Back MP3 Help
 
(#1346) Bill and Lois W, Sam Shoemaker (Bedford Hills, NY and Pittsburgh, PA)
Nov 1954 in New York, NY  EVENT: Bill W's 20th AA Birthday  TYPE: AA and Al-Anon, Both, Story, Historical, Author

Bill W's 20th AA Birthday

Very good recording quality.

Bill is introduced in a rather flowery manner, as was customary for the era. He introduces Lois. She speaks briefly.

Bill then tells the AA "Christmas Story" about how AA began, giving credit to Carl Jung and Rowland Hazard, though we know today it could not have gone down quite as Bill describes.

We have evidence Rowland was treated by Jung for a couple weeks in 1926 and had a family connection with Jung's office via a cousin. There is no evidence he spent a year under Jung's care and indeed there is no year missing in the timeline of his life. Rowland was under the care of a lay therapist out of Boston's Emmanuel Movement at the time he met Bill's friend and future sponsor, Ebby T.

Regardless of the facts, I believe it is important to remember that the Spirit of the message Bill attributes to Rowland and Jung is the basis of what Bill passed on to generations now sober.

Bill then introduces Sam Shoemaker, the Rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in New York. Ebby was staying at the Mission there when he decided to visit Bill at Clinton Street in Brooklyn to pass on what he had learned from Rowland.

Sam shares in a very clear recording for just under 9 minutes. Bill returns to the microphone for the finale.


(58 min) (13.5 MB) (id#1346)

 

 

 

 

00:00:00 00:00:00