Pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous

So, on this late fall afternoon in 1937, Smithy and I were talking together in his living room, Anne sitting there, when we began to count noses. How many people had stayed dry; in Akron, in New York, maybe a few in Cleveland? How many had stayed dry and for how long? And when we added up the total, it sure was a handful of, I don’t know, 35 to 40 maybe. But enough time had elapsed on enough really fatal cases of alcoholism, so that we grasped the importance of these small statistics.

Bob and I saw for the first time that this thing was going to succeed. That God in his providence and mercy had thrown a new light into the dark caves where we and our kind had been and were still by the millions dwelling. I can never forget the elation and ecstasy that seized us both. – Bill W., 1954

Although many more than listed were “Stepped” to no avail, the below listed Pioneers are the men and women referred to in the foreword to the First Edition of the Big Book.

Pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous – 1934 – 1939
All Below Achieved At Least Some Period of Sobriety. Some who failed may have achieved permanent sobriety later. Bolded Names Achieved Permanent Sobriety.
1934	Name	Location	Comment/Big Book Story
Dec 11	Bill Wilson	New York	Co-Founder of AA – Bill’s Story
1935
Jun 10	Dr.Bob Smith	Akron	Co-Founder of AA – Dr. Bob’s Nightmare
June	Eddie Reilly	Akron	Sobered in 1949
June	Dr. McK.	Akron	Failed to gain long term sobriety
June	Bill Dotson	Akron	Alcoholics Anonymous No.3 – 2nd Ed
July	Ernie Gailbraith	Akron	The Seven Month Slip – (An In-and-Outer Slipper)
Aug	Wes Wyman	Akron	Sobered in 1949
Sept	Hank Parkhurst	New York	The Unbeliever – 4 yrs. Sober Drunk Sept 1939
Sept	Phil Smith	Akron
Oct	John Henry “Fitz” Mayo	New York	Our Southern Friend
1935	Freddie B.	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1935	Brooke B.	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1935	Bill R.	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1935	Ernest M.	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1935	Herb D.	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1935	Alec	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1935	Russ R.	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1935	Bill C.	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1935	Victor	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1935	Lil	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
1936
Jan	Harold Grisinger	Akron
Feb	Walter Bray	Akron	The Back-Slider
Apr	Joe Doeppler	Akron	The European Drinker
Apr	Myron Williams	New York	Hindsight
July	Paul Stanley	Akron	Truth Freed Me
Sept	J. D. Holmes	Akron
Sept	Holland Spencer	Akron
Dec	Bob Oviatt	Akron	The Salesman
1937
Feb	Dick Stanley	Akron	The Car Smasher
Feb	Don McLean	New York
Feb	Bill Rudell	New York	A Business Man’s Recovery
Feb	Lloyd Tate	Akron
Feb	Bill Van Horn	Akron	Ward Of The Probate Court
Mar	Harry Zoellers	Akron	A Close Shave
Mar	Florence Rankin	New York	A Feminine Victory – Returned to drinking & suicide 1939
Apr	Earl Treat	Akron	He Sold Himself Short
Apr	Bob Evans	Akron
May	Wally Gillam	Akron	Fired Again
May	Charlie Simonson	Akron	Riding The Rods
July	Jim Scott	Akron	Traveler, Editor, Scholar
July	Paul Kellogg	New York	Failed to gain long term sobriety
Sept	Bill Jones	Cleveland
Oct	Jack Williams	New York
Nov	Tom Lucas	Akron	My Wife And I
Dec	Ned Poynter	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
1937	Jane S.	Cleveland	Sober a few months, Failed to gain long term sobriety
1938
Jan	Jim Burwell	New York	Slipped, DOS June 15, 1938 The Vicious Cycle – 2nd Ed.
Feb	Clarence Snyder	Cleveland	Home Brewmeister
Feb	Charlie Jones	Akron
Feb	Ray Campbell	New York	An Artist’s Concept
Feb	Van Wagner	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
Feb	Jack Darrow	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
Feb	Norman Hunt	New York	Educated Agnostic
Feb	Harold Sears	New York	Smile With Me, At Me
Apr	Capt. Coxe	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
May	Abby Goldrick	Akron	He Thought He Could Drink – 2nd Ed.
May	Bert Taylor	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
May	Bob Taylor	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
June	George Williams	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
June	Joseph Taylor	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
June	Harry Brick	New York	A Different Slant
June	Ralph Furlong	New York	Another Prodigal Story
July	Bud Emerson	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
Sept	Archie Trowbridge	Akron	The Fearful One
Sept	Horace Maher	New York	On His Way
Oct	John Dolan	Akron
Dec	Vaughn Phelps	Akron
Dec	Horace Crystal	New York	Continued Sobriety Unknown
1938	Bill H.	Cleveland	failed, later permanent sobriety
1939
Jan	Pat Cooper	Calif.	The Lone Endeavor
Unknown Sobriety Dates
N/A	Delmar Tyron	Akron	Aces Full, Seven-Eleven
N/A	Doc Moran	Akron	Continued Sobriety Unknown
N/A	Harold Grissom	Akron	Continued Sobriety Unknown
N/A	Dr. Howard S.	Akron	Continued Sobriety Unknown

This site is not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.(AAWS). AAWS has neither reviewed nor endorsed the contents of this site. These pages are not endorsed nor approved by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. They are provided as part of the sites owner’s 12 Step work in reaching out to the alcoholic who still suffers. Some of the items on these pages were originally published by A.A. World Services, but do not assume that this implies continued approval by the General Service Conference for their use in these pages. Alcoholics Anonymous, A.A., and The Big Book are registered trademarks of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. The Grapevine and AA Grapevine are registered trademarks of The AA Grapevine, Inc.