The Archive Committee organizes and stores historic materials regarding the South Jersey Intergroup. We gather histories of the groups and Old-timers for our area. If you have historic documents/literature to donate or would like to be interviewed about your group's story or your own personal story, please email us at
Dec 1934 - Bill & Lois start attending Oxford Group meetings.
Dec 1934 to May 1935 - Bill works with alcoholics, but fails to sober any of them. Lois reminds him HE is sober.
Dec 1938 - Twelve Steps written.
Nov/Dec 1939 - Akron group withdrawals from association with Oxford Group. Meetings moved from T Henry & Clarence Williams to Dr Bob and other member’s homes.
Dec 1939 - First AA group in mental institution, Rockland State Hospital, NY.
Dec 1939 - 1st home meeting in Los Angeles at Kaye M.'s house.
Dec 1939 - Matt Talbot Club has 88 members, uses wagons to collect old furniture to recondition & sell, not A.A., used A.A. program, material, marked 1st effort reach alcoholics outside married middle-class category.
Dec 1940 - 1st AA group formed in St. Louis, Missouri.
Dec 1940 - Group started Ashtabula, Ohio due to Plain Dealer articles. A.A. Cleveland has about 30 groups.
Dec 1948 - Dr. Bob's last major talk, in Detroit.
Dec 1950 - Grapevine article signed by both Bill and Dr Bob recommend establishing AA General Service Conference.
Dec 1955 - 'Man on the Bed' painting by Robert M. first appeared in Grapevine. Painting originally called 'Came to Believe'
Dec 1982 - Nell Wing retires from GSO after 35 years of service.
Dec 1, 1940 - Chicago Daily Tribune begins a series of articles on AA by Nall Hamilton.
Dec 5, 1985 - Dave B, founder of Montreal Group dies weeks before 50th anniversary. His story added to the 4th Edition Big Book.
Dec 6, 1939 - Bert the Tailor lends Works Publishing $1000.
Dec 6, 1979 - Akron Beacon reports death of Henrietta Sieberling.
Dec 7, 1949 - Sister Ignatia received Poverello Medal on behalf of A.A.
Dec 10, 1975 - Birds of a Feather AA group for pilots is formed.
Dec 11, 1934 - Bill admitted to Towns Hosp 4th/last time (fall '33, '34 in summer, midsummer and final admittance).
Dec 11, 1941 - Dallas Morning News reports 1st AA group formed in Dallas.
Dec 12, 1934 - Bill has Spiritual Experience at Towns Hospital.
Dec 12, 1937 - Bill meets with Rockefeller Foundation and tries to get money.
Dec 13, 1937 - Rockland State Mental Hospital takes patients to meeting in New Jersey.
Dec 13 or 14, 1934 - Ebby visited Bill at hospital, brought William James's book, "Varieties of Religious Experience".
Dec 19, 1939 - Los Angeles hold their 1st AA meeting there.
Dec 20, 1945 - Rowland H dies (he carried the Oxford Group message to Ebby).
Dec 27, 1893 - Rev Samuel Shoemaker is born.
Do you have a piece of AA history that you’d like to submit? Click here..
The Archive Committee of South Jersey Intergroup is collecting oral histories in the form of interview questions and answers to learn more about the beginnings of AA in our area, as well as understand how AA has changed over the years. We are currently working with AA members with 30+ years of sobriety. If you or someone you know, would like to be interviewed, click here to contact the committee chairperson and get more information.
Your group's history is an important part of the growth of AA in our area, do you know your group's history? The Archive Committee of South Jersey Intergroup is collecting the histories of the groups in our area. If you have infomation about the beginnings and growth of your homegroup, click here to contact the committee chairperson.
Do you have a link you’d like to add? Click here.
Disclaimer: These pages are neither endorsed nor approved by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. They are solely provided by the South Jersey Intergroup Association as part of its 12 Step work in reaching out to the alcoholic who still suffers.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email the .? South Jersey Intergroup Assn., Inc.
