Transcript

[00:01.3 – 00:09.7] One of those two alone will not get the job done, and nobody knows that better than our beloved Bill. [00:09.7 – 00:15.1] Will everybody rise, please? [00:15.1 – 00:36.5] Now [00:36.5 – 00:48.0] that we're assembled here in full strength and in all the joy of this superb occasion, I [00:48.0 – 00:59.0] first want to renew my thanks to all who have made it possible: to Jack and his committee, to [00:59.0 – 01:10.7] each one of you, to the untold miles of travel that you've all made to be present, [01:10.7 – 01:20.8] to inspire me, to fill me with the warmth of your hospitality, to be with each [01:20.8 – 01:22.5] other. [01:22.5 – 01:32.5] I am grateful to the governor of this state, the mayor of this town for their recognition [01:32.5 – 01:36.0] that we are again not only A.A. [01:36.0 – 01:38.7] members, but citizens of the world. [01:38.7 – 01:44.9] We once more belong to these friendly sets. [01:44.9 – 01:54.9] I am deeply grateful to this hotel and the owners of it who have housed us, [01:54.9 – 01:58.5] I beg you to know, so superbly. [01:58.5 – 02:03.9] Could you see that apartment I'm in, you'd wonder how the hell anybody could stay sober in it. [02:03.9 – 02:04.7] It's that far. [02:04.7 – 02:14.8] As for me, I stand here [02:14.8 – 02:24.9] in great gratitude, not only for the many tokens of your generosity and affection that I have [02:24.9 – 02:34.9] received in the past, but for what you are making possible for my sponsor, Eddie, just as much the founder of A.A. [02:34.9 – 02:41.4] as I, or any of the score without whom this thing couldn't have been. [02:41.4 – 02:51.4] So again, I recall with my deep gratitude, and I can [02:51.4 – 02:55.4] find no better word to say it. [02:55.4 – 03:05.5] I think I'm on the bill for tonight's show with a talk on traditions, the 12 traditions of [03:05.5 – 03:06.1] A.A. [03:06.1 – 03:16.1] But you know, drunks, like women, have the prerogative, or at least seize the prerogative [03:16.1 – 03:20.5] of changing their minds or making it up to them. [03:20.5 – 03:30.6] Since this is a [03:30.6 – 03:40.7] banquet, something very festive, I think the traditions one to 12 would be [03:40.7 – 03:41.8] a little too grim. [03:41.8 – 03:44.1] Might bore you a little. [03:44.1 – 03:54.5] As a matter of fact, speaking of traditions, when they were first written back there in 1945 or six as sort [03:54.5 – 04:04.5] of a tentative guide to help us to hang together and function, nobody quite paid any attention except a few ginners who all [04:04.5 – 04:07.4] mean what the hell they are about. [04:07.4 – 04:08.8] Nobody paid the slightest. [04:08.8 – 04:19.0] But little by little, as these traditions, uh, got around and we had our club, [04:19.0 – 04:27.1] club, our squabbles, our group rifts, disagreements. [04:27.1 – 04:37.2] It was found that the traditions indeed did reflect experience and were guiding principles, so they took hold a little more and a little more and a little [04:37.2 – 04:39.8] more, so that today the average A.A. [04:39.8 – 04:50.0] coming in the door learns at once what they're about, what kind of an outfit he really has landed in, by what principles [04:50.0 – 04:51.9] his group and A.A. [04:51.9 – 04:54.4] as a whole are governed. [04:54.4 – 04:58.1] But as I say, the dickens with all that. [04:58.1 – 05:08.3] I'd just like to spin some yarns, and they will be a series of yarns which [05:08.3 – 05:14.7] cluster around the preparation of the good old book, Alcoholics Anonymous. [05:14.7 – 05:20.2] Some people reading the book now, they say, "Well, this is the A.A. [05:20.2 – 05:30.2] Bible." And when I hear that, it always makes me shudder because the guys who put it together weren't a damn [05:30.2 – 05:31.1] bit biblical. [05:31.1 – 05:41.5] I think sometimes you know the drunks have an idea that these old-timers went around with almost visible halos [05:41.5 – 05:45.4] and long gowns, and they were full of sweetness and light. [05:45.4 – 05:48.8] And oh, boy, how inspired they were. [05:48.8 – 05:50.6] Oh, yeah. [05:50.6 – 05:52.1] But wait 'til I tell you. [05:52.1 – 06:02.9] I suppose the book yarn really started in the living room of, uh, Doc [06:02.9 – 06:03.8] and Annie Smith. [06:03.8 – 06:09.3] As you know, I landed there in the summer of '35. [06:09.3 – 06:11.7] A little group called Hall. [06:11.7 – 06:18.1] I helped Smithy briefly with it, and he went on to found the first AA group in the world. [06:18.1 – 06:25.8] And as with all new groups, it was nearly all failure. [06:25.8 – 06:32.5] But now and then, somebody saw the light, and there was public. [06:32.5 – 06:36.4] At first, I got back to New York. [06:36.4 – 06:39.0] A little more experience, a group started there. [06:39.0 – 06:49.4] And by the time we got around to 1937, the thing had leaked a little over into Cleveland, and it began to move south from New York. [06:49.4 – 06:59.4] But it was still, we thought in those years of flying blind, a flickering [06:59.4 – 07:05.4] candle indeed that might at any moment be snuffed out. [07:05.4 – 07:16.6] So on this late fall afternoon in 1937, Smithy and I were talking together in his living room and [07:16.6 – 07:18.2] sitting there by the gas log. [07:18.2 – 07:21.8] And we began to count noses. [07:21.8 – 07:29.3] How many people had stayed dry in Akron, in New York? [07:29.3 – 07:31.6] Maybe a few in Cleveland. [07:31.6 – 07:35.9] How many had stayed dry, and for how long? [07:35.9 – 07:43.3] And when we added up their total, sure, it was a handful. [07:43.3 – 07:47.9] I don't know, thirty-five, forty maybe. [07:47.9 – 07:59.4] But enough time had elapsed on enough really fatal cases of alcoholism so [07:59.4 – 08:10.8] that when we grasped the import of these small statistics, Bob and I saw for [08:10.8 – 08:21.1] the first time that this thing was going to succeed, that God in His providence and mercy [08:21.1 – 08:31.1] had thrown a new light into the dark cave where we and our kind had been [08:31.1 – 08:35.0] and would still, by the millions, dwell. [08:35.0 – 08:44.4] I never can forget the elation and ecstasy that seized us both. [08:44.4 – 08:52.3] And then we fell happily silent and reflected. [08:52.3 – 09:03.1] We reflected that, well, a couple of score of them, but [09:03.1 – 09:06.8] this had taken three long years. [09:06.8 – 09:13.7] There had been an immense amount of failure, but a long time had been taken just to sober up this handful. [09:13.7 – 09:23.8] How could this handful carry its message to all those who still didn't know? [09:23.8 – 09:30.9] Not all the drunks in the world could come to Akron or to New York. [09:30.9 – 09:34.9] How could we transmit our message to them? [09:34.9 – 09:36.1] By what means? [09:36.1 – 09:47.2] Maybe, we thought, we could go to the old-timers in each group, or send them to everybody, find [09:47.2 – 09:57.2] a sum of money, somebody else's money, of course, and say to them, "Well, now, take a sabbatical year off your job, if you have any, and you go [09:57.2 – 10:09.1] to Peoria, and to Omaha, and to Chicago, and to San Francisco, to Los Angeles, and wherever it may be, and you give this thing a year, and get a group started." It [10:09.1 – 10:19.2] had already got evident by then, for we were just about to be moved out of the city hospital in Akron to make room for people with broken legs and [10:19.2 – 10:24.5] ailing livers, that our hospitals were not too happy with us. [10:24.5 – 10:34.6] We tried to run their business perhaps too much, and besides, drunks were apt to be noisy in the night and a rather inconvenience, [10:34.6 – 10:36.0] which we're all familiar with. [10:36.0 – 10:46.1] So it was obvious that, uh, drunks being such a lovely creature, we would have to have a great chain of hospitals. [10:46.1 – 10:56.3] And as that dream burst upon me, it sounded good, because, you see, I'd been down on Wall Street in the promotion business, and I remember [10:56.3 – 11:01.6] the great sums of money that were made as, as soon as people got this chain idea. [11:01.6 – 11:07.7] You know, the chain drugstores, the chain grocery stores, the chain dry goods stores. [11:07.7 – 11:12.1] Why not chain drunk tanks and let us make the dough? [11:12.1 – 11:18.5] So we needed some missionaries of the kind. [11:18.5 – 11:21.3] We needed a chain of drunk tanks. [11:21.3 – 11:25.4] That got very clear, awful clear to me. [11:25.4 – 11:28.5] Bob is a conservative type of Yankee. [11:28.5 – 11:34.8] I don't think he was quite so bashful for those items, but I was very insistent. [11:34.8 – 11:45.1] It would take a pile of dough to finance all this, but after all, with this brand-new light shining in our dark world, we'd just squirt it in the eyes [11:45.1 – 11:47.3] of rich guys and made up with the dough. [11:47.3 – 11:56.9] Besides, we reflected, uh, we'd have to get some kind of literature. [11:56.9 – 12:03.9] Up to this moment, not a syllable of this program, so far as I know, was in writing. [12:03.9 – 12:07.6] And it was a kind of a word-of-mouth deal. [12:07.6 – 12:17.6] You, with variations according to each man or woman's fancy, you Well, in a general way, we said, "Well, the [12:17.6 – 12:23.7] booze has got you down, boys, and you got an allergy and a depression, and you're hopeless. [12:23.7 – 12:24.5] Said you are. [12:24.5 – 12:27.9] You better get honest with yourself. [12:27.9 – 12:30.6] Take stock. [12:30.6 – 12:38.9] You ought to talk this out with somebody, kind of a confessional, you know? [12:38.9 – 12:41.6] And you ought to make restitution for the harm that you did. [12:41.6 – 12:45.5] You ought to make amends and all that kind of business. [12:45.5 – 12:53.1] Well, you play it as best you could according to your lights and facts." And that was the sum of the word-of-mouth program up to that time. [12:53.1 – 12:58.2] Far as I say, variations on that were already appearing. [12:58.2 – 13:00.9] How could we unify this? [13:00.9 – 13:11.2] Could we, out of our experience, get certain principles, describe certain methods that had done the trick [13:11.2 – 13:11.7] for us? [13:11.7 – 13:13.7] Yes, obviously. [13:13.7 – 13:23.8] If this movement was to propagate, it had to have a literature so its message could not be garbled either by the drunks or by the general public. [13:23.8 – 13:30.9] So Bob and I reflected that late afternoon in 1937. [13:30.9 – 13:36.8] Missionaries, chain of drunk tanks, and a book. [13:36.8 – 13:46.8] Well, even by then, he and I had begun to learn that we were not the government of Alcoholics Anonymous. [13:46.8 – 13:57.1] He, I guess, more than I, already realized that the conscience of the group, the opinion [13:57.1 – 14:02.8] of the group, when it was an informed opinion and in the group's interest, could be better than our own. [14:02.8 – 14:04.5] We better consult folks. [14:04.5 – 14:12.9] Well, there was dear old Al, uh, dear old Non-Alcoholics and his wife, Tiane and Williams there in Akron. [14:12.9 – 14:22.3] They'd let us meet in their house after we got out of the Flint parlor and got into theirs, and he was great friends of ours. [14:22.3 – 14:32.5] So we called a meeting of the Akron group, that is to say, those who had been sober any great length of time. [14:32.5 – 14:38.0] I think for this particular meeting, we placed us about 18. [14:38.0 – 14:48.0] And at that meeting, Bob and I told them that we [14:48.0 – 14:55.8] were in within sight of success, that we thought this thing might go on and on and on. [14:55.8 – 15:01.3] That a new light indeed was shining in our dark world. [15:01.3 – 15:09.3] But how could this light be reflected and transmitted without being distorted and garbled? [15:09.3 – 15:20.0] And at this point, they turned the meeting over to me, and being a salesman, I just liked to work on them drunk tanks [15:20.0 – 15:22.0] and subsidies for the missionaries. [15:22.0 – 15:23.6] I was pretty poor then. [15:23.6 – 15:27.0] And we touched on the book. [15:27.0 – 15:28.8] That's it. [15:28.8 – 15:35.5] And group conscience consisted of 18 men, good and true. [15:35.5 – 15:42.7] And the good and true men, you could see right away, were damn skeptical about it all. [15:42.7 – 15:52.7] Almost with one voice, they chorused, "Let's keep it simple." "This [15:52.7 – 15:56.2] is going to bring money into this thing. [15:56.2 – 15:58.6] This is going to create a professional class. [15:58.6 – 16:05.3] We'll all be ruined." Well, I countered, "That's a very good argument. [16:05.3 – 16:07.4] Lots to what you say. [16:07.4 – 16:18.4] But even within gunshot of this very house, alcoholics are dying like flies, and if this thing doesn't move any faster than it has [16:18.4 – 16:24.5] in the next, in the last three years, it may be another 10 before it gets to the outskirts of Akron. [16:24.5 – 16:29.5] How in God's name are we going to carry this message to others? [16:29.5 – 16:33.7] We've got to take some kind of chances. [16:33.7 – 16:38.4] We can't keep it so simple it becomes an anarchy and gets complicated. [16:38.4 – 16:42.1] We can't keep it so simple it won't propagate itself. [16:42.1 – 16:52.7] And we gotta have a lot of money to do these things." So exerting myself to the utmost, [16:52.7 – 17:01.6] which was considerable in those days, we finally got a vote in that little meeting, and it was a mighty close vote. [17:01.6 – 17:11.9] By just a majority of maybe two or three, the meeting said with some reluctance, "Well, Bill, if we need a lot of dough, [17:11.9 – 17:22.0] you better go back to New York where there's plenty of it, and you raise it." Well, boy, that was the word I'd been waiting for. [17:22.0 – 17:33.2] So I scrammed back to the great city, and I began to approach some people of means and [17:33.2 – 17:41.5] describe this tremendous thing that had happened, and it didn't seem so tremendous to the people of means at all. [17:41.5 – 17:42.4] They said, "What? [17:42.4 – 17:46.2] 35 or 40 drunks sobered up? [17:46.2 – 17:51.3] They have sobered them up before now, you know. [17:51.3 – 17:53.5] And besides, Mr. [17:53.5 – 17:57.0] Wilson, don't you think it's kind of sweeping up the shavings? [17:57.0 – 18:07.2] I mean, uh, I mean, wasn't there something for the Red Cross you got?" In other words, with all of my [18:07.2 – 18:12.0] most ardent solicitation, I got one hell of a freeze from the gentlemen of wealth. [18:12.0 – 18:15.5] Well, I began to get blue. [18:15.5 – 18:22.0] And when I began to get blue, uh, my stomach kicked up as well as other things. [18:22.0 – 18:27.2] And I was laying in bed one night with an imaginary ulcer attack. [18:27.2 – 18:29.0] Used to have them all the time. [18:29.0 – 18:32.2] I had one of the finest house staff for it. [18:32.2 – 18:41.1] And I said, "My God, we're starving to death here at 20th Street." By this time, the house was full of drunks. [18:41.1 – 18:43.1] They were eating us out of house and home. [18:43.1 – 18:48.2] In those days, we never believed in charging anything for, anybody for anything. [18:48.2 – 18:52.7] So although it was earning the money, I was being a missionary to the drunkard eating meals. [18:52.7 – 18:55.2] This can't go on. [18:55.2 – 18:57.4] We gotta have them drunk tanks. [18:57.4 – 18:58.8] We gotta have them missionaries. [18:58.8 – 19:00.7] And how are we gonna have them missionaries? [19:00.7 – 19:02.4] And we gotta have a book. [19:02.4 – 19:03.9] That's for sure. [19:03.9 – 19:08.4] Well, the next morning, I crawled into my clothes, and I found my brother-in-law. [19:08.4 – 19:17.3] He's a doctor, and he is about the last person you'd expect to me one that's just way, way down. [19:17.3 – 19:21.1] The only one, save of course, dear Lord. [19:21.1 – 19:30.2] Well, I said, "I'll go up and see Leonard." So I went up to see my brother-in-law, Leonard. [19:30.2 – 19:34.0] He pried out a little time between patients coming in up there. [19:34.0 – 19:43.9] And I started my awful bellyache about these rich guys who wouldn't give us any dough for this great and glorious enterprise. [19:43.9 – 19:45.3] So well on his way. [19:45.3 – 19:55.8] And it seems to me that somehow he was tied up with the Rockefeller family and their charities. [19:55.8 – 20:03.7] And if you want to, we'll call up the Rockefeller offices and see if there is such a man. [20:03.7 – 20:07.9] And if there is, is he alive, and will he see us? [20:07.9 – 20:09.4] Would you like me to do that? [20:09.4 – 20:20.1] Well, I hadn't tried the Rockefeller office, so I said, "Well, sure, give him a ring." On [20:20.1 – 20:25.0] what slender threads our destiny sometimes hang. [20:25.0 – 20:36.6] Remember, my brother-in-law said, "I know a girl, and I think she has a uncle." So [20:36.6 – 20:37.8] the call was made. [20:37.8 – 20:47.9] Instantly, there came onto the other end of the wire the voice of dear Willard Richards, one [20:47.9 – 20:51.6] of the loveliest Christian gentlemen that I have ever known. [20:51.6 – 21:04.1] And the moment he recognized my brother-in-law, he said, "Why, Leonard," he said, "where have you been all these years?" Well, [21:04.1 – 21:07.3] my brother-in-law, unlike me, is a man of very few words. [21:07.3 – 21:17.5] So he quickly said to dear old Uncle Willard, uh, that, uh, he had a brother-in-law who was apparently having some success sobering up [21:17.5 – 21:17.9] drunks. [21:17.9 – 21:22.7] And could, uh, the two of us come over there and see him? [21:22.7 – 21:25.1] "Why, certainly," said dear Willard. [21:25.1 – 21:30.3] "Uh, come right over." So we go over to Rockefeller Plaza. [21:30.3 – 21:33.7] We go up that elevator, 54 flights. [21:33.7 – 21:36.4] 56, I guess it is. [21:36.4 – 21:40.1] And we walk plump into Mr. [21:40.1 – 21:43.4] Rockefeller's personal offices, asked to see Mr. [21:43.4 – 21:44.7] Richards. [21:44.7 – 21:54.9] And here sits this lovely, benign old gent who [21:54.9 – 21:59.9] nevertheless had a kind of shrewd twinkle in his eye. [21:59.9 – 22:10.3] So I sat down and told him about our exciting discovery, this horrific cure for alcoholics that had just hit the world, [22:10.3 – 22:14.1] how it worked, what we had done. [22:14.1 – 22:22.3] And boy, this was the first receptive man with money or access to money. [22:22.3 – 22:23.4] Remember, we were in Mr. [22:23.4 – 22:26.3] Rockefeller's personal office at this point. [22:26.3 – 22:31.0] And by now, too, we had learned that this was Mr. [22:31.0 – 22:35.6] Rockefeller's closest and personal friend, perhaps. [22:35.6 – 22:46.0] So he said, "Why, yes." He said, "I'm much interested." Uh, [22:46.0 – 22:49.7] "Would you like to have lunch with me, Mr. [22:49.7 – 22:54.7] Wilson?" Well, now, you know, for a rising promoter, that sounded pretty good. [22:54.7 – 22:57.4] Gonna have lunch with best friends of John D. [22:57.4 – 22:59.7] Things were looking up. [22:59.7 – 23:02.3] My ulcer attack disappeared. [23:02.3 – 23:11.2] So I had lunch with the old gentleman, and we told him the thing again. [23:11.2 – 23:14.1] And boy, he's so warm and kind and friendly. [23:14.1 – 23:18.2] Right at the close of lunch, he said, "Well, now, Mr. [23:18.2 – 23:26.9] Wilson, or Bill, if I can call you that," uh, said, "wouldn't you like to have a larger meeting with, uh, some of my friends? [23:26.9 – 23:29.2] There's Frank Amos. [23:29.2 – 23:35.1] He's in the advertising business, but he was on a committee that recommended Mr. [23:35.1 – 23:38.8] Rockefeller, uh, drop the, uh, prohibition business. [23:38.8 – 23:41.3] And there's Leroy Chipman. [23:41.3 – 23:42.1] He looks after Mr. [23:42.1 – 23:44.0] Rockefeller's real estate. [23:44.0 – 23:45.7] And there's Mr. [23:45.7 – 23:46.1] Scott. [23:46.1 – 23:48.7] He's chairman of the board up at the Riverside Church. [23:48.7 – 23:51.2] And he's got a number of people like that. [23:51.2 – 24:02.2] I, I believe they'd like to hear this talk." So a meeting was arranged, and it fell upon a winter's night, late [24:02.2 – 24:03.4] 1937. [24:03.4 – 24:09.4] And the meeting was at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. [24:09.4 – 24:18.3] We called in posthaste a couple of drunks from Akron, Smith included, of course, heading the procession. [24:18.3 – 24:24.8] I came in with the New York contingent, four or five. [24:24.8 – 24:29.9] And to our astonishment, we were ushered into Mr. [24:29.9 – 24:36.1] Rockefeller's personal board room right next to our office, right next to his office. [24:36.1 – 24:45.5] And I thought to myself, "Well, now this place is really getting hot." And indeed, I felt very much warm when I was told by Mr. [24:45.5 – 24:50.2] Richardson that I was sitting in a chair just vacated by Mr. [24:50.2 – 24:51.0] Rockefeller. [24:51.0 – 24:59.3] I said, "Well, now we really are getting close to the bankroll." Old Doc Silvers was there that night, too. [24:59.3 – 25:06.2] And he testified what he had seen happen to these new friends of ours. [25:06.2 – 25:16.4] And he's drunk, thinking of nothing better to say, while each of us told our stories of drinking [25:16.4 – 25:17.3] and of recovery. [25:17.3 – 25:22.3] And these folks listened. [25:22.3 – 25:25.8] They seemed very definitely impressed. [25:25.8 – 25:31.3] So I could see that the moment for the big touch was coming. [25:31.3 – 25:41.7] So I gingerly brought up the subject of the drunk tanks, the subsidized [25:41.7 – 25:46.8] missionaries, and this question of a book or literature. [25:46.8 – 25:53.9] Well, God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. [25:53.9 – 25:58.5] But it didn't look like a wonder to me when Mr. [25:58.5 – 26:09.0] Scott, head of a large engineering firm and chairman of the Riverside Church, looked at us and said, "But, gentlemen, [26:09.0 – 26:15.6] up to this point, this has been a work of goodwill only. [26:15.6 – 26:24.8] No plans, no properties, no paid people, just one carrying the good news to the next. [26:24.8 – 26:26.0] Isn't that true? [26:26.0 – 26:34.0] And may it not be that that is where the great power of this society lies. [26:34.0 – 26:43.9] Now, if we subsidize it, might it not all very soon fall character? [26:43.9 – 26:47.4] We want to do all we can. [26:47.4 – 26:49.2] We're gathered for that. [26:49.2 – 26:58.0] But would it be wise?" Well then, the salesmen all gave Mr. [26:58.0 – 26:59.1] Scott the rush. [26:59.1 – 27:03.1] And we said, "Why, Mr. [27:03.1 – 27:03.9] Scott? [27:03.9 – 27:06.6] There are only forty of us. [27:06.6 – 27:10.0] It's taken three years. [27:10.0 – 27:11.1] Why, millions, Mr. [27:11.1 – 27:21.3] Scott, will rot before this thing ever gets thrown, unless we have money and lots of it." And we made out our case [27:21.3 – 27:25.7] at last with these gentlemen, for the missionaries, the drunk tanks, the lot. [27:25.7 – 27:35.2] So one of them volunteered to investigate us, very carefully. [27:35.2 – 27:37.2] And since poor old Dr. [27:37.2 – 27:47.3] Bob was harder up than I was, and since the first group and the difficult community situation was in Akron, we directed their attention out there. [27:47.3 – 27:57.5] And Frank Amos, still a trustee in the foundation, at his own expense, got on a train, went out to Akron, [27:57.5 – 28:01.2] made all sorts of preliminary inquiries around town about Dr. [28:01.2 – 28:01.8] Bob. [28:01.8 – 28:10.9] All reports were good except that he was a drunk and recently got over it. [28:10.9 – 28:15.2] He visited the little meeting out there, and he went to the Smith house. [28:15.2 – 28:21.1] And he came back with what he thought was a very modest proposal. [28:21.1 – 28:31.3] And he recommended to these friends of ours that, uh, well, we could have at least just a token amount of money at first, say fifty thousand [28:31.3 – 28:32.7] dollars, something like that. [28:32.7 – 28:36.6] That would clear off the mortgage on Smith's place. [28:36.6 – 28:39.8] It would, uh, get us a little rehabilitation place. [28:39.8 – 28:40.6] We could put Dr. [28:40.6 – 28:41.8] Smith in charge. [28:41.8 – 28:48.2] Uh, we could subsidize a few of these people briefly until we got some more money. [28:48.2 – 28:52.7] And we could, uh, you know, it would start the chain of hospitals. [28:52.7 – 28:54.8] And we'd have a few missionaries. [28:54.8 – 28:59.6] And we could get busy on the book, all for a mere fifty thousand bucks. [28:59.6 – 29:05.4] Well, considering the kind of money we were backed up against, that did sound a little small. [29:05.4 – 29:09.3] But, you know, one thing leads to another, and it sounded real good. [29:09.3 – 29:11.0] We were, we were real glad. [29:11.0 – 29:13.9] Mr. [29:13.9 – 29:23.1] Willard Richardson, our original contact, then took that report into John D., Junior, as everybody called him. [29:23.1 – 29:29.0] And I since heard what went on. [29:29.0 – 29:31.7] Mr. [29:31.7 – 29:36.9] Rockefeller read the report, called Willard Richardson back. [29:36.9 – 29:43.5] And he said, "Somehow I am strangely stirred by all this. [29:43.5 – 29:53.8] This did rest me immensely." And then looking at his friend Willard, [29:53.8 – 29:58.6] he said, "But isn't money going to spoil this thing? [29:58.6 – 30:01.7] I'm terribly afraid that it would. [30:01.7 – 30:11.9] And yet I'm so strangely stirred by it." Then came [30:11.9 – 30:14.4] another turning point in our destiny. [30:14.4 – 30:24.5] "When that man whose business is giving away money," said to Willard Richardson, "No," he said, "I won't [30:24.5 – 30:34.3] be the one to spoil this fun with money." You say these two men who are heading it are a little strapped. [30:34.3 – 30:39.9] I'll put $5,000 in the Riverside Church treasury. [30:39.9 – 30:44.8] You folks can form yourselves into a committee and draw on it as you like. [30:44.8 – 30:55.0] But please don't ask me for any more, but I want to hear what goes on." Well, the 50,000 had then shrunk to five. [30:55.0 – 30:58.3] We raised the mortgage on Smithy's house. [30:58.3 – 31:04.1] For about three grand, that left two, and Smithy and I commenced chawing on that two. [31:04.1 – 31:08.5] Well, that was a long way from the string of Dr. [31:08.5 – 31:12.2] Grunt's tank, books, and mixes. [31:12.2 – 31:15.3] What in thunder would we do? [31:15.3 – 31:26.2] Well, we had more meetings with our newfound friends, Amos, Richardson, Scott, Chipman, and [31:26.2 – 31:33.5] those fellas who stuck with us to this day, some of them now being gone. [31:33.5 – 31:37.1] And in spite of Mr. [31:37.1 – 31:45.8] Rockefeller's advice, we again convinced these folks that this thing needed a lot of money. [31:45.8 – 31:49.5] What could you do without it? [31:49.5 – 32:00.6] So one of them proposed, "Well, why don't we form a foundation, something like the Rockefeller Foundation?" "Well," [32:00.6 – 32:10.7] I said, "I hope it'll be like that with respect to money." And then one of them got a free lawyer from [32:10.7 – 32:21.4] Ely, Hill, Rook's firm who was interested in the thing, and we all asked him to draw up an agreement of trust, a [32:21.4 – 32:27.4] charter for something to be called The Alcoholic Foundation. [32:27.4 – 32:30.9] Why we picked that one, I don't know. [32:30.9 – 32:33.7] I don't know whether the foundation was alcoholic. [32:33.7 – 32:37.8] It was The Alcoholic Foundation, not the Alcoholic Foundation. [32:37.8 – 32:38.6] No. [32:38.6 – 32:48.6] And the lawyer was very much confused because in the meeting in which we formed the foundation, we made it very plain that, uh, [32:48.6 – 32:51.9] we drunks did not wish to be in the majority. [32:51.9 – 32:59.3] We felt that there should be non-alcoholics on the board, and they ought to be in a majority of one. [32:59.3 – 33:09.8] "Well, indeed," says the lawyer, "what is the difference between an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic?" [33:09.8 – 33:12.3] And one of our smart drunks says, "Well, that's the thing. [33:12.3 – 33:22.4] A non-alcoholic is a guy who can drink, and a alcoholic is a guy who can't drink." "Well," says the lawyer, [33:22.4 – 33:25.1] "how do we state that legally?" I wouldn't know. [33:25.1 – 33:35.1] At any rate, we had a foundation and a board, which I think then was of about [33:35.1 – 33:39.6] seven, consisting of four of these new friends, including my brother-in-law, Mr. [33:39.6 – 33:43.4] Richards, and Chipman, Amos, and some of us drunks. [33:43.4 – 33:54.2] I think Smithy went on the board, but I kind of coyly stayed off, thinking, "Well, it would be more convenient later on." So [33:54.2 – 33:56.7] we had this wonderful new foundation. [33:56.7 – 33:59.5] These friends, unlike Mr. [33:59.5 – 34:09.7] Rockefeller, were told that we needed a lot of dough, and so our salesmen around New York started to solicit it, solicit the money, again, from the very [34:09.7 – 34:10.0] rich. [34:10.0 – 34:17.6] And we had a list of them, and we had credentials and letters from friends of Mr. [34:17.6 – 34:18.3] John D. [34:18.3 – 34:20.0] Rockefeller. [34:20.0 – 34:22.9] How could you miss, I ask you, sir? [34:22.9 – 34:31.2] The foundation had been formed in the spring of 1938, and all summer we solicited the rich. [34:31.2 – 34:40.5] Well, they were either in Florida, or they preferred the Red Cross, or some of them thought that drunks were disgusting. [34:40.5 – 34:49.0] And we didn't get one damn cent in the whole summer of 1938. [34:49.0 – 34:50.1] Praise God. [34:50.1 – 35:00.7] Well, meantime, we began to hold trustee meetings, and they were commiseration sessions [35:00.7 – 35:02.4] on getting no dough. [35:02.4 – 35:12.5] What with the mortgage and what with Smithy and me eating away at it, the five grand had about gone up the flue, and we were all soon [35:12.5 – 35:13.3] broke again. [35:13.3 – 35:22.9] Smithy couldn't get his practice back either because he was a surgeon, and nobody liked to be carved up by an a-alcoholic surgeon, even if he was for years. [35:22.9 – 35:26.1] So things were tough all around, no fool. [35:26.1 – 35:30.9] Well, what would we do? [35:30.9 – 35:42.0] So one day, probably in August 1938, I produced at a foundation meeting a [35:42.0 – 35:46.1] couple of chapters of a proposed book in rough and in mimeograph. [35:46.1 – 35:56.1] As a matter of fact, we'd been using chapters of this proposed book, along with some recommendations of a couple doctors down at John Hopkins to try to put [35:56.1 – 36:01.0] the bite on the rich, and we still have these two book chapters kicking around. [36:01.0 – 36:11.0] And so Frank Amos said, "Well, now I know the religious editor down there at Harper's, old friend of mine, Gene Axmann." He said, "Why don't you take [36:11.0 – 36:21.1] these two book chapters, your story and the introduction to the book, down there and show them to Gene [36:21.1 – 36:27.4] and see what he thinks about it?" So I took the chapters down. [36:27.4 – 36:37.4] To my great surprise, Gene, who had since become a great friend of ours, looked at the chapters and he [36:37.4 – 36:38.6] said, "Why?" He said, "Mr. [36:38.6 – 36:48.7] Wilson," he said, "would you write a whole book like this?" "Well," I said, "sure." "Sure." Well, there was more talk [36:48.7 – 36:49.4] about it. [36:49.4 – 36:52.3] I, I guess he went in and showed it to Mr. [36:52.3 – 36:54.1] Canfield, the big boss. [36:54.1 – 37:06.0] Another meeting was had, and the upshot was that Harper's intimated that they would pay me, as the budding author, $1,500 [37:06.0 – 37:13.4] in advance royalties, bringing enough money in to enable me to finish the book. [37:13.4 – 37:17.8] Well, I felt awful good, you know, about that. [37:17.8 – 37:21.0] It made me feel like I was an author or something maybe. [37:21.0 – 37:31.1] I felt real good about it, but after a while, not so good because I began to reason, and so did the other [37:31.1 – 37:38.0] boys, "Well, if this guy Wilson, he sucks the 1,500 bucks, why are we even doing this book? [37:38.0 – 37:46.6] After the book gets out, it'll take a long time to catch up, and if this thing gets some publicity, what are we going to do with the inquiry? [37:46.6 – 37:54.9] And after all, what's a lousy 10% royalty anyway?" Well, the 1,500 still looked pretty big to me. [37:54.9 – 38:03.2] Then we thought, too, "Now, here's a fine publisher like Harper's, but if this book, if and when [38:03.3 – 38:07.4] done should prove to be the main textbook for AA. [38:07.4 – 38:13.2] Why would we want our main means of propagation in the hands of somebody else? [38:13.2 – 38:14.9] Shouldn't we control it? [38:14.9 – 38:20.3] Well, at that point, the book project really began to get hot. [38:20.3 – 38:21.5] It began to take off. [38:21.5 – 38:24.0] Why? [38:24.0 – 38:31.5] We said, "What we ought to do is to form a book company, a publishing company, a corporation. [38:31.5 – 38:41.7] We should call it, let us say, Works Publishing Company, this being the first of a great many works, you see." And we could sell [38:41.7 – 38:47.6] stock certificates to all the drunks and get some money coming in- … [38:47.6 – 38:54.2] support the author, and the guy who collected the money, and the gal who would help me on the book while this was going on. [38:54.2 – 39:04.5] Well, we took this idea to the next trustees meeting, and they all shook their heads, and they went out and made some more inquiries, and we had another trustees [39:04.5 – 39:05.1] meeting. [39:05.1 – 39:13.6] They'd gone to some publisher friends, and the publisher said, "Well, these authors, they all got the crazy idea that they can, uh, publish their own books. [39:13.6 – 39:15.2] It ain't so. [39:15.2 – 39:20.3] We don't believe it." Well, then we had kind of an alcoholic rebellion. [39:20.3 – 39:23.6] We said to our friend, "Well, after all, you didn't produce any dough. [39:23.6 – 39:33.9] Uh, we think we'll try this on separate foundations." So I had a guy helping me on this thing [39:33.9 – 39:38.3] who had red hair, 10 times my energy, and some promoter he was. [39:38.3 – 39:40.5] He said, "Bill, this is something. [39:40.5 – 39:44.3] Come on with me." We walk into a stationary store. [39:44.3 – 39:47.4] We buy a pad of blank stock certificates. [39:47.4 – 39:57.6] We write across the top of them, "Works Publishing Company, par value $25." So we take a pad of these stock certificates. [39:57.6 – 40:00.1] Of course, we didn't bother to incorporate it. [40:00.1 – 40:05.7] That didn't happen for several years. [40:05.7 – 40:13.5] We took this pad of stock certificates to the next AA meeting where you shouldn't mix money with spirituality at all. [40:13.5 – 40:19.5] And we said to the drunks, "Why, look, this thing is gonna be a cinch. [40:19.5 – 40:24.4] Harper, he'll take a third of this thing for services rendered. [40:24.4 – 40:34.4] I, the author, I'll take a third for services rendered, and you can have a third of these stock certificates, par 25, [40:34.4 – 40:36.8] if you'll just start paying up on your stock. [40:36.8 – 40:41.1] If you only want one share, it's only $5 a month for five months," see? [40:41.1 – 40:46.1] And the drunks all gave us the stony look. [40:46.1 – 40:56.2] "What the hell?" "You mean to say you're asking us to buy stock in a book that you ain't [40:56.2 – 41:05.0] written yet?" "Why, sure," we said. [41:05.0 – 41:10.8] "If Harper's will put money in this thing, why shouldn't you? [41:10.8 – 41:17.3] Harper said it's going to be a, a good book." But the drunks still gave us the stony stare. [41:17.3 – 41:18.7] No sale. [41:18.7 – 41:24.0] Well, we had to think up some more. [41:24.0 – 41:34.1] So we said, "Well, um, we've been looking about the printing cost of the books, [41:34.1 – 41:35.0] boys. [41:35.0 – 41:38.4] We get a book here, you know, 400, 450 pages. [41:38.4 – 41:48.6] It ought to sell for about 3.50." Now, back in those days, uh, we found on inquiry from printers that that 3.50 book could be printed for [41:48.6 – 41:52.7] 35 cents, making 1,000% profit. [41:52.7 – 41:55.7] Of course, we didn't mention the other expenses, just the printing cost. [41:55.7 – 41:57.4] "So, boys, just think of it. [41:57.4 – 42:09.0] When these books move out in Carlos lots we're printing them for 35 cents, then we're selling them direct mail, 3.50. [42:09.0 – 42:13.3] How can you lose?" The drunks still gave us the stony stare. [42:13.3 – 42:15.3] No sale. [42:15.3 – 42:21.9] Well, we figured we had to have a better argument than that. [42:21.9 – 42:32.0] Harper said it was a good book, and we could print them for 35 cents and sell them for 3.50, but how were we going to convince the drunks [42:32.0 – 42:38.1] that we could move Carlos lots, millions of dollars worth? [42:38.1 – 42:41.1] So we get the idea we'll talk to the Reader's Digest. [42:41.1 – 42:44.3] And we got an appointment with Mr. [42:44.3 – 42:47.0] Kenneth Payne, the managing editor up there. [42:47.0 – 42:49.9] Gee, I'll never forget the day. [42:49.9 – 42:54.0] We got off the train up to Pleasantville and went over to his office, ushered in. [42:54.0 – 42:59.0] We excitedly told him the story of this wonderful budding society. [42:59.0 – 43:01.7] We dwelled upon the friendship of Mr. [43:01.7 – 43:04.3] Rockefeller and Harry Emerson Fosdick. [43:04.3 – 43:06.6] You know, we were traveling in good company, Mr. [43:06.6 – 43:08.6] Payne. [43:08.6 – 43:15.5] And, uh, the society, by the way, was about to publish a textbook then in process of being written. [43:15.5 – 43:19.7] And we were wondering, Mr. [43:19.7 – 43:29.8] Payne, if this wouldn't be a matter of tremendous interest to the Reader's Digest, having in mind, of course, that the Reader's Digest had [43:29.8 – 43:40.2] a circulation of 12 million readers, and if we could only get a free ad of this coming book in the Reader's Digest, we really would move something, [43:40.2 – 43:41.7] you see. [43:41.7 – 43:43.8] We really would move something, you see. [43:43.8 – 43:45.8] "Well," Mr. [43:45.8 – 43:50.9] Payne said, "this sounds extremely interesting." He said, "I'm, I, I, I like this idea. [43:50.9 – 43:58.7] Why, I think it will be an absolutely ideal," "ideal piece for the Digest. [43:58.7 – 44:02.2] Why, how soon do you think this new book will be out, Mr. [44:02.2 – 44:09.6] Wilson?" "Well," I said, "we've got a couple chapters written." I said, uh, "If we can get right at it, Mr. [44:09.6 – 44:18.9] Payne, uh…" You know, uh, probably, uh, this being, let us say, October, we ought to get this out by, like, April next year. [44:18.9 – 44:20.3] Why, Mr. [44:20.3 – 44:23.8] Payne said, "I, I'm, I'm sure that Diggest would like a thing like this, Mr. [44:23.8 – 44:33.9] Wilson." He said, "I'll take it up with the editorial board." And he said, "Uh, when the time is right, and [44:33.9 – 44:43.9] you get all ready to shoot, come on up and we'll put a special feature writer on this thing, and we'll tell all about your style." And then my promoter friend said, [44:43.9 – 44:44.3] "But Mr. [44:44.3 – 44:48.0] Payne, will you mention the new book in the piece?" "Oh, yes," said Mr. [44:48.0 – 44:48.7] Payne, "Mention the new book. [44:48.7 – 44:56.1] That's all we need." Then we went back to drunks and said, "Now, look, boys, there are positively millions in this. [44:56.1 – 44:57.7] How can you miss? [44:57.7 – 45:00.5] Harper says it's gonna be a good book. [45:00.5 – 45:05.3] We buy them for 35 cents from the printer. [45:05.3 – 45:06.9] We sell them for 3.50. [45:06.9 – 45:14.3] The Reader's Digest is gonna give us a free ad and a piece, and boys, they'll move out by the carload. [45:14.3 – 45:16.0] How can you miss? [45:16.0 – 45:26.0] And after all, we only need 4 or 5,000 bucks." So then we began to sell shares of what publishing not yet incorporated, [45:26.0 – 45:27.5] par value $25. [45:27.5 – 45:30.9] $5 a month to poor people. [45:30.9 – 45:33.0] Some people could buy as many as… [45:33.0 – 45:35.5] One guy bought 10 shares. [45:35.5 – 45:38.4] We sold a few shares to non-alcoholics. [45:38.4 – 45:48.5] And my promoter friend, who was to get a third interest, was a very important man in this transaction because he went out and kept collecting the money from the drunks, [45:48.5 – 45:57.2] so that little Ruthie Hawk and I could keep working on the book, and so Lois would have some groceries, although she's still working in that department store. [45:57.2 – 46:02.5] So the preparation started. [46:02.5 – 46:10.5] And some more chapters were done, and we went into AA meetings in New York with these chapters in the rough. [46:10.5 – 46:15.8] Well, it wasn't like chicken in the rough. [46:15.8 – 46:18.3] The boys didn't eat those chapters up at all. [46:18.3 – 46:23.9] I suddenly discovered that I was in a terrific whirlpool of argument. [46:23.9 – 46:33.9] I was just the umpire, and finally had to stipulate, "Well, boys, uh, over here you've got the Holy Rollers who say we [46:33.9 – 46:40.2] need all the good old-fashioned stuff in the book, and over here you're telling me we gotta have a psychological book. [46:40.2 – 46:45.3] And that never cured anybody, and they didn't do much with drunks in the missions. [46:45.3 – 46:48.9] So I guess you'll have to leave me just to be the umpire. [46:48.9 – 46:57.8] I'll scribble out some roughs here and show them to you, and let's get the comments in." So we fought, bled, and died our way through one chapter after another. [46:57.8 – 47:06.9] We sent them out to Akron, and they were peddled around, and there were terrific hassles about what you do in this book and whatnot. [47:06.9 – 47:16.9] Meanwhile, we set drunks to writing their stories or having newspaper people that we had to write stories for them to go in the back [47:16.9 – 47:17.4] of the book. [47:17.4 – 47:23.9] We had an idea we'd have a text, you know, and then we'd have stories all about the drunks who were staying sober in the back. [47:23.9 – 47:25.7] Move it up. [47:25.7 – 47:32.5] So then came that night when we were up around that, uh, chapter five. [47:32.5 – 47:37.1] As you know, I'd gone on about myself, which was natural after all. [47:37.1 – 47:44.9] And then, uh, we did a little introductory chapter, and we dealt with the agnostic, and we described alcoholism. [47:44.9 – 47:52.3] But, boy, we finally got up to the point where we really had to say what the book was all about and how this deal worked. [47:52.3 – 47:57.7] Well, as I told you, this was a six-step program then. [47:57.7 – 48:05.8] On this particular evening, I was lying in bed in Clint Street wondering what the deuce this next chapter would be about. [48:05.8 – 48:14.1] The idea came to me, well, we need a definite statement of concrete principles that these drunks can't wiggle out from. [48:14.1 – 48:17.8] Can't be any wiggling out of this deal at all. [48:17.8 – 48:22.5] And this six-step program has two big gaps in between. [48:22.5 – 48:23.6] They'll be wiggling out. [48:23.6 – 48:32.5] Moreover, if this book goes out to distant readers, they have got to have an absolute explicit program by which to go. [48:32.5 – 48:42.6] Well, while I was thinking these thoughts, and while my imaginary ulcer was paining me, and while I was mad as hell at [48:42.6 – 48:52.7] these drunks because the money was coming in slow, some had to stock and weren't paying up, a couple of guys come in and they gave me a big argument, and we [48:52.7 – 48:54.0] yelled and shouted. [48:54.0 – 49:04.2] And I finally went down and laid on the bed with my ulcer, and I said, "Poor me." Well, there was a pad of paper by the bed, and I reached [49:04.2 – 49:14.5] for that and I said, "Well, now you gotta break this program up into small pieces so they can't wiggle out." So I started writing, [49:14.5 – 49:18.4] trying to bust it up into little pieces. [49:18.4 – 49:25.4] And when I got the pieces set down on that piece of yellow paper, I put numbers on. [49:25.4 – 49:29.8] I was rather agreeably surprised when it came out at 12. [49:29.8 – 49:39.8] I said, "Well, that's a good significant figure in Christianity and mystic lore." Then I noticed that instead of leaving the God idea to the [49:39.8 – 49:44.6] last, I'd got it up front, but I didn't pay much attention to that. [49:44.6 – 49:47.5] Looked pretty good. [49:47.5 – 49:50.3] Well, next meeting comes along. [49:50.3 – 50:00.4] I'd done on, gone on beyond the steps trying to amplify them and to write that chapter, and I took that chapter with the steps in the meeting, and boy, pandemonium [50:00.4 – 50:00.9] broke loose. [50:00.9 – 50:04.6] "What do you mean by changing the program?" "What about this? [50:04.6 – 50:05.4] What about that? [50:05.4 – 50:07.1] This thing is overloaded with God. [50:07.1 – 50:08.1] We don't like this. [50:08.1 – 50:09.8] You got these guys on their knees. [50:09.8 – 50:20.0] Stand them up." A lot of these drunks are scared to death of being God, then let's take God out of it entirely. [50:20.0 – 50:22.6] Such were the arguments we had. [50:22.6 – 50:29.6] Well, out of that terrific hassle about the 12 Steps, there did come a tense truce. [50:29.6 – 50:38.8] That argument caused the introduction of a phrase which has been a lifesaver for thousands. [50:38.8 – 50:40.5] It was certainly not of my doing. [50:40.5 – 50:46.9] I was on the pious side then, you see, still suffering from this big, hot flash of mine. [50:46.9 – 50:55.5] The idea of God, as you understand Him, came out of that perfectly ferocious argument. [50:55.5 – 50:59.1] And we put that into the steps. [50:59.1 – 51:09.4] Well, little by little, the fame ground down, and little by little, the drunks put in the money, and we kept an office open over in Newark, [51:09.4 – 51:15.0] which was the office of a defunct business that I had tried to establish with my friend then. [51:15.0 – 51:20.2] The money ran low at times, though, and little Ruthie Hot worked for no pay. [51:20.2 – 51:23.3] We gave her plenty of stock in the Worth Publishing, of course. [51:23.3 – 51:28.8] She'll tell you I'd still be tearing off the pads by twenty-five, have a week's salary together. [51:28.8 – 51:37.5] So we got around to about January 1939. [51:37.5 – 51:47.7] Somebody said, "Well, maybe we better test this thing out, and we better kind of make a pre-publication copy of– monolithic or a mimeographed [51:47.7 – 51:51.4] copy of this text and a few of these stories that have come in. [51:51.4 – 52:01.5] Try it out, you know, on the preacher, on the doctor, Catholic Committee on Publication, psychiatrists, policemen, fish wives, housewives, drunks, everybody, [52:01.5 – 52:11.7] just to see if we got anything that goes against the grain anyplace, and also to find out if, um, we can't get some better [52:11.7 – 52:21.7] ideas here." So at considerable expense, we got this pre-publication copy made, and we peddled it around, and the [52:21.7 – 52:23.0] comments came back. [52:23.0 – 52:24.9] Some of it very helpful. [52:24.9 – 52:31.2] It went, among other places, to the Catholic Committee on Publication in New York. [52:31.2 – 52:41.4] And at that time, we had only one Catholic member to take it there, and he just got out of the asylum and hadn't done anything to do with publish– with, uh, preparing [52:41.4 – 52:42.0] the book. [52:42.0 – 52:49.9] And to our great surprise, it's a promising people come to know later on. [52:49.9 – 53:00.1] Well, [53:00.1 – 53:04.6] so the book had passed muster, and the stories came in. [53:04.6 – 53:06.3] Somehow we got them edited. [53:06.3 – 53:09.9] Somehow we got the galley together. [53:09.9 – 53:13.3] We got up to the printing contract. [53:13.3 – 53:18.6] Well, meanwhile, the drunks had been kind of slow on those subscription payments. [53:18.6 – 53:26.6] And thinking a little further on, I was able to go up to Charlie's town, where old Doc Silbert held forth. [53:26.6 – 53:36.1] Charlie believed in us mightily, and so we had put the slug on Charlie for twenty-five hundred bucks. [53:36.1 – 53:37.8] Charlie didn't want any stock. [53:37.8 – 53:42.6] He wanted a promissory note- -on the book not yet written. [53:42.6 – 53:51.0] So we tapped Charlie for twenty-five hundred, which we routed around through the Alcoholic Foundation, so it could be tax-deductible, you understand. [53:51.0 – 54:01.3] So also, we had blown in, supporting three of us in an office to do this job in these nine months, [54:01.3 – 54:06.8] upwards of six thousand dollars, and the mon- the till was getting very low. [54:06.8 – 54:09.7] Well, we still had to get it printed. [54:09.7 – 54:19.7] So we go up to Cornwall Press, the largest printery in the world, where we had made previous inquiry, and we asked [54:19.7 – 54:20.6] about printing. [54:20.6 – 54:23.7] And, uh, oh, yes, they'd be very glad to do it. [54:23.7 – 54:25.9] And, uh, how many books would we like? [54:25.9 – 54:29.4] Well, we said, "That's very hard to estimate. [54:29.4 – 54:33.3] Of course, our membership is very small at the present time. [54:33.3 – 54:42.2] We wouldn't sell many to the membership, but after all, the Reader's Digest is going to print a plug about it to twelve million readers. [54:42.2 – 54:44.1] This book should go out in carloads, Mr. [54:44.1 – 54:46.1] Printer." And Mr. [54:46.1 – 54:50.8] Printer was n- none other than dear old Mr. [54:50.8 – 54:53.3] Blackwell, one of our great friends. [54:53.3 – 54:55.5] And Mr. [54:55.5 – 55:01.8] Blackwell said, "Well, boys, uh, how much of a down payment on a make? [55:01.8 – 55:06.4] How many books would you like printed?" "Well," we said, "we'll be conservative. [55:06.4 – 55:11.9] We'll, we'll– Let's print five thousand of them just to start." And Mr. [55:11.9 – 55:16.0] Blackwell said, "Well, what you going to use for money?" "Well," we said, "well, I believe we won't need much. [55:16.0 – 55:19.0] I imagine a few hundred dollars on account would be all right with you, Mr. [55:19.0 – 55:19.8] Blackwell. [55:19.8 – 55:22.1] Of course, after all, we're traveling very good company. [55:22.1 – 55:29.2] You know, we're friends with the Rockefellers and all that." So Blackwell started printing the five thousand books. [55:29.2 – 55:32.1] The plates were made, and the galleys were read. [55:32.1 – 55:36.1] Gee, all of a sudden, we thought of the Reader's Digest. [55:36.1 – 55:41.2] So we go up to the Reader's Digest. [55:41.2 – 55:42.8] We walk in on Mr. [55:42.8 – 55:45.5] Kenneth Paine, and we said, "Mr. [55:45.5 – 55:49.2] Paine, we're all ready to shoot." And Mr. [55:49.2 – 55:56.3] Paine said, "Shoot what?" "Oh, yes," he said. [55:56.3 – 55:57.5] "I remember you, Mr. [55:57.5 – 55:58.6] Parkerson, Mr. [55:58.6 – 55:59.2] Wilson. [55:59.2 – 56:10.6] You were the gentlemen up here last fall." He said, "I told you that I thought the Reader's Digest would be interested in this new work and in this book." [56:10.6 – 56:22.6] But he said, "Right after you were here, I consulted our editorial board, and to my great surprise, they didn't like the idea at all, and I forgot to tell you." [56:22.6 – 56:28.3] Boy, we had the drunks with 4,500 bucks in it. [56:28.3 – 56:32.3] Charlie Town took for 2,500 bucks. [56:32.3 – 56:35.7] On the cuff was the printer. [56:35.7 – 56:40.2] Maybe $500 left in the bank. [56:40.2 – 56:43.0] What in the deuce would we do? [56:43.0 – 56:53.0] Well, this fella, Morgan Ryan, the good-looking Irishman that had taken the book, uh, or the Catholic Committee on Publication, [56:53.0 – 56:57.9] had been, in earlier time, a good ad man. [56:57.9 – 57:08.2] He said, "I know Gabriel Heath." And Gabriel Heath is putting on these three-minute, uh, heart plug, uh, programs on the radio, and he says, "I'll [57:08.2 – 57:10.8] get an interview with Gabriel Heath. [57:10.8 – 57:20.0] Maybe he'll interview me on the radio about all this." So our spirits rose once again. [57:20.0 – 57:26.0] And then all of a sudden, we had a big chill. [57:26.0 – 57:36.3] We thought, "Well, suppose this Irishman got, got drunk before Heath interviewed him?" [57:36.3 – 57:41.7] [ 1930s music] So he went over to see Heath, and lo and behold, Heath would interview him. [57:41.7 – 57:43.7] And then we got still more scared. [57:43.7 – 57:53.7] So we rented a room in the Downtown Athletic Club, and we put Ryan in there with a day and night guard for 10 [57:53.7 – 57:54.1] days. [57:54.1 – 58:08.6] Meanwhile, [58:08.6 – 58:11.9] boy, our spirits rose again. [58:11.9 – 58:15.2] We could see those books just going out in cartloads. [58:15.2 – 58:25.7] Then my promoter friend said, "Well, look, there should be a, you know, a follow-up on a big thing like this Heath interview." He [58:25.7 – 58:35.7] says, "It'll be heard all over the country, national network." Now, he said, "I think, folks, that the big market for this book are the [58:35.7 – 58:46.0] doctors, the physicians." And he said, "I suggest that we pitch the last $500 we got in the treasury on a postal [58:46.0 – 58:51.5] card shower going to every physician east of the Rocky Mountains. [58:51.5 – 59:02.0] And on the postal card, we will say, 'Hear all about Alcoholics Anonymous on Gabriel Heath's [59:02.0 – 59:02.9] program. [59:02.9 – 59:12.6] Send 350 for the book Alcoholics Anonymous.' Short sure for Alcoholics Anonymous." So we spent the last $500. [59:12.6 – 59:16.1] The postal card shower went out. [59:16.1 – 59:21.7] They managed to keep Ryan sober, although he since hasn't made it. [59:21.7 – 59:26.6] All the drunks had their ears glued to the radio. [59:26.6 – 59:36.6] The group market in Alcoholics Anonymous was already saturated because, you see, we had 49 stockholders, and they had [59:36.6 – 59:38.1] all got a book free. [59:38.1 – 59:42.7] And then we had 28 guys with stories, and they all got a free book. [59:42.7 – 59:44.8] So we'd run out the AA market. [59:44.8 – 59:50.2] But we could see it moving out in cartloads to these doctors and their patients. [59:50.2 – 59:55.2] Sure enough, Ryan is interviewed. [59:55.2 – 60:03.0] Heath pulls out the old tommy-will stop, and we could see them book orders coming back in cartloads. [60:03.0 – 60:13.6] Well, we just couldn't wait to go down to old post office box 658, Church Street Annex, [60:13.6 – 60:16.5] the address printed in the back of the old book. [60:16.5 – 60:26.5] We hung to it for about three days, and then my friend Hank and little Ruthie Hawk, that some of you remember, and I went [60:26.5 – 60:31.4] over, and we looked in box 658. [60:31.4 – 60:35.3] It wasn't a lock box. [60:35.3 – 60:37.3] You just looked through the glass. [60:37.3 – 60:42.3] And we could see in there a few of these postal cards. [60:42.3 – 60:45.6] I had a terrible sinking sensation. [60:45.6 – 60:56.7] But my friend, the promoter, he said, "Boy, Bill," he said, "They can't put all that stuff in the box." He said, "They got mailbags full of it out here." [60:56.7 – 61:06.9] So we go to the clerk, and he brings us out [61:06.9 – 61:14.8] 12 lousy postal cards, 10 of them completely illegible, written by doctors' drunkest monkeys. [61:14.8 – 61:21.9] And we had exactly two orders for the book Alcoholics Anonymous. [61:21.9 – 61:26.6] And we were absolutely and utterly stony broke. [61:26.6 – 61:30.5] The sheriff then moved in on the office. [61:30.5 – 61:32.7] Poor old Mr. [61:32.7 – 61:37.4] Blackwell wondered what to do for money and felt like taking the book over. [61:37.4 – 61:47.4] And at that very opportune moment, the house in which Lois and I lived was foreclosed, and [61:47.4 – 61:50.2] we and our furniture were set out for street. [61:50.2 – 62:00.3] And that's the state of the book Alcoholics Anonymous in the summer of 1939, and the state of grace that [62:00.3 – 62:01.3] the Wilsons were in. [62:01.3 – 62:11.4] Moreover, a great cry went up from the drunks, "What about our $4,500?" And Charlie, uh, who was pretty [62:11.4 – 62:17.7] well off, was even a little uneasy about that note for 2,500 bucks. [62:17.7 – 62:19.8] What would we do? [62:19.8 – 62:20.7] What would we do? [62:20.7 – 62:25.9] Well, we put our goods into storage on the cock. [62:25.9 – 62:29.1] Couldn't even pay the drayman. [62:29.1 – 62:33.1] An AA lent us a summer camp. [62:33.1 – 62:36.2] Another AA lent us a car. [62:36.2 – 62:45.6] The folks around New York began to pass the hat for groceries for the Wilsons, for which they supplied us fifty dollars a month. [62:45.6 – 62:55.7] So we had a lot of discontented stockholders, fifty bucks a month, a summer camp, and an automobile with which to revive [62:55.7 – 62:59.2] the falling fortunes of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. [62:59.2 – 63:05.4] We began to shop around from one magazine to another. [63:05.4 – 63:07.6] Would they give us some publicity? [63:07.6 – 63:16.7] Nobody bit, and it looked like the whole dump was going to be foreclosed, book, office, Wilsons, everything. [63:16.7 – 63:27.0] When one of the boys in New York, who happened to be a little bit prosperous at the time and who had a fashionable clothing business on Fifth Avenue, [63:27.0 – 63:32.0] which we learned was mostly on mortgage, having drunk nearly all of it up. [63:32.0 – 63:37.4] One of those guys, Burt Taylor, saved us. [63:37.4 – 63:43.9] I went to Burt one day and I said, "Burt, there is a promise of an article in Liberty Magazine. [63:43.9 – 63:45.2] I just got it today. [63:45.2 – 63:50.0] But it won't come out until next summer, uh, next September. [63:50.0 – 63:52.9] It's going to be called Alcoholics and God. [63:52.9 – 64:01.0] It'll be printed by Liberty Magazine's Fulton editor, the, uh, the, the, the– for Fulton Oursler, the then editor. [64:01.0 – 64:08.1] And, Burt, when that piece is printed, why, these books will go out in carload lots. [64:08.1 – 64:18.5] We need a thousand dollars real bad to get us through the summer." Well, Burt says, "You're, you're sure that article's going to be printed, aren't you?" "Oh, [64:18.5 – 64:26.4] yes, that's fine." Well, he said, "Okay." Says, "I haven't got the dough," but he said, "This man down in Baltimore, Mr. [64:26.4 – 64:36.4] Cochran, he's connected with the wet and dry forces and, uh…" "Well," I said, "Burt, this wet and dry argument." Burt said, "He ain't gonna be fussy where he gets it from." [64:38.1 – 64:39.4] He's a customer of mine. [64:39.4 – 64:41.1] He buys his pants in here. [64:41.1 – 64:45.9] Let me call him up." So Burt gets on long distance phone with Mr. [64:45.9 – 64:48.6] Cochran in Baltimore, a very wealthy man, and he says, "Mr. [64:48.6 – 64:54.4] Cochran," he says, "from time to time," he said, "I mention this Alcoholic Fellowship which I belong." Mr. [64:54.4 – 64:56.1] Cochran said, "Yes, Mr. [64:56.1 – 65:00.3] Taylor." "Well," uh, Burt says, "Mr. [65:00.3 – 65:06.8] Cochran, our fellowship has just come out with a magnificent new textbook, Sure Cure for Alcoholism. [65:06.8 – 65:07.3] Mr. [65:07.3 – 65:12.3] Cochran, it's something that we think that every public library in America should have. [65:12.3 – 65:13.9] And Mr. [65:13.9 – 65:17.5] Cochran, the retail price of the book is two fifty. [65:17.5 – 65:18.8] But, Mr. [65:18.8 – 65:30.6] Cochran, if you just buy a couple of thousand of those books and put them in the large libraries, of course, we would sell for that purpose at a considerable discount." Well, [65:30.6 – 65:30.7] Mr. [65:30.7 – 65:34.9] Cochran said he didn't think he, uh, cared to do that. [65:34.9 – 65:39.7] And then, uh, Burt said, "Well, Mr. [65:39.7 – 65:48.5] Cochran, uh, some publicity has come out about– will come out next fall about this new book, Alcoholics Anonymous. [65:48.5 – 65:58.3] But, uh, in the meantime, these books are moving rather slow, and we need, uh, say, a thousand dollars to tide us over. [65:58.3 – 66:08.0] And, uh, would you loan the Works Publishing Company a thousand dollars?" "Well," said Mr. [66:08.0 – 66:17.7] Cochran, "what does its balance sheet look like, this Works Publishing Company?" And after he learned what the Works Publishing looked like, Mr. [66:17.7 – 66:22.2] Cochran said, "No, thanks." So then Burt said, "Well, now, Mr. [66:22.2 – 66:24.1] Cochran, you know me. [66:24.1 – 66:29.8] Would you loan the money to me on the credit of my business?" "Why, certainly," Mr. [66:29.8 – 66:30.8] Cochran said. [66:30.8 – 66:31.9] "Send down your note, Mr. [66:31.9 – 66:38.0] Taylor." So Burt hocked the business that a year or two later was to go broke anyway. [66:38.0 – 66:43.5] He saved the book Alcoholics Anonymous, turns the thousand dollars over to us. [66:43.5 – 66:47.3] We lasted till the Liberty article came in. [66:47.3 – 66:53.1] A thousand inquiries, eight hundred inquiries came in as a result of that. [66:53.1 – 66:55.1] We moved a few books. [66:55.1 – 66:59.1] We barely squeaked through the year nineteen hundred and twenty-nine. [66:59.1 – 67:02.5] But in all this period, we heard nothing from John D. [67:02.5 – 67:03.3] Rockefeller. [67:03.3 – 67:07.1] Meanwhile, there's been foundation meeting after foundation meeting. [67:07.1 – 67:11.3] Too bad we were having such a hard time, but no dough. [67:11.3 – 67:18.3] When all of a sudden, in, I thought, February nineteen forty, Mr. [67:18.3 – 67:23.0] Richardson came to a trustees meeting and he said, "I have great news." Mr. [67:23.0 – 67:31.8] Rockefeller, who we hadn't heard from since nineteen thirty-seven, we were told, had been watching all the time with immense interest. [67:31.8 – 67:33.9] Moreover, Mr. [67:33.9 – 67:44.3] Rockefeller would like to give this fellowship a dinner to which he would invite his friends to see the beginning of this new and promising [67:44.3 – 67:44.9] style. [67:44.9 – 67:46.4] And then Mr. [67:46.4 – 67:49.0] Richardson produced the invitation list. [67:49.0 – 67:59.1] And in all, here was the president of the Chase Bank, and Wendell Willkie, and, uh, all kinds of very prominent people, many of them extremely rich. [67:59.1 – 68:05.9] I mean, a quick look at the list, uh, I figured would add up to a couple of billion dollars. [68:05.9 – 68:10.2] So we thought maybe now at last, you know, there would be some money in sight. [68:10.2 – 68:19.4] So the dinner came, and we got Harry Emerson Fosdick, who had reviewed the AA book down there. [68:19.4 – 68:21.9] He gave us a wonderful plug. [68:21.9 – 68:27.5] Foster Kennedy came and spoke on the medical attitude. [68:27.5 – 68:31.5] He'd seen a very hopeless gal, mighty man recover, one of his patients. [68:31.5 – 68:35.6] I got up and talked about life among the anonymi. [68:35.6 – 68:44.9] And the bankers, assembled seventy-five strong and in great wealth, sat at the table with the alcohol. [68:44.9 – 68:53.8] Well, the bankers had come probably as a sort of a command performance, and they were a little suspicious that perhaps it was another prohibition deal. [68:53.8 – 68:57.5] But they warmed up under the influence of the alcohol. [68:57.5 – 68:58.7] Mr. [68:58.7 – 69:02.5] Ryan, the hero of the heater episode, still sober. [69:02.5 – 69:09.6] For example, at his table was asked by a distinguished banker, "Why, Mr. [69:09.6 – 69:13.5] Ryan, we presume that you are in the banking business." Mr. [69:13.5 – 69:15.2] Ryan said, "Not at all, sir. [69:15.2 – 69:25.3] I'm just out of baseball and science." Well, that intrigued the bankers, and they were all warming up [69:25.3 – 69:25.9] fine. [69:25.9 – 69:30.7] But unfortunately, Mr. [69:30.7 – 69:32.8] Rockefeller couldn't get to the dinner. [69:32.8 – 69:35.7] He was sick, actually quite sick that night. [69:35.7 – 69:41.8] And he sent his son, a wonderful gent, Nelson Rockefeller, in his place instead. [69:41.8 – 69:53.1] And after the show was over and everybody was in fine form, and we were all ready again for the big touch, Nelson [69:53.1 – 70:03.2] Rockefeller got up and speaking for his father said, "My father sends word that he is so sorry he cannot be [70:03.2 – 70:13.2] here tonight, but so glad that so many of his friends can see the beginning of this great and [70:13.2 – 70:24.7] wonderful thing," something Nelson Rockefeller said that had affected his life more than almost anything that had crossed him. [70:24.7 – 70:27.1] A stupendous plug that was. [70:27.1 – 70:37.1] Then said Nelson, "But fortunately, gentlemen, this is a [70:37.1 – 70:40.1] work that proceeds on goodwill. [70:40.1 – 70:49.4] It requires no money." Whereupon the two million dollars got up and walked out. [70:49.4 – 70:55.8] Well, that was a terrific letdown, but we weren't let down very long. [70:55.8 – 71:01.4] Again, the hand of providence had intervened. [71:01.4 – 71:06.4] Right after the dinner, Mr. [71:06.4 – 71:13.1] Rockefeller asked that the talks be published in a pamphlet. [71:13.1 – 71:23.1] He approached the rather defunct Work Publishing Company and said he would like to buy four hundred books to send to [71:23.1 – 71:27.1] all of the bankers who had come to the dinner and all who had not. [71:27.1 – 71:32.2] Well, seeing that this was for a good purpose, we let him have the books cheap. [71:32.2 – 71:35.8] He bought them cheaper than anybody had since. [71:35.8 – 71:37.6] We sold four hundred books to John D. [71:37.6 – 71:38.5] Rockefeller Jr. [71:38.5 – 71:42.1] for one buck a piece to send his banker friends. [71:42.1 – 71:52.2] So he sent out the book and the pamphlet, and with it, he wrote a personal letter and [71:52.2 – 71:54.4] signed every doggone one. [71:54.4 – 72:04.8] And in this letter, he again recited how glad he was that his friends had been able to see this great beginning of what he thought would be a wonderful thing, [72:04.8 – 72:06.7] how deeply it had affected him. [72:06.7 – 72:14.3] And then he said that, "Fortunately, gentlemen, this is a work of goodwill. [72:14.3 – 72:18.2] It needs little, if any, money. [72:18.2 – 72:21.9] Perhaps a slight amount of temporary help. [72:21.9 – 72:23.9] I," said John D. [72:23.9 – 72:33.7] Rockefeller, "am giving these good people one thousand dollars." So the bankers all received Mr. [72:33.7 – 72:34.8] Rockefeller's letter. [72:34.8 – 72:36.8] They all counted it up on the cuff. [72:36.8 – 72:37.5] "Well, if John D. [72:37.5 – 72:46.3] is giving a thousand dollars, me with only a few million, I should send these boys about ten bucks." Some did. [72:46.3 – 72:51.0] One who had an alcoholic relative in tow sent as many as three hundred dollars. [72:51.0 – 72:52.8] So with Mr. [72:52.8 – 73:02.9] Rockefeller's one thousand dollars, plus the solicitation of all the rest of these bankers, we got together the princely sum of three thousand dollars, [73:03.0 – 73:07.6] which was the first outside contribution to the Alcoholic Foundation. [73:07.6 – 73:14.4] And that three thousand dollars was divided equally between Smithy and me so that we could keep going somehow. [73:14.4 – 73:24.6] And we solicited that dinner list for five years and got about three thousand dollars a year out of it for five years. [73:24.6 – 73:30.0] And at the end of that time, we were able to say to Mr. [73:30.0 – 73:35.6] Rockefeller, "We don't need any more money. [73:35.6 – 73:38.7] The book income is helping to support our office. [73:38.7 – 73:42.4] The groups are contributing to fill in. [73:42.4 – 73:47.8] The royalties are taking care of Dr. [73:47.8 – 73:50.5] Bob and Bill Wilson. [73:50.5 – 73:57.3] We don't need any more money." Now you see Mr. [73:57.3 – 74:02.6] Rockefeller's decision not to give us money saved his society. [74:02.6 – 74:04.5] He gave of himself. [74:04.5 – 74:11.1] He gave of himself at a time when he was under public ridicule for his views about alcohol. [74:11.1 – 74:18.7] He said to the whole world, "This is good." The story went out on the wires all over the world. [74:18.7 – 74:24.1] People ran into the bookstores to get the little book, and boy, we really began to get some book orders. [74:24.1 – 74:29.5] An awful lot of inquiries came into the little office there at Beebe Street. [74:29.5 – 74:33.1] The book money began to page to answer them. [74:33.1 – 74:34.6] We hired one more help. [74:34.6 – 74:36.5] There was Ruth B., another gal, and me. [74:36.5 – 74:43.7] And then comes Jack Alexander with a terrific article in the Saturday Post. [74:43.7 – 74:54.2] Then came an immense flood of inquiries, six or seven thousand of them, and Alcoholics Anonymous [74:54.2 – 74:58.8] has become a national institution. [74:58.8 – 75:06.3] Such is the story of the preparation of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. [75:06.3 – 75:13.9] And of its subsequent effect, you all have some notion. [75:13.9 – 75:19.5] The proceeds of that book have repeatedly saved the office in New York. [75:19.5 – 75:25.4] But it isn't the money that has come out of it that has mattered. [75:25.4 – 75:35.8] It is the message that has carried him, that has transcended the [75:35.8 – 75:45.8] mountains and the seas, and is even at this moment lighting candles in [75:45.8 – 75:52.3] dark caverns and on distant beaches.