The Washington Group: Foundations, 1936-1941
Endnotes
1. Rorabaugh, W.J., The Alcoholic Republic: An American Interpretation. (New Yark: Oxford University Press, 1979);
Tyrell, Ian R., Sobering Up: From Temperance to Prohibition in Antebellum America. 1800-1860. (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1979);
and Engelman, Larry, Intemperance: The Lost War Against Liquor. (New York: The Free Press, 1979).An interpretation of AA in the context of American History is in Ernst Kurtz' book Not God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous. (Center City, Minn.: The Hazelden Educational Series, 1979). Kurtz continues his analysis in "Why AA. Works: The Intellectual Significance of Alcoholics Anonymous" in the Journal of Studies Alcohol, Vol. 43, No.1, 1982.
2. W.J. Rorabough, The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition.
3. CF 29, "Alcohol Deaths Down 50%; D.c.s Next to Highest," The Washington Star, Oct. 25, 1935.
4. CF 29, "Inebriates' Farm Plan is Approved," Washington Star, June 5, 1939.
5. CF 29, "Inebriates' Farm Hit by Rachabites," The Washington Star, January 18, 1936.
6. CF 29, "Alcoholism in Washington," a pamphlet by the Washington Committee For Education on Alcoholism, @1946
7. CF 29, "1,685 Children Arrested As Drunks Sheppard Charges," The Washington Star, Feb. 26, 1939.
8. CF 4, "Family Can Give Much Needed Help," The Washington Star, 1940. Article was by Bob Erwin. Representative Morris Sheppard of Texas was a southern progressive and prohibitionist, 1913-1941.
9. CF 29, "Alcoholism in Washington," a pamphlet by the Washington Committee on Education on Alcoholism (from the Washington Star clipping files at the Martin Luther King Library) @ 1946.
10.,GSO 1, p. 17, letter from Fitz M-- to Ruth, May 6, 1940.
11. GSO 1, p. 15, letter from Fitz Mayo to Dr. Wilson, March 15, 1940.
12. A.A. 14, "Main Events Alcoholics Anonymous Fact Sheet" prepared by Bill Wilson on Nov. 2, 1954, (hereafter referred to as "Fact Sheet") p.6.
13. A.A. 14, "Fact Sheet," p. 9.
14. A.A. 14, "Fact Sheet," p. 15.
15. Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age (New York: A.A. World Services, 1957) and the pamphlet, A.A. Tradition: How It Developed, also by A.A. World Services.
16. Dr. Bob and the Good Old Timers (A.A. World Services, 1980) p. 108.
17. IG 2, "Inter-Group Bulletin," op. cit., See also Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age (New York: A.A. World Services, 1957) p. 17, and GSO 2 letter from Margaret B. to Henry S., April, 1948.
A tribute to Fitz M. was written on May 12, 1955, by Paul K. H., one of the earliest Washington Group members. He says, "Fitzhugh (Fitz) M--, the founder of the Washington Group. Back in 1940 I had sought A.A. of my own volition and Fitz M-- was both an example and a guide to me, as he was to practically everyone in the early Washington Group. It might be noted that the Washington Group started in 1939; I came in with a good many others in what I have always regarded as the "second wave" in the spring of 1940. I felt very close to Fitz although it would be presumptuous for me to state that I was an intimate although he did talk to me about his early days. He went to Washington & Lee. I was enriched by the warmth of Fitz M-- and Bill Wilson. I was still in uniform at the time of Fitz's untimely death in 1943. I returned to Washington after my Army service and, so to speak, turned myself into a one-man research committee on Fitz. The reason was, to me, self-evident. As I matured in A.A., Fitz's influence and council were still with me and became stronger as the years went on. Moreover, Bill Wilson and I used to talk of him by the hour. Fitz's father was a minister of the Episcopalian Church and Fitz lived in Maryland. Fitz had, in my opinion, great spiritual depth and sensitivity. I have visited his grave often, in the family plot in the Maryland churchyard where his father was pastor. On Fitz's stone is written: BLESSED IS HE WHO BRINGS MANY TO GOD. No truer epitaph was ever written. Paul K. H.
19. W A 47, "Early Members of A.A. in Southern Anne Arundel County, Maryland," by Sunny N., May 15, 1983. A biographical sketch of Fitz M. and Jimmy B.
20. W A 47, "JH. Fitzhugh M.", a biographical sketch prepared by Paul K. H., May 12, 1955. See also "Our Southern Friend," in Alcoholics Anonymous, (3rd edition, (New York: A.A. World Services, 1976) pp. 497-507.
21. W A 47, biographical sketch of Fitz M. by Sunny N., op.cit.
22. Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd edition, p. 504 - 505.
23. See "The Vicious Circle", Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd edition, pp. 238-251.
24. "The Vicious Cycle", or. cit.
25. A.A. 14, "Fact Sheet," p.6.
26. GSO 1, p. 51, letter from Fitz M. to Bill W., November 23, 1940.
27. A.A. 14, "Fact Sheet," p. 21.
28. GSO 1, p. 5, letter from Fitz M. to Ruth dated November 25th. In this letter he mentions that he had received a grand letter from Clarence S. of Cleveland, the Brewmiester in Alcoholics Anonymous.
29. A.A. 14, "Fact Sheet," p. 26. See also GSO 1, letter from Bill W. to Agnes Mayo, July 14, 1938.
30. W A 49, "Evolution of Alcoholics Anonymous" published as Memoirs of Jimmy: What it used to be like and what happened., by Jimmy B., May 1947, p. 4.
31. Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 17.
32. A.A. 14, "Fact Sheet," p. 29.
33. W A 49, Memoirs of Jimmy, by Jimmy B. p. 4.
34. A.A. World Services pamphlet "AA Tradition: How it Developed," by Bill W., p. 35.
35. Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A. World Services, 1939), 1 st edition.
36. W A 47, Oral history of Mrs. Fitzhugh Mayo, wife of early member, Fitzhugh Mayo (1897-1943) conducted by Bill Wilson on September 11, 1954, page 6.
37. GSO 1, letter from Fitz to Ruth, undated.
38. W A 5, 1941, D.C. Group twelve step referral cards.
39. W A 50, Florence R. name file.
40. Conversation with Ron B., archivist at GSO Archives in New York.
41. Letter from Henry S. to Margaret B., secretary of the Alcoholic Foundation, dated April 1948. Some sources include Bill Ames as one of the original members of the group, but I have not located documentation that tells how early Bill joined the group.
42. GSO I, p.2, letter from Alcoholic Foundation to Fitz M., Oct. 26, 1939.
43. In 1995 there are more than 1,870 A.A. meetings in the Washington area.
44. GSO 1, p. 3, letter from Fitz M. to Ruth, undated.
45. GSO 2, letter from Henry S. to Margaret B. (after Ruth Hock got married and left the Alcoholic Foundation, Margaret B. became secretary) April 1948. Some sources include Bill A. among the group of late 1939.
46. Oral history interview with Ned F., founder of the Washington Group.
47. GSO I, p. 7, letter from Secretary to Ned F., Dec. 19, 1939.
48. Letter to W.G. Wilson, Esq. from Fitz, March 15, 1940.
49. Oral history interview with Jean K. of Beltsville.
50. GSO I, p. 4, letter from Fitz M. to Ruth, dated Wednesday.
51. GSO 1, p. 5, letter from Fitz M. to Ruth, dated Monday.
52. Harry Tiebolt, "Therapeutic Mechanisms of Alcoholics Anonymous," Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age. p. 310.
53. CF 10, "Clubhouse Opened by D.C. Alcoholics Anonymous Chapter," The Washington Star, 1940.
54. GSO 2, letter from Margaret B. to Henry S., April 16, 1948.
55. GSO 2, letter from Henry S. to Bobbie (Margaret B.), April 21, 1948.
56. GSO 2, letter from Margaret B. to Henry S., April 26, 1948.
57. The group grew from 6 in December 1939, to 40 in May 1940, to 70 in September 1940, and to 200 in October 1941.
58. GSO 1, p. 10, letter from Ned F. to Ruth, January 8th (1940).
59. Jay L. Rubin, "Shifting Perspectives on the Alcoholism Treatment Movement, 1940-1955," Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Vol. 40, No.3, 1979.
60. Transcript of an oral history interview of Mrs. Fitzhugh Mayo, wife of early member, Fitzhugh Mayo, Sept. 11, 1954, conducted by Bill Wilson. pages 10-11.
61. GSO 1, letter from Fitz to Dr. Wilson, March 15, 1940.
62. Oral history interview with Bob E.; see also GSO 1, p. 14, letter from DorothyH. to Ruth, Feb. 15, 1940.
63. W AI, Oral history interview with Bob and Liz E.; see also Appendix 2 for reprint of Liz's correspondence.
64. GSO 1, letter from Works Publishing Co. to Ned, April 4, 1940.
65. GSO 1, letter from Fitz to Dr. Wilson, March 15,1940. While little documentation exists about Marty Mann's visits to the area, the printed programs for the Annual Banquets of the Washington Group show that she was a speaker at many of the banquets over the next ten years and that she was a speaker at the great Open Public Meeting at Central High in 1944. In the W AlA Archives, file AB 1 contains a collection of Washington Group Annual Banquet Programs, and files CF 6 and CF 10-25 contain correspondence, articles, and flyers from banquets. which indicate she participated in these.
66. GSO 1, letter from Fitz, May 22, 1940.
67. GSO 2, letter from Fitz to Bill W. , Aug. 14, 1940.
68. GSO 1, letter from Bill W. to Fitz, undated.
69. W A 1, Oral history interview with Bob E., also GSO 1, Henry's stationary appears throughout the correspondence. Toward the end of the summer of 1940 the Alcoholic Foundation asked Henry to supply them with stationary which he did. He also printed a variety of other cards, flyers and documents, including the first Serenity Prayer cards and probably the first cards containing the Twelve Steps of AA
70. GSO 1, letter from Works Publishing Co. to Ned, April 4, 1940.
71. CF 4, "Victims of Alcohol Hold Weekly Meetings to Aid One Another in Overcoming the Weakness of Drink," The Washington Star. This Bob Erwin article was reprinted as "Experience Elsewhere Indicates Success of Alcoholics
72. CF 4, "Victims of Alcohol Hold Weekly Meetings to Aid One Another in Overcoming the Weakness of Drink," The Washington Star, this Bob Erwin article was reprinted as "Experience Elsewhere Indicates Success of Alcoholics Anonymous. "
73. Oral history interview with Bill A's son.
74. GSO 1, unsigned letter to Fitz , May 9, 1940.
75. CF 4, see note 51.
76. GSO 1, letter from Fitz to Ruth, May 6, 1940.
77. CF 4, "New Associations Break Old Ties," The Washington Star, June 18, 1940. This Bob Erwin article was reprinted as "Society Witnesses Amazing Comebacks by Drinking Victims".
78. GSO 1, letter from Fitz M. to Ruth, May 6, 1940.
79. CF 4, "Turning From Drink Requires Honesty With Self," The Washington Star, June 16, 1940.
80. CF 4, "Medical Profession's Aid to Alcoholics Related at Meeting," The Washington Star.
81. CF 4, ibid.
82. CF 4, ibid.
83. GSO 1, letter from Ned to Bill, May 25, 1940.
84. W A 2, Membership roster from the Washington Group, October 1940.
85. GSO 1, letter from Bob V. to Bill W. undated.
86. GSO 1, letter from Martin F. to Ruth, Oct. 14, 1940.
87. GSO 1, letter from Fitz M. to Bill, November 23, 1940.
88. GSO 1, letter from Secretary to friends, Oct. 2, 1940.
89. GSO 1, letter from Secretary to friends, Oct. 2, 1940.
90. Bernard B. Smith, "The Individual, A.A., and Society," Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 276.
91. Oral history of Mrs. Fitzhugh Mayo, wife of early member, Fitzhugh Mayo (1897-1943) conducted by Bill Wilson on September 11, 1954, p. 6.
92. Mrs. Fitzhugh Mayo oral history interview, p. 7.
93. Letter from Fitz to Bill, May 22, 1940.
94. Letter from Ned to Bill, May 25, 1940.
95. Letter from Fitz to Bill W., November 2, 1940.
96. Mrs. Fitzhugh Mayo oral history interview, p. 22.
97. Mrs. Fitzhugh Mayo oral history interview, p. 22.
98. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 506 - 507.
99. GSO 1, letter from Fitz M. to Bill, Nov. 2, 1940.
100. Mrs. Fitzhugh Mayo oral history interview, p. 23.
101. Letter from Fitz to E. Churchill Murray, April 20 (1943).
102. WA 47, Sunny N., op. cit.; and IG 2, "Inter-Group Bulletin," op. cit.