HOW MUCH TIME DID THE ORIGINAL BIG BOOK AUTHORS HAVE?

The following is a list of the stories prepared for the first edition of the Big Book, which was published on April 10, 1939. “The Doctor’s Opinion” was written by Dr. William D. Silkworth, “Bill’s Story” was written by Bill Wilson (4 years 4 months), and “To Employers” was written by Hank Parkhurst (3 years). These constituted three of the eleven original chapters of the “Program” section of the book. It is interesting to note that Jimmy Burwell of New York who came to AA in January 1938 (with one brief slip in June 1938) and Bill Dotson (AA #3) who came to AA June 1935, were NOT included in the first edition. Bill Dotson was apparently very humble and asked not to be included. Jimmy Burwell brought AA to Philadelphia in February 1940. We are not yet certain why his story (now called “The Vicious Cycle” in the third edition) was not included in the first edition. In the “Personal Stories” section of the original edition, at the time of publication we have:

The Doctor’s Nightmare – Robert H. Smith, M.D. (Akron, OH.) – 3 years 10 months The Unbeliever – Hank Parkhurst (N.Y.) – 3 years The European Drinker – Joe Doeppler (AA #5, Akron, OH.) – 3 years A Feminine Victory – Florence Rankin (N.Y.) – 1 year Our Southern Friend – Fitz Mayo (N.Y.) – 1 year 3 months A Business Man’s Recovery – Bill Ruddell (N.Y.) – 2 years 2 months A Different Slant – Harry Brink (N.Y.) – 10 months Traveler, Editor, Scholar (later became “The News Hawk”) – Jim Scott (Akron, OH.) – 9 months The Back-Slider – Walter Bray (Akron, OH.) – 1 year (originally came to AA Jan. 1936) Home Brewmeister – Clarence Snyder (Akron, OH.) – 11 months The Seventh Month Slip – Ernie Galbraith (Akron, OH.) – 1 year My Wife And I – Maybelle & Tom Lucas (Akron, OH.) – 1 year 4 months (Tom originally came to AA Nov. 1935) A Ward Of The Probate Court – Bill Van Horn (Akron, OH.) – 2 years Riding The Rods – Charlie Simonson (Akron, OH.) – 2 years The Salesman – Bob Oviatt (Akron, OH.) – 2 years Fired Again – Wally Gillam (Akron, OH.) – 2 years The Fearful One (later became “The Man Who Mastered Fear”) – Archie Trowbridge (Akron, OH.) – 6 months Truth Freed Me! – Paul Stanley (Akron, OH.) – 2 years 9 months Smile With Me, At Me – Harold Sears (N.Y.) – 10 months (originally came to AA Feb. 1939) A Close Shave – Harry Zoeller (Akron, OH.) – 1 year 1 month Educated Agnostic – Norman Hunt from Darien, CT. (N.Y.) – ? (either Feb. or June 1938) Another Prodical Story – Ralph Furlong from Springfield, MA. (N.Y.) – 10 months The Car Smasher (later became “He Had To Be Shown”) – Dick Stanley (Akron, OH.) – 1 year 7 months Hindsight – Myron Williams (N.Y.) – 3 years On His Way – Horace Popsy Mahar (N.Y.) – 7 months An Alcoholic’s Wife – Marie Bray (Akron, OH.), non-alcoholic wife of Walter Bray who wrote “The Back-Slider” An Artist’s Concept – Ray Campbell (N.Y.) – 1 year 2 months The Rolling Stone – Lloyd Tate (Akron, OH.) – ? (either Feb. or Nov. 1937) Lone Endeavor (this story was removed after the first printing of the first edition) – Pat Cooper from California – 2 months