Authors: Ernest Kurtz
Concerning the primary sources, much complexity inheres in the history, versions, and consequent shaded status of some of them. I have therefore offered a specific description and evaluation of each primary source, detailing where appropriate my use of it. The apparatus that follows thus contains these major headings:
KEYS TO SECONDARY SOURCES
NOTES ON PRIMARY SOURCES
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INDEX
GENERAL INDEX
KEYS TO SECONDARY SOURCES
I
A very complete bibliography of literature relating in any way to Alcoholics Anonymous has been offered by Barry Leach and John L. Norris, “Factors in the Development of Alcoholics Anonymous,” in Benjamin Kissin and Henri Begleiter, (eds.),
Treatment and Rehabilitation of the Chronic Alcoholic
(New York: Plenum Press, 1977), pp. 519-543. It is pointless to replicate here this listing, which contains over seven hundred items. Further, Leach and Norris on pp. 507-519, “The Literature on A.A.” offer classification of and occasional comment on the most significant literature. Other such treatment is also scattered through the substantive portion of their contribution, pp. 441-507.
For the field of alcoholism treatment and rehabilitation beyond but including Alcoholics Anonymous, no more complete bibliography could be constructed than that contained in the “References” at the conclusion of each of the other thirteen essays in this volume by Kissin and Begleiter. See especially that offered by Frederick Baekeland, “Evaluation of Treatment Methods in Chronic Alcoholism,” pp. 428-440, with some evaluation of the literature within the essay itself, pp. 385-428.
II
Julianne Phillips in 1973 compiled and privately published
Alcoholics Anonymous: An Annotated Bibliography, 1935-1972
. In her preface, Phillips carefully notes the methods, resources, and limitations of her study. The chief limitations are the bibliography’s restriction to works published in the English language in the United States, and the concentration — imposed by her method — on the popular rather than published scholarly literature, especially when the latter treats only secondarily of A.A.
Especially useful is Phillips’s listing of “Unpublished Theses and Dissertations” of “Psychological and Sociological Studies of A.A. and Its Members,” pp. 36-41. Hoggson, for one example, is not included, and in conversation, Ms. Phillips appropriately lamented the impossibility of an
absolutely
perfect bibliography, given the limitations and fallibility of bibliographic resources.
Phillips’s annotations are marvels of clear, succinct accuracy on the level of description she has chosen. It is her hope and plan to expand her bibliography to make it “as complete as possible” for formal publication on the occasion of A.A.’s Fiftieth Anniversary in 1985. Meanwhile, her bibliography and/or a listing of libraries holding it may be obtained directly from Ms. Phillips, The State Library of Ohio, 65 South Front Street, Columbus, OH 43215. Further, Ms. Phillips will share with scholars whatever current updating of her bibliography is available at the time of request.
III
This research has been aided immeasurably by “The Classified Abstract Archive of the Alcohol Literature” maintained at The Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University, and replicated at various medical centers throughout the country. The CAAAL is “a cumulative collection of abstracts of alcohol-related scientific and scholarly literature.” These abstracts, and the larger documentation of which they are a part, have been described by M. Keller and V. Efron, “Documentation of an Interdisciplinary Field of Study: Alcohol Problems,”
QJSA
14: 263-284 (1953), reprints of which are available from: Documentation Division, Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies, New Brunswick, NJ 08903. The Center of Alcohol Studies ceased separate publication of these abstracts in April of 1977. Since then, abstracts of the literature are available in alternate-month issues of the
JSA
. In late 1978 these abstracts were in the process of being computerized.
IV
Finally among the secondary tools of research, John Cornelius Voorhees has produced and privately distributed “Where Does It Say So?” a concordance to key words and phrases in
AA, 12&12, AACA
, and
ABSI
. The A.A. World Service Board holds the copyright (1975), but has declined to publish or to approve this concordance because it “might tend to lend authoritarian force or rigidity to the A.A. program.” (Letter of Robert P., [New York] to Voorhees, 5 September 1976.) There is a perhaps unavoidable degree of interpretation in some of the listings — and omissions — in Mr. Voorhees’s compilation, and it therefore must be used with care. Copies of this valuable lexicon are available in the A.A. archives (under restriction), in the writer’s possession, and perhaps directly from Mr. Voorhees, 645 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215.
NOTES ON PRIMARY SOURCES
I EARLIER PUBLISHED HISTORIES OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS:
The basic public history of Alcoholics Anonymous is: [William Griffith Wilson
et al
],
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age
(New York: A.A. Publishing, Inc., 1957), also published for general distribution by Harper & Row, same place and date, cited:
AACA
. This “brief history of A.A.” describes and records the events of the fellowship’s 1955 “Coming of Age Convention.” It includes the presentation of an “enlarged and edited” version of the history of Alcoholics Anonymous described orally by Wilson on that occasion. I use this work for the basic historical framework. Further, in view of the research that went into its preparation (
cf
. Section II below), I accept it as authoritative and present it as sole citation whenever it accurately reflects the earlier sources. In instances when other, more primary, sources seem not so accurately incorporated into
AACA
, this fact is noted — and, if possible, the discrepancies are explored — in the “Notes.”
Robert Thomsen,
Bill W
. (New York: Harper & Row, 1975), cited: Thomsen, is a biography of William Griffith Wilson written with the cooperation of his widow, Lois Wilson, and of the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous. This book contains neither notes, index, nor bibliography. Thomsen relied especially on Wilson’s taped memories
(cf
. below) and in general scrupulously followed them. Unless otherwise indicated, citations of Thomsen accordingly reflect Wilson’s recollections rather than Thomsen’s research, and are offered as more readily accessible than the Wilson tapes or transcript. I offer citation beyond Thomsen only if they present differing data or interpretation, or if they furnish special depth for a particular point or event.
Lois Wilson,
Lois Remembers
(New York: Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., 1979), is the autobiography of Bill Wilson’s wife. The book is sub-titled: “Memoirs of the co-founder of Al-Anon and wife of the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.” Based primarily on memories, Lois’s own and others’, and structured around at times spare diary entries, the book contains some slight errors of detail and chronology. This book was completed too late to be of direct use to the present research, but
cf
. p. 417, below, concerning my interviews with Lois.
Lois Remembers
may be of special importance to those interested in the complexities of Bill Wilson’s employment history and in the Wilsons’ continuing relationship with Ebby. Lois’s memories offer much color and detail, although more often about places and settings than concerning people or ideas.
Other treatments of the history of Alcoholics Anonymous in general rely exclusively on
AACA
or the published versions of the sources listed below under II, and are very brief. A minor exception is Barry Leach and John L. Norris, “Factors in the Development of Alcoholics Anonymous,” in Benjamin Kissin and Henri Begleiter,
Treatment and Rehabilitation of the Chronic Alcoholic
(New York: Plenum Press, 1977), pp. 441-543, which in a primarily sociological description makes use of some archival materials.
II EARLIER SOURCES INCORPORATED INTO
AACA:
Frank Amos, “History of the Alcoholic movement up to the formation of The Alcoholic Foundation on August 11th 1938,” private, unpublished memorandum prepared for John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and for the Alcoholic Foundation, dated 19 August 1938; cited: Amos, “History.”
[Wilson
et al.
].
Alcoholics Anonymous
, 1st ed. (New York: Works Publishing, 1939), 2nd ed. (New York: A.A. Publishing, Inc., 1955), 3rd ed. (New York: A.A. World Services, 1976), cited:
AA
. The body of this work remained substantially the same between editions, the changes being in the “story section.” Pagination of the substance remains the same from the second to the third editions — citations will be from this pagination as more readily available, unless otherwise noted. I also had access — during research, and with the generous trust of Warren C. — to a copy of the multilith, pre-publication draft of this work distributed to members for their comments. References are made to this document as appropriate, and it is on each such occasion cited as “multilith draft.”
[Wilson], “Transcription of Presentation to Board Meeting, Rockland State Hospital, 14 December 1939;” unpublished, cited: Wilson, “Rockland.”
Wilson, W. G., “Basic Concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous,” talk given to the Neurology and Psychiatry Section, Medical Society of New York State, 9 May 1944, published
N.Y. State Journal of Medicine
44: 1805-1810 (1944); cited: “Basic Concepts” with pagination from the transcript, as the published version was edited.
[Wilson] — with the one exception of the preceding citation, Wilson always wrote for attribution as “W.G.W.” or “Bill W.” — “The Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous,” talk given at the Yale University Summer School of Alcohol Studies in August of 1944, published in
Alcohol, Science and Society
(New Haven: College and University Press, 1945), pp. 461-473; cited: “Fellowship” and pagination from this reprinting unless the reference appears only in the transcript.
Jim B., “Evolution of Alcoholics Anonymous,” privately mimeographed, dated May 1947; cited: Jim B. “Evolution.”
[Wilson], “The Society of Alcoholics Anonymous,” talk given at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association held at Montreal, PQ, in May of 1949; cited: “Society;” pagination from the transcript. Excerpts of this talk appear in the pamphlet “Alcoholism the Illness” (since 1976: “Bill on Alcoholism”), published and distributed by A.A. World Services, Inc.
[Wilson], “Alcoholics Anonymous as Seen by W.G.W., a co-Founder,” talk read before the New York City Medical Society, 9 May 1950, edited and published as “Alcoholics Anonymous” in
N.Y. State Journal of Medicine
50: 1708-1716 (1950); cited: “Co-Founder,” pagination from the transcript.
The transcripts of Wilson’s own and other “oldtimers’ ” recollections recorded through 1954 in preparation for Bill’s 1955 convention presentations and the writing of
AACA;
cited: [name], tr., page when paginated. Wilson’s transcript runs well over one hundred pages. Because these pages are erratically numbered, I usually do not offer page citations: the material is presented chronologically and thus should be readily locatable by other researchers. This transcript is virtually the only source for biographical data on the details of Wilson’s life before 1934. (One obvious exception: his surviving widow, Lois, for the years after their marriage in 1918;
cf
. below, under VI). Both Robert Thomsen and Nell Wing have made large efforts productive of frustratingly small results to check and verify these autobiographical reminiscences in any case where such seemed possible. I have accepted — not uncritically, as a few notes in Chapter One will testify — Thomsen’s and Wing’s judgment that the transcript, with Wing’s marginal comments, is as accurate as it is possible to determine. The most significant point about the history recorded in the transcript is that while Wilson’s memory for detail seems greater than average, his memory for exact dates was atrociously bad. The former is perhaps attributable to his experience doing economic research in the 1920s; the latter may be its correlative. Also, I have verified the internal accuracy of the transcript — with a few obvious, understandable, and insignificant exceptions — with the tape on which it is based by following the transcript while listening to the tape.
[Wilson], “Talk at LeMoyne College, Syracuse, NY,” unpublished, April 1954; cited:
LM
. Apparently the raw try-out for his 1955 presentation of the history as it appears in
AACA, LM’s
significance derives from the fact that it preceded the Wilson research that is reflected in the following item. Two minor significances also aided some of my interpretations: First, Bill in
LM
was clearly conscious that he was speaking at a Catholic, Jesuit college. Second, it is clear that Wilson asked for and received substantial comment on his presentation — this was the first occasion on which he self-consciously told A.A.’s story rather than his own. Although these comments are not directly available, Wilson’s later presentations of A.A.’s history suggest that he was encouraged to omit personal detail not directly related to his drinking; also, that he more “tell the story” than attempt interpretation.
LM
is thus the best direct source for Bill’s
interpretation
of A.A. (at the time), although his self-consciousness of the Catholic setting must be taken into account.
[Wilson], “Bill’s Review of the Movement,” unpublished, dated 19 June 1954, and sub-headed: “Cleveland, Ohio.” This document records Wilson’s thoughts on A.A. history after a visit to Akron and Cleveland during which he interviewed as many of those cities’ “oldtimers” as possible about their memories of early A.A. history. Its special significance derives from the fact that oldtimers in Akron and Cleveland cherished on some points differing memories from the recollections common among the New Yorkers about the earliest history of A.A. Cited: Wilson, “Review,” this item did not substantially reconcile these differences, but it does offer insight into Wilson’s mind at a crucial point and aids in interpreting much of his correspondence over the next three years, correspondence undertaken in an attempt to rectify the discrepancies before the publication of
AACA
.