Ju1y 1966 kind of customers, and seemingly and brand new facts.Scientist and hopeless. man of courage that he was, Harry In At first,the book made little imdidnot for a momentlook.the pression on this pair. Indeed,its other way. Setting aside his own heavy larding with the word “God,” Memory of convictions about alcoholism and So angered Marty that she threw it its neurotic manifestations, he soon out her window,flounced off the became convinced that AA had HARRY grounds of the swank sanitarium something,perhaps something big. where she was, and proceeded to tie All the years afterwards, and Brll on a big bender. often at.very considerable risk to Grenny didn’t carry a rebellion his professional standing, Harry quite so far;he played it cool. continued to endorse AA.Consid- When Marty finally turned up, ering Harry’s professional standing, shaking badly, and asked Dr. Grapevine reaches itsreaders, this required courage of the highest Harry what next to do, he simply thewholeworldofAAwillhave order. grinned and said, “You’d better Let me share some concrete exheard of the passing of our wellread that book again!Back in her beloved friend, Dr. Harry M. Tieamples.In one ofhis early medical quarters, Marty finally brought herbout, the first psychiatrist ever to papers——that noted one on “Sursclf to leaf through its pages once render’*he had declared this egohold up the hands of our Fellowmorc.A single phrase caught her reducing practice to be not only ship for all to see. His gifts of courcye and it read, “We cannot live basic to AA,but also absolutely ageous example,deep perception of with resentment.”Themoment she fundamental tohisown practice of our needs,and constant labor in our admitted this to herself, she was psychiatry. This took humility as behalf have been —— and always will filled with a “transforming spiritual well as fortitude. It will always be be — values quite beyond our cxperience.” reckoning. a bright example for us all. Forthwith she attended a meet- It began like this:The year was Nevertheless this much was but ing.It was at Clinton Street,Brooka bare beginning.In 1944,helped Harry M.Tiebout,M.D. early 1939,and the book,Alcohollyn, where Lois and I lived. Reics Anonymous, was about to hit byDr.Kirby Collier of Rochester turning to“Blythewood”she found the press.To help with the final and Dwight Anderson·of New Grenny intensely curious.Her first editof that volume we had made York, Harry had persuaded the words to him were these: “Grenny, American Medical Society of the prepublication copies in multigraph we are not alone any more!” form.One of themfell intoHarry’s State of NewYork to let me,a lay- This was the beginning of rehands. Though much of the content man, read a paper about AA, at covery for both——recoveries that was then alien to his own views,he their annual gathering. Five years have lasted until. this day.Watchread our up-coming book with deep later this same trio, again spearing their unfoldment,Harry was interest.Far more significantly,he headed by Harry, persuaded the clectrified. Only a week before they at once resolved to showthe new AmericanPsychiatric Association had both presented stone walls of volume to a couple of his patients, obstinate resistance to his every ap- *Reprinted from the“Quarterly Journal since known to us as“Marty”and of Studies on Alcohol,Dec., 1954,pp. proach.Now they talked,and free- “Grenny.” These were the toughest 610-621,available from the.National ly.To Harry these were the facts – Council on Alcoholism., .

toinvite the reading of another Seen in this light, I was the more paper by me – this time in their dceply moved by the gencrous and 1949 Annual Meeting at Montreal. magnificcnt tribute that had becn By then, AA had about 100,000 paid to us ofAA.My paper was members, and many psychiatrists soon published in the American had already seen at close range our Psychiatric Journalandour New impact on their patients. York headquarters was authorized For usofAA whowerepresent bytheAssociation tomakeall the at that gathering it was a breathreprintswewished for distribution.* taking hour.My presentation would By then the trek of AA overseas be“the spiritual experience,”as we had well begun.Heaven only knows AAs understood it.Surely we could what this invaluable reprint accomnever get away with this! To our plished when it was presented to astonishment the paper was expsychiatrists in distant places by tremely well received ——judging,at the fedgling AA groups. It vastly least, from the sustained applause. hastened the worldwide acceptance Immediately afterwards,I was ofAA. approached by a most distinguished Icould go on and on about old gentleman.He introduced him- Harry, telling you of his activities self as an early president of the in the general field of.alcoholism, American Psychiatric Association. ofhissignalservice on our AA Beaming he said, “Mr. W., it is Boardof very possible that I am the only storiesofmyowndelightfulfriendoneofmycolleagueshere today ship with him,especially rememwhoreally believes in‘spiritual exbering his great good humor and perience’as you do.Once upon a infectious laugh. But the space al time, I myself had an awakening lotted me is too limited. much akin to your own, an experi- So in conclusion, I would have encethatIsharedincommonwith Harry speak for himself. Our AA two close friends,Bucke and Whit- Grapevine of November,1963,carman.” ried a piece by him that,between Naturally I inquired, “But why its lines,unconsciously reveals to did your colleagues seem to like the us a wonderful self portrait of our paper?” friend.Again, we feel his fine per- His reply went like this: “You ception, again we see him at work see,we psychiatrists deeply know for AA.No epitaph could be better what very difficult people you alcothan this. holics really are. It was not the claims of your paper that stirred *Excerpts from this talk are containedin my friends,it was the fact that AA Alcoholism The llness, by Bill W.,a .can sober up alcoholics wholesale.” pamphlet available from AA World Services.