AA Started in Texas in February 1940

In late January and early February 1940, the Houston Press ran a series of
six articles about AA written anonymously by Larry J (Jewell). He was
rescued from Cleveland's skid row by the AA members there and had set out by
train from Cleveland to live and work in Houston. Larry had never attended
an AA meeting. While reading the Big Book on the train he had a spiritual
awakening. Soon after the articles were published Larry was joined by Roy Y
(Yeargan) and Ed H (Hudson) and AA started in Texas. The first Texas AA
meeting was on March 15, 1940 at the Houston YMCA. The news articles also
attracted the first Texas woman AA member, Benita C, who later married Larry
J.

The Houston Press Editor, Allen C Bartlett, hired Larry as an editorial
writer. In April 1940, the Alcoholic Foundation reprinted Larry J's Houston
Press articles as AA's first pamphlet. Sadly, though, Larry J later returned
to drinking and it lead to his death in 1944.

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Info on the date of Dr Bob's last drink (based on some old, old notes)
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The date of June 17, 1935 looks pretty compelling as Dr Bob's sober date.
The AMA Archives in Chicago, IL has confirmed that the 1935 Atlantic City,
NJ Convention that Dr Bob attended was held from Monday to Friday June
10-14. Images of the AMA convention program and session minutes are
circulating on the web showing June 10-14, 1935 as the dates of the
convention.

There are also good clues in AA literature for a deduction.

In "AA Comes of Age" (pgs 70-71) Bill W writes "So he [Dr Bob] went to the
Atlantic City Medical Convention and nothing was heard of him for several
days." In "Dr Bob and the Good Oldtimers" (pgs 72-75) it cites (with editing
for brevity): "Dr Bob ... began drinking ... as he boarded the train to
Atlantic City. On his arrival he bought several quarts on his way to the
hotel. That was Sunday night. He stayed sober on Monday until after dinner
... On Tuesday, Bob started drinking in the morning and ... [checked out of
the hotel] ... The next thing he knew ... he was ... in the ... home of his
office nurse ... The blackout was certainly more than 24 hours long ... Bill
and Anne had waited for five days from the time Bob left before they heard
from the nurse ... She had picked him up that morning at the Akron railroad
station ... As Bill and Sue [Smith] remembered, there was a 3-day sobering
up period ... Upon Dr Bob's return, they had discovered that he was due to
perform surgery 3 days later ... At 4 o'clock on the morning of the
operation [Bob] . said 'I am going through with this ...' On the way to City
Hospital ... Bill ... gave him a beer ..." In the video "Bill's Own Story"
Bill W says he gave Dr Bob a beer and "goofball" [a barbiturate] the morning
of the surgery. The same information is repeated in "Pass It On" pgs
147-149. See also "Not God" pgs 32-33.

Estimate of timeline based on the above:

June 09 Sunday: started drinking on the train to Atlantic City - in New
Jersey he bought several quarts and checked into Atlantic City hotel

June 10 Monday: stayed sober until after dinner

June 11 Tuesday: started drinking in the morning - later checked out of the
hotel.

June 12 Wednesday: was in a blackout (likely greater than 24 hours)

June 13 Thursday: blackout continues (may have arrived at Akron train
station)

June 14 Friday: picked up by nurse in the morning at the train station. Then
picked up by Bill W at nurse's house (5 days after leaving). Day 1 of 3-day
dry out period with Bill W.

June 15 Saturday: day 2 of 3-day dry out period with Bill W.

June 16 Sunday: day 3 of 3-day dry out period with Bill W.

June 17 Monday: day of the surgery - Bill W gives Dr Bob a beer and a
goofball (3 days after Dr Bob's return)

Cheers
Arthur