Wilson told Jack Alexander that he was "The Toast of A.A.-- with Coca Cola, of course."

January 6:
2000: Stephen Poe, compiler of the "Concordance to Alcoholics Anonymous", died.

January 7:
1984: "Pass it On" was published.

January 8:
1938: New York A.A. split from the Oxford Group.

January 10:
1940:
-1st A.A. meeting not in a home meets @ King School, Akron, Ohio.
-Dr Bob tells Ruth Hock in a letter that A.A. has "to get away from the Oxford Group atmosphere".

January 12:
1943: Press reported the 1st A.A. group in Pontiac, Michigan.

January 13:
1988: Jack Norris, M.D., Chairman/Trustee of A.A. for 27 yrs. died.
2003: Dr. Earle Marsh, author of "Physician Heal Thyself," sober 49 years, died.

January 15:
1937: Fitz M. brings A.A. meetings to Washington DC.
1941: A.A. Bulletin No. 2 reported St. Louis group had ten members.
1941: Bill W. asked Ruth Hock to get him "The Spook Book" "The Unobstructed Universe".
1945: 1st A.A. meeting formed in Springfield, Missouri.
1948: Polk Health Center "Alcoholic Clinic for Negroes" started operating with 14 willing subjects. A Washington Black Group of A.A. cooperated with the clinic.

January 17:
1919: 18th amendment, "Prohibition" became law.

January 19:
1940: 1st A.A. group was formed in Detroit, Mich.
1943: Canadian newspaper reported eight men met @ "Little Denmark," a Toronto restaurant, to discuss forming Canada's 1st A.A. group.
1943: The Wilson's returned from their 1st major A.A. tour started in Oct 24 1943.
1999: Frank M. A.A. Archivist since 1983, died.

January 20:
1954: Hank Parkhurst, who helped Bill W. start up the New York office & author of "The Unbeliever" in the first edition of the Big Book, died in Pennington, N.J.

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 Wilson & Lois Burnham were married, days before he was sent to Europe in WWI.
1945: 1st black group of A.A. was formed in St. Louis.
1971: Bill Wilson died in Miami, Florida, only 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 Smith married Anne Ripley.

January 26:
1971: The "New York Times" published Bill Wilson's obituary on page one.

January 27:
1971: The "Washington Post" published an obituary of Bill Wilson, 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 happenings in January--no specific date available: 

1938: Jim Burwell, author of "The Vicious Cycle" a former atheist, gave A.A. "God as we understand Him."
1939: 400 copies of manuscript of Big Book circulated for comment, evaluation & sale.
1940: 1st A.A. meeting not in a home meets @ Kings School, Akron, Ohio.
1942: "Drunks are Square Pegs" was published.
1944:
-Dr. Harry Tiebout's 1st paper on the subject of "Alcoholics Anonymous".
-Onset of Bill's 11 years of depression.
1946: Readers Digest does a story on A.A.
1948: 1st A.A. meeting in Japan.
1951: The A.A. Grapevine published a memorial issue on Dr. Bob.
1984: "Pass It On" the story of Bill W. & how the A.A. message reached the world, was published.