Dick B. discusses AA Number Three, Akron attorney Bill D.

My son Ken and I are preparing a class titled "Bill W., Dr. Bob, and the Cure of Alcoholism: The Rest of the Story." And the "rest of the story" may surprise you when you see how much information has simply not reached AAs or the general public about Alcoholics Anonymous, its roots, its succession of programs, the content of those programs, the reason for their successes, and changes in A.A. itself.

The current three radio shows are about A.A.'s first historical epoch--the period when the first three AAs got sober before there were any 12 Steps, 12 Traditions, Big Books, war stories, or meetings like those today. We will show you the similarity of actions taken by the first three AAs and the useful picture they provide as to how the original, simple, effective A.A. ideas can be applied in recovery today. Our three presentations are of how AA #1, Bill W., got sober (something we have already presented); how AA #2, Dr. Bob, got sober (also presented); and how AA #3, Akron attorney Bill D., got sober. Tonight, we discuss Bill D.'s story.

AA # 3's story is important for at least two major reasons. First, because Bill D.'s release from an Akron hospital on July 4, 1935, "a free man" represented the first success of the original program Bill W. and Dr. Bob began developing that summer. Second, because it marked the founding of the first A.A. group in the world, Akron #1.

After presenting Bill D.'s story, I will review the techniques the three pioneers used, and show how they rested primarily on admission that they were licked, determination to quit and do whatever it took to accomplish that, a firm decision to entrust their lives to the care and direction of their Creator, taking their basic ideas from the Bible, and then reaching out wherever needed to those still suffering from alcoholism. Here we go!