A meeting in 1935 between the future founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, both of whom were termed "hopeless" alcoholics, began a program of recovery that has helped millions find sobriety and serenity.
Bill W.
Bill W., a stockbroker from New York, was one of those men. In fighting his own battle against drinking, he had already learned that helping other people with alcoholism was the key to maintaining his own sobriety, the principle that would later become step 12 in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
He had been sober for about five months and had traveled to Akron, Ohio in 1935 for a shareholders' meeting and proxy fight, which did not turn out his way.
