This is a help to study the Big Book, to fill in some of the “missing facts,” answering some questions. Have your big book open to check these out.
28. – Page 149 — Bottom of page — “The little company and the two employees”
Honor Dealers Company, Auto Polish Dealership. Jimmy B., whose story is “The Vicious Cycle”, first appearing in the 2nd edition, and Bill W. co-founder of AA. Additional references in the story “The Vicious Cycle”, 3rd edition on page 246 – 1st paragraph, 4th edition on page 227 – 1st paragraph. Return
29. – Page 154 — Bottom of page — “Clergyman”
Reverend Walter F. Tunks, Rector at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio. Return
30. – Page 156 — 3rd paragraph — “The head nurse they called and the local hospital she worked at.”
Mrs. Hall, admissions nurse at Akron City Hospital. Return
31. – Page 156-157 — Both pages — “The man on the bed”
Bill D. from Kenmore, Ohio, Sobriety Date: June 26, 1935. AA member number three, the “Man On The Bed.” Bill was a lawyer and the first to stay sober in AA without a slip. Return
32. – Page 158 — 3rd paragraph — “Campaigns and speeches – How did he ever do?”
Bill D. ran for city councilman but lost the election. Return
33. – Page 158 — Bottom of page — “Devil may care young chap”
Ernie G. was 30 years old. He later married Dr. Bob’s daughter Sue against Bob’s wishes. Sue liked Ernie, but he later turned out to be a less than likeable man. Ernie’s story, “The Seven Month Slip” was in the First Edition of the Big Book
In Akron, there was another Ernie G. who got sober later and who was a very good AA member and much was written about him. Don’t get these two Ernie G’s mixed up in your history. Return
34. – Page 159 — Bottom of page — “Who were the ‘seven more’?”
Here is the list of the next 10 members. Note: Some of these had slips and came back right away. We are not certain who Bill counted or in what order. See Pioneers of A.A.
Ernie G. – Akron, 8/1935 (the Seven Month Slip)
Hank P. – New York, 9/1935 (The Unbeliever)
Phil S. – Akron, 9/1935 (the 1st AA court case)
Tom L. – Akron, 11/1935 (My Wife and I)
Fitz M. – New York, 11/1935 (Our Southern Friend)
Walter B. – Akron, 2/1936 (The Backslider)
Joe D. – Akron, 4/1936 (the European Drinker)
Myron “Jack” W. – New York, 4/1936 (Hindsight)
Paul S. – Akron, 7/1936 (Truth Freed Me)
J. D. H. – Akron, 9/1936 Return
35. – Page 160 — 1st paragraph — “One man and his wife place their house at AA’s disposal”
T. Henry and Clarace Williams, 876 Palisades Drive, Akron, Ohio. T. Henry was an engineer at the company where Bill W. was waging a proxy battle to gain control of National Rubber Machinery in May of 1935. The company was founded in 1928 and located at 917 Swietzer Ave, Akron, Ohio. In 1942 they switched from making machinery for the rubber industry to machinery for the plastic industry. Return
36. – Page 161 — 1st paragraph — “The community is thirty miles away.”
Cleveland, Ohio Return
37. – Page 162 — Top of page — “Well known hospital for treatment”
Charles B. Towns Hospital, 293 Central Park West, New York City, New York Return
38. – Page 162 — Top of page — “One of our member’s was a patient there.”
Our co-founder Bill W. Return
39. – Pahe 162 — Top of page — “Dr. at the hospital”
Dr. William Duncan Silkworth Return
40. – Page 162 — 1st paragraph — “Eastern City”
New York City, New York Return
41. – Page 163 — 2nd paragraph — “AA member living in large community”
Hank P., Montclair, New Jersey Return
42. – Page 163 — 2nd paragraph — “Prominent Psychiatrist and his clinic”
Dr. Howard of Montclair, New Jersey Return
43. – Page 163 –3rd paragraph — “Chief Psychiatrist of a large public hospital”
Dr. Russel E. Blaisdell, Rockland State Hospital near Orangeburg, New York. He attended the Rockefeller Dinner on February 8, 1940.
In Dr. Bob’s Story
1. – Page 171 — 1st paragraph — “Small New England villiage of about seven thousand souls”
St Johnsbury, Vermont Return
2. – Page 172 — 3rd paragraph — “One of the best colleges in the country”
Dartmouth University from 1899-1902 Return
3. – Page 173 — 1st paragraph — “One of the largest universities in the country”
University of Michigan From 1905-1907 Return
4. – Page 174 –Top of page — “Another of the leading universities”
Rush Medical University. Dr Bob graduated from Rush in 1910 Return
5. – Page 174 — 3rd paragraph — “Western City”
Akron, Ohio Return
6. – Page 175 — Top of page — “Local Sanitariums where Bob committed himself”
Fair Oaks Villa, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Return
7. – Page 175 — Top of page — “Scylla and Charybdis” (Sil’la and ka-rib’dis)
Scylla is the name of a small finger of land on the Italian coast, which projects into the Strait of Messina, and sits opposite the Sicilian coast. In between is a very destructive whirlpool named Charybdis. The reference is often used to describe being in a life threatening situation. In the context used here, the statement is made as an analogy: “I was between Scylla” implies he was out in deep water “and Charybdis” implies if he went one way, he would die by drowning in the whirlpool. If he went the other way, he would die by being smashed up on the rocky coast.
When Ulysses tried to make his way through this narrow passageway, in the “The Odyssey” by Homer, Scylla, a female monster with twelve feet and six heads, managed to kill six of his sailors.
Shakespeare used this expression in his “Merchant of Venice”; “When I shun Scylla your father, I fall into Charybdis your mother.”
Today we say things like “I was between a rock and a hard place” and “between the devil and the deep blue sea”. Bill’s reference has fallen from popular usage, but is occasionally used in academic circles. Return
8. – Page 175 — Top of page — “Local hospital”
People’s Hospital Return
9. – Page 175 — 1st paragraph — “Dr. from Dr. Bob’s hometown”
This occurred in 1914. The doctor was from St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The doctor was able to get Dr. Bob back home to the house on Summer Street where he was born. He remained in bed for two months. It took another two months before he returned to Akron. Return
10. – Page 178 — 1st paragraph — “The crowd of people Dr Bob was thrown in with”
The Oxford Group Return
11. – Page 179 — 1st paragraph — “Lady who called on Anne S. Saturday afternoon on the day before Mothers Day”
Henrietta Seiberling Return
12. – Page 179 — Bottom of page — “The friend at whose home Dr. Bob woke up”
Lilly. She was Dr Bob’s receptionist in his medical practice in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and her husband’s name was Everett. Return
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