Larry W. (Atlanta GA) wrote in asking:

"Can anyone tell me the history of the development of AA, chronologically? I am
trying to locate a list of the dates, locations and founding of AA, in places
all over America and the world, subsequent to Akron and New York. I am
interested in knowing the sequence of the spread of this fellowship, from city
to city. I am hoping I can get as complete a list as possible, during the
"flying blind period of the founding of groups, and in what cities."

Nancy Olson once had a list put together with a lot of these dates, but the list
seems to have disappeared. She got a lot of her dates from pages on the website
put together by Doug B. (Riverside, California), beginning with:

http://www.aahistory.com/jan.html

It took Nancy a lot of work to cull out the dates she actually needed, but
Doug's date list represents a lot of really good research. It doesn't give every
city in the world, but it is the closest thing I have found so far to what Larry
W. was asking for.

It would be a really good piece of service work if someone put together a list
like the one Larry W. wants. Looking at Doug's list would be the first thing
someone would want to do in assembling such a list.

The next thing a person would want to do, would be to look at what "t" has
assembled:

This is a series of postings which tcumming (Denton TX) sent in to the
AAHistoryLovers, starting with post 1183 [Metropolitan Circuit, June 44] posted
on 8/2/03 and ending with post 1450 [New Groups, Aug 48] posted on 11/2/03. This
is material from the Grapevine.The New Groups columns will probably be easiest
to pull the info from ... then the Metropolitan Circuit and News Circuit columns
will require a bit more work to pull out names of groups mentioned that were
already in existence [or somehow slid by a New Groups mention].

To look at these messages, call up
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/messages/ and there will be
a place to type in the number of the particular message you want to see, marked
Msg #.

You will be able to pick them out of the list of messages easily, because they
will all have been posted by tcumming.

http://archivesinternational.org/AI/Documents/pdf/groups.pdf gives a list of
the first 22 cities where AA groups were established, although not the date of
the first AA meeting held there. That is very useful information though.

Somebody putting a good list together would need to search on the internet for
the AA websites for specific cities, like Detroit. Some of them have some
historical information on there, including sometimes the date at which the first
AA group was founded in that city.

I think it would also be useful to include a short timeline which was sent to me
by "t" (Denton TX), because there are some dates on that list that would need to
be included:

======================================

First AA Locations (many had more than one group by the end of 1940 )

Akron June 10, 1935 - Dr. Bob has last drink (some say it may have been June 17,
based on date of medical convention he attended.) ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS FOUNDED

Nov-Dec 1939 - Akron group withdrawals from association with Oxford Group.

Meetings moved from T.Henry & Clarence Williams to Dr Bob and other members
homes.

Jan 1940 - Akron group moves to new home at King School.

New York Fall & Winter 1935 - Bill back in New York. Begin to hold meetings at
182 Clinton St. Tuesday nights. Hank P and Fitz M get sober.

1937 - Bill and the New York alcoholics split from the Oxford Group. Among
residents at Clinton St. were Ebby T., Oscar V., Russell R., Bill C., Florence
R.

June 18, 1940 - Meeting held in first 'AA clubhouse', at 334½ W. 24th St, NYC.
Bert T. & Horace C. guarantee rent for building.

Washington DC 1937 - Fitz M. was spending much of his time trying to get AA
started in Washington, by ... fall of 1939 - the nucleus of a small group had
been established. Joined by Hardin C., Bill A. and Florence R

Cleveland May 11, 1939 - The first group to officially call itself Alcoholics
Anonymous met at Abby G's house in Cleveland, OH - old Borton Group (?). 1st
group to have no Oxford Group connection.

Dec 1940 - A.A. Cleveland has about 30 groups.

Toledo summer 1939 - Charles ("C.J.") K. & Eddie B. 12 stepped Duke P. Toledo,
both were in state insane asylum, Toledo, on voluntary commitments, had read Big
Book manuscript and got out. Sept 1940 - AA group started in Toledo, Duke P &
others started it.

Chicago Sept 1939 - group started by Earl T in Chicago/Evanston. The first
meeting held outside the Chicago Chapter was located in Sterling, Illinois, on a
March Wednesday night in 1943 at the home of Ken S.

San Francisco November 1939 - (from correspondence & no other info provided)

Rockland State Hospital Dec 1939 - First AA group in mental institution,
Rockland State Hospital, NY.

Los Angeles Dec 1939 - 1st home meeting Los Angeles Kaye M.'s house

Detroit & Youngstown 1939 - Meetings being held in Detroit. Archie T. &
nonalcoholic friend Sarah Klein helped start; expanded into Youngstown.

St. Louis 1939 - Father Ed Dowling responsible founding A.A. St. Louis

Greenwich Connecticut 1939 - Marty M pioneered group at Blythwood Sanitarium

Philadelphia Feb 1940 - Jimmy B. moved there & started group

Houston April 1, 1940 - started by Larry J. of Houston, who wrote "The Texas
Prayer". He is also said to have written the "Texas Preamble". Additionally, he
wrote a series of articles for a Houston Paper which were collected and
reprinted as the first AA pamphlet/booklet distributed by the New York office.

Little Rock April 19, 1940 - Little Rock, Arkansas group was formed. First 'mail
order' group.

Evansville, Indiana April or May 1940 - met in J[ames] D. H.'s home, 420 South
Denby Street. (from correspondence)

Richmond, Va June 6, 1940 - AA group founded in Richmond, Virginia.

Baltimore June 13, 1940 - Jimmy B helped Jim R start group in Baltimore.

Indianapolis October 28, 1940 - Doherty S credited with starting AA in
Indianapolis.

Ashtabula, Ohio Dec 1940 - group started Ashtabula, Ohio due to Plain Dealer
articles.

Boston 1940 - Paddy K. founded A.A. Boston

High Watch Farm 1940 - 1st A.A. oriented drying facility 'High Watch Farm' in
Kent, Connecticut.

_________________ Added Information _________________

In an October 1, 1940 report to the Trustees, Bill W. estimated the A.A.
membership as follows:

Akron, Ohio 200

Jackson, Mich. 15

Baltimore, Md. 12

Little Rock, Ark. 27

Camden, NJ. 5

Los Angeles, Cal. 100

Chicago, Ill. 100

New York City 150

Cleveland, Ohio 450

Philadelphia, Pa 75

Coldwater, Mich. 8

Richmond, Va. 20

Dayton, Ohio 6

San Francisco, Cal. 15

Detroit, Mich. 30

Toledo, Ohio 6

Evansville, Ind. 24

Washington DC 100

Greenwich, Conn. 25

Waunakee, Wis. 20

Houston, Texas 30

Youngstown, Ohio 15

22 Cities 1433 Total

======================================







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]