'The Man on the Bed' Painting Originally Called 'Came to Believe'

A History of Alcoholics Anonymous

By Michell K.

Historian and archivist Mitchell K. has spent decades researching and writing about the history of Alcoholics Anonymous in hopes the fellowship will not forget from where it came.

As Mitchell K. explained in 2026, "My very early interest in the history of AA led me to Clarence. I was part of the A.A. Loners meeting group thru a newsletter. I was corresponding with a long-term member who came into A.A. mid 1940s (Roger W. from OH). He told me if I wanted to lean about A.A. history from "the horses mouth" so to speak, I should contact Clarence and he gave me Clarence's info."

Clarence S., the Home Brewmeister in three editions of the Big Book, became Mitchell's 12-step sponsor. Clarence was guided through the steps by Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder, Dr. Bob.

"I've been looking into early AA and the early members since about 6 months into sobriety (my DOS is May 15, 1975)," Michell wrote. "Over the next 50 yrs, I've been blessed to have gotten to meet and become friends with lots of the early people. Pretty much a Who's Who of early A.A.

"I'm not exactly sure why God chose me to meet all these people and follow that path. Maybe one day I'll be able to ask."

A History of A.A.

Why Study A.A. History?
Historian and archivist Mitchell K. examines why it is important to study the history of Alcoholics Anonymous so that the fellowship never forgets from where it came.

In the Beginning...
The study of the history of Alcoholics Anonymous begins way before its actual founding - with the Temperance movements of the mid-1800's.

A Glimmer of Hope...
A historic meeting between Bill W. and Dr. Bob plants the seeds for what would become Alcoholics Anonymous.

Correcting Errors
Why some of this historical data does not match up with conference-approved literature. We do not have the answer.

Dr. Bob's Last Drink
The date of Dr. Bob's last drink marks the official beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous. But what was the exact date?

Early Efforts
After Dr. Bob's last drink, he and Bill continued attempting to fix rummies. They met with minimal initial success in their endeavors.

Roots of The Big Book
Most of the ideas and wording in the A.A. book came from other writers. Some of the wording in the Big Book is almost verbatim to earlier publications.

Writing The Big Book
Most, if not all of the ideas included in the Big Book were not new. Much was 'borrowed' from the Bible and from Oxford Group and other spiritual books of that era.

Financing The Big Book
Bill W. had no money to publish the Big Book, which he hoped would help produce funds for the movement now known as Alcoholics Anonymous.

Self-Supporting
The idea of Alcoholics Anonymous becoming a self-supporting organization came from a surprising source in the early days of the program.

The First Step
Wherever we are and regardless of the passage of time, we are alcoholics. We are powerless over alcohol. We cannot use alcohol and successfully manage our lives.

The Big Book Goes to Press
After long and heated discussions the Alcoholics Anonymous book - knowns as The Big Book - was finally ready to be published in 1939.

The Big Book is Published
The publication of the Big Book did not bring the initial response that was expected. Thousands of unsold copies sat around for years.

Influx of Members
A proposed article in a national magazine was expected to attract many new members into Alcoholics Anonymous and early members tried to prepare.

The Effect of the Saturday Evening Post
Membership in A.A. skyrocketed after publication of the Saturday Evening Post article by Jack Alexander on March 1, 1941. Read Alexander's article.

The Growth of Central Offices
As Alcoholics Anonymous began to grow in the 1940's, the first central offices were created - often the lifeline for the still sick and suffering alcoholic who reaches out for help.

The A.A. German Court Case

The Saddest Day In A.A. History
A fight over literature in Germany has caused controversy within the fellowship due to problems relating to money and property.

German Court Case Delayed
The court date for the German lawsuit over free Alcoholics Anonymous literature being distributed by a local group has been delayed.

Understanding The German Court Case
Despite what you may have read or heard about Alcoholics Anonymous, Inc. (AAWS) being involved in litigation matters, it is true despite AA Tradition warning against owning property and having money matters diverting AA from its primary purpose.

German Court Orders A.A. Books Destroyed
By following the directions of the German courts, the individual fellow AA member will not only be rendered bankrupt, he will be forced to break the anonymity of many fellow AA members.

Threats Continue in German Court Case
Even though AA's GSO in Germany lost part of the case relating to translations other than German, they continue to harass and threaten not only the AA member there but the group to which he belongs.

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These articles is written by nationally recognized historian and oft-quoted Alcoholics Anonymous archivist Mitchell K., author of the book, "How It Worked" - the story of Clarence H Snyder and the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous.