Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was not the first anti-alcohol mutual-aid association, but its success is unique. In 1935, New York businessman William Griffith Wilson (“Bill W.”) and Ohio surgeon Robert H. Smith (“Dr. Bob,” 1879–1950) found their way to lasting sobriety through mutual support and reliance on a spiritual power greater than themselves. Electrified by this discovery, they were determined to share it with others, eventually creating a worldwide network that has freed millions from alcoholism through social anonymity, equality, personal honesty, spiritual trust, and intensive interpersonal support. Although organizational minimalism remains a key to its flexibility and strength, AA codifies its working principles in the eponymous publication known as the “Big Book,” first published in 1939. Its subtitle later changed to clarify that both women and men are welcomed.