Bill W.

William Griffith Wilson and Bill Wilson and Bill W. (* November 26, 1895 in East Dorset, Vermont, USA, † January 24, 1971 in Miami) was one of the founders of the movement of Alcoholics Anonymous. The other co-founder was named Robert Holbrook Smith, Dr. Bob.

Life

After a difficult childhood, Wilson was at the age of 22 years to an alcoholic. During a hospital stay, the unsuccessful stock traders and seemingly hopeless drunkard was inspired to help others who suffered from the same problem. The physician William Duncan Silkworth had a decisive influence on Wilson, Wilson realized by him for the first time that he suffers from a disease.

The encounter with the alcoholic physician Dr. Robert Smith, both were, as well as their wives, participants of the Oxford Group, a friendship that led to lasting abstinence from alcohol both until her death developed.

Wilson and Smith met regularly from now on with other alcoholics to help with a series of simple spiritual manipulations, each primarily to help first of all themselves to remain abstinent or to become dry. Together with some of these other abstinent alcoholics Wilson wrote in 1939 published book entitled Alcoholics Anonymous, which gave its name to the movement. The book explains the twelve-step program as the core of AA ideology and contains, among other things, the autobiographies of Wilson and Smith.

Only after 1941 in the Saturday Evening Post an article about the regular meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous appeared on the so-called meetings, the movement was strong inflow. Anywhere in the U.S., formed new groups. It is estimated that the movement has grown worldwide to date to over 100,000 groups with more than 2 million members in 150 countries.

The stated primary purpose of the AA groups is to get your own abstinence and to help the still-suffering alcoholics to live happy without alcohol.

As the movement grew, declined from Wilson to assume greater authority and insisted that should not be based on individuals but on spiritual principles the movement. The emerging formed tradition of anonymity expressed later in his refusal of, to be displayed in the magazines and to receive public honors.

After his death was announced publicly by his obituary in the New York Times that Wilson was the legendary Bill W..

Autobiography

• Bill W. - My First 40 Years. An Autobiography by the Cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Hazelden, Center City, Minnesota 55012-0176, 2000 ISBN. 1-56838-373-8. (Translation of Marga Klay ): Bill W. - my first 40 years. Autobiography of the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Santiago -Verlag Goch 2003, ISBN 3-937212-00-0.