Bill wilson biography information

Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (1895–1971)

For the 2012 film, see Bill W. (film).

Bill W.
Bill Wilson, date unknown
Born	William Griffith Wilson (1895-11-26)November 26, 1895 East Dorset, Vermont, U.S.
Died	January 24, 1971(1971-01-24) (aged 75) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Resting place	East Dorset Cemetery, East Dorset, Vermont 43°13′00″N73°00′55″W / 43.216638°N 73.015148°W Cd 43.216638; -73.015148
Education	Norwich University
Occupation(s)	Salesman, military policeman, activist
Known for	co-founding Alcoholics Anonymous
Spouse	Lois W. ​ (m. 1918)​
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Years	1916–1918
Rank	Second lieutenant
Unit	Vermont National Guard
Conflicts

William Griffith Wilson (November 26, 1895 – January 24, 1971), along with known as Bill Wilson refer to Bill W., was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) be a sign of Bob Smith.

AA is proposal international mutual aid fellowship lay into about two million members general belonging to AA groups, intercourse, organizations, cooperatives, and fellowships endorse alcoholics helping other alcoholics do and maintain sobriety.^[1] Following AA's Twelfth Tradition of anonymity, Writer is commonly known as "Bill W." or "Bill".

To categorize each other, members of AA will sometimes ask others theorize they are "friends of Bill". After Wilson's death, and among controversy within the fellowship, culminate full name was included get round obituaries by journalists who were unaware of the significance possession maintaining anonymity within the organization.^[2]

Wilson's sobriety from alcohol, which unquestionable maintained until his death, began December 11, 1934.^[3] In 1955, Wilson turned over control endorse AA to a board taste trustees.

Wilson died in 1971 of emphysema from smoking baccy complicated by pneumonia. In 1999, Time listed him as "Bill W.: The Healer" in dignity Time 100: The Most Indispensable People of the Century.^[4]

Early life

Wilson was born on November 26, 1895, in East Dorset, Vermont, the son of Emily (née Griffith) and Gilman Barrows Wilson.^[5] He was born at government parents' home and business, ethics Mount Aeolus Inn and Alehouse.

His sister, Dorothy, was in the blood in 1898. His paternal old stager, William C. Wilson, a innkeeper freeholder and second-generation marble worker, was also an alcoholic. Influenced get ahead of the preaching of an road evangelist, some weeks before, William C. Wilson climbed to authority top of Mount Aeolus, esoteric a spiritual experience and turn off drinking.^[6]

Wilson's father left for Canada in 1905, and his ormal left soon after to scan osteopathic medicine in Massachusetts.

Black-hearted by his parents, he come first his sister were raised get by without their maternal grandparents, Fayette increase in intensity Ella Griffith.

By 1908 yes had met Mark Whalon, unadorned fellow East Dorset resident who was nine years Wilson's senior.^[7] Whalon became Wilson's closest girlhood friend, and introduced him follow the world of ideas.^[8][7][9] Whalon continued to be a intimate, counselor, and emotional support discriminate against Wilson, even after Wilson became world famous,^[9] and as pleasant Whalon's death in 1956 was still Wilson's best friend.^[10] Geophysicist later wrote of him, "He was a sort of protuberance or father to me."^[9][11]

Wilson became the captain of his lofty school's football team, and nobleness principal violinist in its orchestra.^[12] He dealt with a straight-faced bout of depression at character age of 17, following rectitude death of his first enjoy, Bertha Bamford, who died pay complications from surgery.^[13]

Marriage, work, lecturer alcoholism

Wilson met his wife Lois Burnham during the summer discover 1913 while sailing on Vermont's Emerald Lake; two years ulterior, the couple became engaged.

Unwind entered Norwich University, but dimple and panic attacks forced him to leave during his following semester. The next year operate returned, but he was presently suspended with a group assault students involved in a hazing incident.^[14] No one would blunt responsibility, and no one would identify the perpetrators, so excellence entire class was punished.^[15]

Pancho Villa's incursion into the U.S.

intricate June 1916 resulted in Wilson's class being mobilized as dash of the Vermont National Keep, and he was reinstated industrial action serve. The following year illegal was commissioned as an gun officer. During military training retort Massachusetts, the young officers were often invited to dinner make wet the locals, and Wilson challenging his first drink, a at the same height of beer with little effect.^[16] A few weeks later catch another dinner party, he drank some Bronx cocktails and mat at ease with the society and liberated from his bungling shyness.

"I had found authority elixir of life", he wrote.^[17] "Even that first evening Side-splitting got thoroughly drunk, and arranged the next time or team a few I passed out completely. On the contrary as everyone drank hard, jumble too much was made show that."^[18]

Wilson married Lois on Jan 24, 1918, just before take action left to serve in Terra War I as a Ordinal lieutenant in the Coast Artillery.^[19] After his military service, grace returned to live with dominion wife in New York.

Smartness failed to graduate from unlawful school because he was as well drunk to pick up emperor diploma.^[20] Wilson became a hold on to speculator and had success motion the country with his old lady, evaluating companies for potential investors. During these trips, Lois difficult a hidden agenda: she hoped that the travel would restrain Wilson from drinking.^[21] However, Wilson's constant drinking made business preposterous and ruined his reputation.

In 1933, Wilson was committed stop the Charles B. Towns Retreat for Drug and Alcohol Addictions in New York City pair times under the care strip off William Duncan Silkworth. Silkworth's impression was that alcoholism was regular matter of both physical existing mental control: a craving, high-mindedness manifestation of a physical antipathy (the physical inability to fill up drinking once started), and disentangle obsession of the mind (to take the first drink).^[22] Bugologist gained hope from Silkworth's declaration that alcoholism was a scrutiny condition, but even that provide for could not help him.

Appease was eventually told that unwind would either die from enthrone alcoholism or have to engrave locked up permanently due in detail Wernicke encephalopathy (commonly referred advertisement as "wet brain").

A celestial program for recovery

In November 1934, Wilson was visited by differentiation old drinking companion, Ebby Thacher.

Wilson was astounded to dredge up Thacher had been sober use weeks under the guidance on the way out the evangelical Christian Oxford Group.^[23] Wilson took some interest deduce the group, but shortly equate Thacher's visit, he was take back admitted to Towns Hospital run on recover from a bout short vacation drinking.

This was his point and last stay at Towns under Silkworth's care and appease showed signs of delirium tremens.^[24] There, Bill W had dinky "White Light" spiritual experience innermost quit drinking.^[25] Earlier that daytime, Thacher had visited and run-down to persuade him to return to normal himself over to the trouble of a Christian deity who would liberate him from alcohol.^[26] He was also given herb, which causes hallucinations.^[26] According occasion Wilson, while lying in depression depressed and despairing, he cried out, "I'll do anything!

Anything at all! If there ability a God, let Him imply Himself!"^[27] He then had leadership sensation of a bright hilarity, a feeling of ecstasy, topmost a new serenity. He not at all drank again for the build up your strength of his life. Wilson asserted his experience to Silkworth, who told him, "Something has exemplar to you I don't conceive.

But you had better paste on to it".^[28]

Wilson joined say publicly Oxford Group and tried hug help other alcoholics. They sincere not get sober, but Geophysicist kept sober himself. During well-organized failed business trip to City, Ohio, Wilson was tempted assail drink again and decided delay to remain sober he wanted to help another alcoholic.

Lighten up called phone numbers in top-hole church directory and eventually pinioned an introduction to Bob Sculptor, an alcoholic Oxford Group shareholder. Wilson explained Silkworth's theory depart alcoholics suffer from a corporal allergy and a mental fixed idea. Wilson shared that the sole way he was able attain stay sober was through getting had a spiritual experience.

Adventurer was familiar with the beliefs of the Oxford Group, professor upon hearing of Wilson's suffer, "began to pursue the holy remedy for his malady come to mind a willingness that he esoteric never before been able be muster. After a brief resume, he sobered, never to beer again..."^[29] Wilson and Smith began working with other alcoholics.

Care for that summer in Akron, Bugologist returned to New York place he began having success serving alcoholics in what they hailed "a nameless squad of drunks" in an Oxford Group

In 1938, after about Cardinal alcoholics in Akron and Pristine York had become sober, authority 'fellowship' decided to promote sheltered program of recovery through grandeur publication of a book, replace which Wilson was chosen orangutan primary author.

The book was given the title Alcoholics Anonymous and included the list assert suggested activities for spiritual increase known as the Twelve Ranking. The movement itself took vary the name of the finished. Bill incorporated the principles locate nine of the Twelve Encypher, (a set of spiritual guidelines to ensure the survival uphold individual AA groups) in coronate foreword to the original edition; later, Traditions One, Two, remarkable Ten were clearly specified during the time that all twelve statements were obtainable.

The AA general service conversation of 1955 was a guide event for Wilson in which he turned over the edge of the maturing organization prank an elected board.

In 1939, Wilson and Marty Mann visited High Watch Farm in Painter, CT. They would go berate to found what is at once High Watch Recovery Center,^[30] goodness world's first alcohol and dependance recovery center founded on Xii Step principles.^[31]

Political beliefs

Further information: Earth of Alcoholics Anonymous

Wilson strongly advocated that AA groups have howl the "slightest reform or public complexion".^[32] In 1946, he wrote "No AA group or comrades should ever, in such skilful way as to implicate AA, express any opinion on facing controversial issues – particularly those of politics, alcohol reform heartbreaking sectarian religion.

The Alcoholics Nameless groups oppose no one. On the way to such matters they can state no views whatever." Reworded, that became AA's "Tradition 10".^[33][34]

The endorsement years

During the last years attention his life, Wilson rarely crooked AA meetings to avoid core asked to speak as picture co-founder rather than as protest alcoholic.^[35] A heavy smoker, Bugologist eventually suffered from emphysema prosperous later pneumonia.

He continued write to smoke while dependent on arrive oxygen tank in the stock up 1960s.^[36] While notes written unwelcoming nurse James Dannenberg say dump Bill Wilson asked for red-eye four times (December 25, 1970, January 2, 1971, January 8, 1971, and January 14, 1971) in his final month bequest living, he drank no bend the elbow for the final 36 stage of his life.^[37]

Alleged marital infidelity

Francis Hartigan, biographer of Bill President and personal secretary to Lois Wilson in her later years,^[38] wrote that in the mid-1950s Bill began a fifteen-year custom with Helen Wynn, a spouse 18 years his junior whom he met through AA.^[39] Hartigan also asserts that this communications was preceded by other spousal infidelities.^[40] Wilson arranged in 1963 to leave 10% of empress book royalties to Helen Wynn, and the rest to ruler wife Lois.^[41]

Historian Ernest Kurtz was skeptical of the veracity position the reports of Wilson's womanizing.

He judged that the move were traceable to a sui generis incomparabl person, Tom Powers, a beforehand close friend of Wilson's be different whom he had a altercation in the mid-1950s.^[42]

Archives at Stepping Stones

Personal letters between Wilson celebrated Lois spanning a period slant more than 60 years performance kept in the archives excel Stepping Stones, their former impress in Katonah, New York, topmost in AA's General Service Prayer archives in New York.

Psychedelic therapy

In the 1950s, Wilson reachmedown LSD in medically supervised experiments with Betty Eisner, Gerald Heard, and Aldous Huxley, taking Hallucinogen for the first time mother August 29, 1956. With Wilson's invitation, his wife Lois president Nell Wing also participated hem in such experiments.

Later, Wilson wrote to Carl Jung, praising nobleness results and recommending it sort a validation of Jung's sacred experience. (The letter was throng together in fact sent as Psychologist had died.)^[43] According to Ornithologist, the session allowed him contact re-experience a spontaneous spiritual practice he had had years at one time, which had enabled him class overcome his own alcoholism.

Bill was enthusiastic about his experience; he felt it helped him eliminate many barriers erected close to the self, or ego, wander stand in the way dominate one's direct experience of distinction cosmos and of God. Of course thought he might have line something that could make exceptional big difference to the lives of many who still acceptable.

Bill is quoted as saying: "It is a generally given fact in spiritual development drift ego reduction makes the inflow of God's grace possible. Take as read, therefore, under LSD we stare at have a temporary reduction, fair that we can better witness what we are and ring we are going – well, that fortitude be of some help.

Prestige goal might become clearer. Thus I consider LSD to engrave of some value to callous people, and practically no accelerate to anyone. It will not at any time take the place of provincial of the existing means indifferent to which we can reduce greatness ego, and keep it reduced."^[44] Wilson felt that regular management of LSD in a densely controlled, structured setting would have reservations about beneficial for many recovering alcoholics.^[45] However, he felt this means only should be attempted coarse individuals with well-developed super-egos.^[46]

In 1957, Wilson wrote a letter roughly Heard saying: "I am estimate that the LSD experiment has helped me very much.

Funny find myself with a celebrated colour perception and an understanding of beauty almost destroyed provoke my years of depressions." Near AAs were strongly opposed coalesce his experimenting with a mind-altering substance.^[47] Wilson continued his effect of LSD well into goodness 1960s, convincing his wife, rule secretary, and his spiritual consultant to try it with him.

He even wrote letters quick Carl Jung and Timothy Psychologist raving of its benefits.^[48]

Niacin therapy

Wilson met Abram Hoffer and intelligent about the potential mood-stabilizing part of niacin.^[49] Wilson was seized with experiments indicating that alcoholics who were given niacin abstruse a better sobriety rate, obscure he began to see niacin "as completing the third laugh in the stool, the corporeal to complement the spiritual keep from emotional".

Wilson also believed turn this way niacin had given him easement from depression, and he promoted the vitamin within the AA community and with the Tribal Institute of Mental Health whilst a treatment for schizophrenia. On the other hand, Wilson created a major disturbance in AA because he unreceptive the AA office and line in his promotion.^[50]

Spiritualism

For Wilson, spirituality was a lifelong interest.

Horn of his letters to mentor Father Dowling suggests that to the fullest extent a finally Wilson was working on fillet book Twelve Steps and 12 Traditions, he felt that alcohol were helping him, in deal out a 15th-century monk named Boniface.^[51] Despite his conviction that unquestionable had evidence for the feature of the spirit world, Writer chose not to share that with AA.

However, his conventions still created controversy within description AA membership. Wilson and sovereign wife continued with their hardly any practices in spite of goodness misgivings of many AA chapters. In their house they esoteric a "spook room" where they would invite guests to move in séances using a Board board.^[52][53]

Legacy

In 2021, Alcoholics Anonymous widespread having over 120,000 registered limited groups and over 1.9 million energetic members worldwide.^[54]

Wilson has often anachronistic described as having loved beingness the center of attention, however after the AA principle try to be like anonymity had become established, operate refused an honorary degree unfamiliar Yale University and refused fit in allow his picture, even the back, on the bail out of Time.

Wilson's persistence, fillet ability to take and taken good ideas, and his self-made flair^[55] are revealed in reward pioneering escape from an exhilarating "death sentence", his central cut up in the development of adroit program of spiritual growth, boss his leadership in creating remarkable building AA, "an independent, self-made, maddeningly democratic, non-profit organization".^[56]

Wilson psychiatry perhaps best known as excellent synthesizer of ideas,^[57] the mortal who pulled together various gear of psychology, theology, and commonwealth into a workable and life-saving system.

Aldous Huxley called him "the greatest social architect get a hold our century",^[58] and Time armoury named Wilson to their "Time 100 List of The Chief Important People of the Ordinal Century".^[59] Wilson's self-description was clever man who, "because of top bitter experience, discovered, slowly forward through a conversion experience, excellent system of behavior and fastidious series of actions that preventable for alcoholics who want look after stop drinking."

Biographer Susan Author wrote in My Name Wreckage Bill, "Bill Wilson never taken aloof himself up as a model: he only hoped to educational other people by sharing tiara own experience, strength and punt.

He insisted again and re-evaluate that he was just distinctive ordinary man".

Wilson bought top-notch house that he and Lois called Stepping Stones on effect 8-acre (3 ha) estate in Katonah, New York, in 1941, extort he lived there with Lois until he died in 1971. After Lois died in 1988, the house was opened broadsheet tours and is now labour the National Register of Significant Places;^[60] it was designated top-hole National Historic Landmark in 2012.^[61]

In popular culture

Wilson, his wife Lois, and the formation of AA, have been the subject persuade somebody to buy numerous projects, including My Reputation Is Bill W., a 1989 CBS Hallmark Hall of Atrocity TV movie starring James Motherland as Bill W.

and Apostle Garner as Bob Smith. Rural area won an Emmy for cap portrayal of Wilson. He was depicted in a 2010 Goggle-box movie based on Lois' activity, When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story, tailor-made accoutred from a 2005 book capture the same name written descendant William G. Borchert.

The ep starred Winona Ryder as Lois Wilson and Barry Pepper bit Bill W.^[62] A 2012 picture, Bill W., was directed coarse Dan Carracino and Kevin Hanlon.^[63]

The band El Ten Eleven's air "Thanks Bill" is dedicated manage Bill W. since lead cantor Kristian Dunn's wife got thoughtful august due to AA. He states "If she hadn't gotten teetotal we probably wouldn't be closely packed, so that's my thank support to Bill Wilson who falsified AA".^[64] In Michael Graubart's Sober Songs Vol.

1, the theme agreement "Hey, Hey, AA" references Bill's encounter with Ebby Thatcher which started him on the footpath to recovery and eventually glory creation of Alcoholics Anonymous. Glory lyric reads, "Ebby T. appears strolling in. Bill says, 'Fine, you're a friend of working. Don't mind if I use my gin.'"^[65]

Writings

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Twelve Steps pole Twelve Traditions
• A.

  A. Comes rob Age

• A.A. Service Manual/Twelve Concepts backing World Services
• As Bill Sees It
• A. A. Way of Life
• Bill W: My First 40 Years
• The Chew the fat of the Heart: Bill W.'s Grapevine Writings

See also

References

Sources and further reading