Bob Smith (doctor)

Robert Holbrook Smith ( born August 8, 1879 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, USA, † November 16, 1950, also known as " Dr. Bob" referred to ) was an American doctor and William Griffith Wilson founder of the movement of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Smith was born in St. Johnsbury (Vermont, USA). After studying medicine and his Ph.D. (1910 ), he worked in Akron ( Ohio) as a general practitioner. The encounter with the originating also from Vermont alcoholic stockbroker William Griffith Wilson - like Smith at that time a follower of the Oxford Group - developed a friendship that led to lasting abstinence both until her death. The June 10, 1935, at the Smith drank his last glass of alcohol is considered by Alcoholics Anonymous as the birth of the movement.

Smith and Wilson met regularly with other alcoholics who tried using a simple set of religious ideas, also to remain abstinent. Together with some of these also abstinent alcoholics authored Wilson and Smith in 1939 published book entitled Alcoholics Anonymous (also known as the Big Book or Blue Book refers ), which gave its name to the movement. The book explains the Twelve Steps as the core of AA ideology and contains, among other things, the anonymous autobiographies of Smith and Wilson.

Only after 1941 in the Saturday Evening Post an article about the regular meetings ( meetings ) appeared Alcoholics Anonymous, 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, it rejected Smith despite its great popularity from, to assume greater powers and insisted that should not be based on individuals but on spiritual principles the movement. This principle of anonymity became the basis of the so-called Twelve Traditions.

In 1989, Smith's life with James Garner as " Dr. Bob " and James Woods as " Bill W " filmed in the lead role.