1940’s -Ebby familiar visitor 415 Lexington A.A. office; Bill wrote memos Code Tradition & Code Headquarters & Code Grapevine; Bill pushing hard A.A. self-government through general service conference, visited groups get support; St. Thomas & Knickerbocker Hospitals pioneered best techniques combined medicine & A.A. worked out (G 9, 13) (SM 16)
• early 40′ -Wife’s A.A. prospects interviewed to this time; A.A. Canada started; Lillian R. popular singer went public (D 109) (G 9, 46)
• mid 40′ -Number black alcoholics found sobriety; Aunt Jenny radio soap opera involving alcoholic family member; U.S. groups proliferating rapidly & starting abroad; radio discovered A.A., call in radio show Ask An Alcoholic; Wilson’s traveled among groups U.S. & Canada, movie Lost Weekend out portrayed alcoholic 1st time not Bowery bum successful middle-class businessperson reduced Bowery bum (G 8) (N 120) (P 317)
• late 40′ -Bill stumped U.S. & Canada explaining, cajoling need for Fellowship continuity after he & Dr. Bob gone (G 51)
1940 -Father Ed Dowling wrote 1st Catholic recommendation A.A.; Bill selling wire rope; A.A. got building for meetings 334 1/2 24th Street called 24th Street Clubhouse; Fitz M. long loner Washington D.C. area joined Hardin C. & Bill A.; Paddy K. founded A.A. Boston; Sister Ignatia made hospitalization available alcoholics St. Vincent’s Charity Hospital Akron took alcoholic patients single rooms; Akron Group starting meeting King School, Big Book done Braille, Norman Y. had done, never read it; Deaconess hospital took alcoholic patients single room; rainy night Bill & Father Edward Dowling, S.J. meet 24th Street clubhouse; Bill Dr. Bob royalties Big Book starting 1940; impressive A.A. growth; end 3,000 copies Big Book, 1,500 members coast, about 50 groups, 12-13 cities quite stable groups Akron, New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Greenwich Connecticut, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Little Rock, Arkansas, Washington D.C. Richmond Virginia, St. Louis; official office set up 30 Vesey Street Room 703 downtown Manhattan; membership about 2,000; book sales sole support A.A. office; stock ownership Works Publishing Inc turned over Board Trustees; Toronto minister Reverend George Little saw copy Big Book, gave to parishioner who sobered up; A.A.’s 1st club house 24th Street New York opened; Jimmy B. started A.A. Philadelphia home George S.; Dr. Haggard & Dr. Jellinek published Quarterly Journal Studies Alcohol (A 11, 17, 180, 253) (D 202, 220, 249-250) (E 34-35) (G 24, 66, 79, 86) (H 188, 204, 366) (L 122, 128, 171-172) (SM 12) (N 98) (P 222, 238, 257) (S 34) (TC 11)
• early 40′ -Dick P. 1st Spanish-speaking joined A.A.; no word John D. Rockefeller 3 years (B 294) (D 249)
• late 40′ -1st news bulletin Vesey Street headquarters issues groups, 1st pamphlet A.A. published called A.A., John D Rockefeller Jr. A.A. dinner, 1st A.A. clubhouse 24th Street, 1st A.A. oriented drying facility High Watch Farm Kent Connecticut, passing hat custom started, Father Edward Dowling S.J. & Reverend Harry Emerson Fosdick 1st religious leaders endorse A.A. (G 86) (H 147)
• Winter -Reporter Saturday Evening Post Jack Alexander assigned investigate & perhaps do A.A. story (A 190-191) (B 310) (H 148, 181) (N 100)
• end 40′ -A.A. had 2,000 members (A 310) (H 147)
• January -Akron group found new home King School, started take collections rent, custodial expenses; most groups required hospitalization, being talked to least 5 A.A.’s or passed committee before new person join; Youngstown 2 couples visit prospective A.A. before could attend 1st meeting; John S. joined A.A.; definite working agreement Sister Ignatia superior Sister Clementine, Dr. Bob, probably Chief Staff St. Thomas Hospital (D 100, 146, 263, 348) (S 85, 87)
• February -Grand Central Station Lois started weeping due not having home, started looking own place; Lorraine Greim Ruth Hock’s assistant started work Newark office; Bill & Lois move Monsey apt small place Greenwich Village; Bert T. & Horace C. discover & guarantee rent building 334 1/2 West 24th Street, old Illustrators Club (B 297, 304) (L 128) (P 216)
• February 8th -John D. Rockefeller Jr. gives A.A. dinner, Manhattan’s exclusive Union Club (A 87) (B 295) (E 15) (G 73) (H 145) (L 128, 198) (P 232)
• March -Mort J. early A.A., book convert, came Los Angeles from Denver & helped faltering group; started custom reading Chapter 5 Big Book Cecil group (A 93) (P 266, 288)
• March 16th -Works Publishing moves offices Newark, 30 Vesey Street Room 703 lower Manhattan (A 187) (L 129, 198) (P 235)
• April 21st -1st rehabilitation home for alcoholics Joy Farm near Kent Connecticut (L 122, 199)
• May -1st anonymity break national level Rollie H. catcher Cleveland Indians just caught Bob Feller no-hitter, revealed been sober A.A. year, caused lot publicity (D 251) (N 85, 95) (P 236)
• June -2nd A.A. meeting Baltimore (P 258)
• June 30th -Works Publishing Company incorporated (W 160)
• September -1st meeting Toledo A.A., Duke P., others started; Journal Nervous & Mental Diseases published most unsympathetic review Big Book (D 255) (N 92)
• October 1st -Total A.A. membership 1,433, 30% + Cleveland, 47% Ohio (S 157)
• November 4th -Wilson’s moved upstairs bedroom 334 1/2 24th Street 24th Street Clubhouse (H 366) (P 238)
• November 2nd week -3 groups Cleveland, 3rd week Orchard Grove Group started making 4 (D 209-210)
• December -Group started Ashtabula, Ohio due Plain Dealer articles A.A., Cleveland about 30 groups (A 134) (D 207, 211) (H 62)