Alcoholics Anonymous : The story behind the Jack Alexander article on A.A. Page 1 of4

H*me Archives & [*{istr:ry Digital Archives Hxhihits Tlr* st*ry i:ehind the Jack Alexanc{er article on A.A.

The story behind the Jack Alexander article on A.A.

CIn fttlanch 1 , tr *4.’t , Ilie $*fi”rr#*y Su,mrrircgr tr*st published an article titled “Alcoholics An*nymCIus” Freed Slaves mf Drink, f{mw They Free ffithers” written by Jack Alexander. The artiale becan:* a n:a.!or tutrning p*int in &ieuholics An*nymmus’ histor-y.

The story hehind the artictre hegins when thm mwner of lfre Safurdmy Euening Ppsf,”judfie Curtis tsok, learned of A.A. from two frierrds. l””‘lm was interested in having thePosf tell the story of the mrganizatimn and catled upon well-knswn journalist mf Ihe Sat*rday EveninE Posf, Jack AlmxaRder, to do sm.

Bill W., co-fourlden of Alccholics Anonymous, eager to publicize the A.A. mlffi$$ffige, met with Alexander. lde gave Alexander affoffs$ to records, a tour of significant A.A. sight$, and set up ir”ltenvimvrs with hoth nonalcnholic Undated picture of Jack trustees of the General $mrvice Board and A.A.s. Alexander

Correspondence hetween .lack Alexanden amd Bill W. from early 1941 *hows the exciternent fett in anti*ipatiun mf the article’s release. Sn January 4, 1941 , ,{lexander wrote to Bill W. and enc{msed a manu$cript of the article for Hill to read. On January 6 Biil replied and frnm his re$ponse the eagerness for the article’s release is apparent” Billwrote:

I rirrrsfr I cauld adequafe/y conv*y fo you fhe sense of gratitude ffuaf one of us feels for.qrards you and ttt* Saturday trosf fCIr what is about to tak* pla*e” Yau caru ru*f possr”bly *oncelve fhe direcf alleviation of so much rnrsery as willbe brought ta an end thraugtt your pen and your goodpublishers”

Far many a day you wiil &e ffle foasf of A.A,- ln coea cala, of cnurseJ

https :i/www .aa.or gl pages/en-US/j ack-alexander-article 91612019

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Alexander article on A’A’ Page 2 of4 Alcoholics Anonymous : The story behind the Jack

FotlowingtheMarchl,lg4lreleaseofthearticle’ inquiriesbegantofloodin,leavingthesmallstaffofthe “A.A”Headquarter$,” the precurson to the Seneral $ervise Office, busy. On March 12, 1941Ruth Hock’ first non-alcaholi* secretary of A’A”, vrrrote to Dr’ Bob’ going on in A.A. co-founder, to update hirn on what was New York. $he said that the office had become respon$e swamped, S18 inquiries in 12 days a$ a direct to the article”

received T[re otfices cf Ihe $afurday Errenlr:g Posf also Cover of The SaturdaY bulletin a large number of inquiries. A March 26, 1941′ Evening Post, March 1, by the Posf relays th* power behind the article’ 1941

Foifmvrrrng fire pubflcaff*r”r of “Alcakolic.s A#sfiyff?CI#,s” fuy J*rk Alexarud*r’ ffue trosf floorreceiyedanUn#s#s/lyJargenia#fron”lreaders, fi?uchofitaskr*Ei;*wcomfacfr*ulei&eesf*Slished yadmus cifies. wifft gr*#ps wft(} are dornSr ffrrs work im Ifiere wers ,ssy*rmf insfar:res *f csl/s om *ur foramcft offices for infCIrmafl*n *n local or$ranizafions of fhrs unusuaf Srr#uP”

Hight years aft*r tire neleas* *f the wildly sue*essful lg4lsafurdayHvenl*gPosfanticimffiiitW”wrotetu “Alcoholics AnonYmous Jack Alexand*r wlth a rmquest’ #ill Vd’ was Freed S/aYes of Drink, interested in a follcw’-up anticie and wm* hcping Now They Free Others”, Alexander w*uid write or:e, mn* *n Jun* S’ 1S4’$’ ffiill March 1, 1941′ W. wrote the fol|owing.

tf y*ucan sp#r# rt’la a /itfle flme, J’,d like fc e*me dcvvm to trftifadelpht* Pgsf fook AA ouf and see ycu, ffilgh| y#ffr$ *g* fhe safurday f;u*nin$r cf flre pioneering sfage and rmmde if a rnove*,lgnf’ Uncounfgd fliorysrmds owe lherr gr*mf 5r*od fordcine, yes ffuerr uery /ives’ fn whaf your a#icls by ff”ee earfoad’ the tr*sf drr/ fih*m. ws sfif/ shrp repr-infs of

ws sfil/ g*i if tn Nor,,rad*ys AA ranely asks f*rpr*blicify. I supBcse Yef ffoe frrne is fosrs whsn $fiCIf’rns{r$ qu.ra*frfles partly for ffiaf rsas0ffi’ a* oxcePffnn should be rnmde’ ask yoru folks a Ihe polnf of fl”}rs leffer is wtual J woudd dm#r:ifely Jrke fo

9t612019 exander-article https ://www .aa.ot gl pages/en-U S/j ack-al

Alexander article on A’A’ Page 3 of4 Alcoholics Anonymous : The story behind the Jack

favor. Wilt y*u p:niif ar:*ffusrpi#os a&*uf us”

Ifue Eenernl pubffc fuas cnly fhe tragu*sf ielem r’v*af cur s#olsfy real/y lflsicfe vtew’ looks fifue. i fhink ffuey wnufd fu* fnferesfe# rn an

fuow firmf ffte r*coueqy Froru r:r.rr sfandpoin{ a vitat iats tras fo be r/sne. prodigrous r#f#, our rnein fornrula is ah*ye 6rrCI{r}?d **d worklng uf a umfif sv€{y problsff? is ffiaf of rnalnfalmrmg our runrfy as s ,??ov#ry?enf drunkinf&gworjdlrasfu*cJagrooef/ockafffueideg,

cur S* fhen, if Johru ff. Fublie coufr$ gef an insidm irrsw *f wfuaf q#ife clmar f* hrn1 ri’ftaf felioux.shrp fs really lffue, mmd if **uld foec*n:* q,rr,haf ffu*y don’f do ln fheir r*/afionshrps wrffi eacll Eood AA’,s d* *nd ffcst would cffter afid r,snfi] trle ourtside world, fhe smfurday f;venir,gt of wfolch no hav* writte* an tnsuraruee po/icy 0/l #ljf” firfure, ffue vai#e men rould eYen reckon”

abor:t writing a on June 9, ..!acls Al*xar”lcjer r”eplied that h* had a{wmys thought faltow-up but had nffiver Emtter”r aroumd tn it. Hm als* wnites that tl”lere is trmuble with the idea and $ffiYs:

offf”rand’ uufuere If”rere rs fuasis fr*ufufe ahouf if, ffuou$rft; I dor:’l see, {herwis emougir neutr mrafeffa/ f*Susflfy m sscomcf JCIok’ Inrs, ffte numrber of AA,s hgs baf/oorued eruorrnously, fulrf fhaf ln lfself rs rnerely fuol’v fl.}c AA’,s sfaffsficaf. If:* foaslr sfcqy*f&* psycil*i*gy of dnnfrers, w*rk *n fftern. tftm sfeps fprnrards arresfrn6t fft* hahit*rer*ains c..inch*ng*d; *r so if ss*rrs f* rne’

Alexanden outlirring the nrajor turning CIn Dec*mber ’13, ts4$ *ill w. wrmte to Jaclq to lemve the oxfcrd points in the A,\ p11pys{-nent whieh im*luded the decision need rnoney, the formation of the Group, abclut Rcek*feller insisting they did n*t nf tl”re Big ffiook’ Alcohotic flaurndmtior”1, and tire first tw* *hmpters

For the next few months Sill W. and Jack Alexander of them sCIrre$ponded regarding corrections that either thought n**ded to he made to the article’ Finally’ eight with months after sill w. initimlly presented Jack Alexander the pnoposed idea far a follow-up, the article was ,,The released. Drunkard,s Best Friend,,\Idas published in Posf’ the April 1 , 1S50 issue oflhe Safl”rrday trvening

91612019 https ://www .aa.orgl pages/en-US/j ack-alexander-article

Alcoholics Anonymous : The story behind the Jack Alexander article on A.A. Page 4 of4

“The Drunkard’s Eest Friend” wa$ a $Lrccess, just as its predecessorwas. CIn April 22, 1S50, Bill W. wrote to Ben Bibbs, sditor of lhe Saturday Euenlng Posl in praise of Jack Alexander and the two articles” Bill wrote as follows:

Jack Alexander, in his recenf $mfurday Evening Posf sfor;r “The Drunkmrds Friend,” y’ras dome it again.

Mle nf Alcol’ro/lcs Arummymous wsh fm fef/ hour imrnenseXy grat*ful evffry man-jaak of us is for fhrs happy cfrcumsfance” lf ls nof ffue lemsf mxagrgeraflon Cover The Saturday fo say fhaf Jacks ‘AIcofiofics Anonyrnous” arffcle nf Evening Post, April 1, nine ymmrs mEn brougfu{ recovery within the reach of 1950 f 00SS alcofrolrus and greaf happiness fn as rnany lromes. $rncm th* pub{i* rrmpression of fhls /asf prece of Jack’s rs fnps, we rnake no douhf that it wil! acc*mplrsf-l a fime resulf.

We knaw that the whnf* wnrld will ane day agree that thesw two articles of “.lack’s abaut A.A” are fo he regrarded fhe greafesf pub/ic servlce fire Safurday Euening Post has ever done. And fhaf’s saying a great deal, indeed.

When Jack Alexander passed away in 1S75 he was credited in his Mlesf lexas Regisfer obituary as the new$paperman who made “Alcoholics AnonymCIus a major organizatinn by the adicles he wrote absut its wonk.” Today, the General Service 0ffice Archives still receives inquiries requesting both articles.

Note: [A”A” World Services publishes the 1$41 article in pan:phlet fornnat and sells approximatefy 22,000 a year.]

hups ://www .aa.or gl pages/en_U S/j ack-alexander-article 91612019