Life In Recovery

May 11, 1935

In the bar at the Mayflower Hotel in Akron, Ohio ,
Bill reached realization of: I need another alcoholic. "He starts making telephone calls. This is the final founding moment of A.A.
 
Rev. Walter Tunks Referred to Norman Sheppard. Then referred to Henrietta Seiberling, an Oxford Group adherent. She arranged a meeting the next afternoon at the Seiberling Estate with Dr. Bob Smith.

Robert Holbrook (Bob) Smith: Born in St. Johnsbury, VT., Aug. 8, 1879. Dartmouth College, Pre-Med at University of Michigan. M.D. at Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL. Internat City Hospital, Akron, OH. Proctologist. His wife, Anne was a friend of Henrietta Seiberling. They brought Dr. Bob to Oxford Group meetings for 2-1/2 yrs. He continued to get drunk regularly.

May 12, 1935
5:00 P.M.

Bill meets Dr. Bob. Bob still drinking. Bill tells Bob of his experiences with alcohol; of the hopes, promises, and failures; the obsession, compulsion, and physical allergy; of Ebby's visit and simple message, "show me your faith and by my works I will show you mine."

Dr. Bob understood with sudden clarity - the difference with the Oxford Group. "The spiritual approach was as useless as any other if you soaked it up like a sponge and kept it to yourself." The purpose of life was not to "get" , it was to "give."

Bill had presented Dr. Bob four aspects of one core idea:
(1) Utter Hopelessness
(2) Totally Deflated
(3) Requiring Conversion
(4) Needing Others

June 10, 1935

Dr. Bob has last drink.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS FOUNDED

June 11, 1935

Dr. Bob suggests they both start working with other alcoholics.