Featured Authors
October 22, 2020
Author, Jay D. Moore
Jay D. Moore grew up in Cleveland and lived in Akron for many years. He holds a BBA with a major in Economics from Stetson University. Jay has long been interested in the Rockefeller family as their story began in Cleveland. As Literature Chair, Jay used to go to the Cleveland Central Office located at that time in the Rockefeller building.
Jay has been involved in the recovery community since 1982 and has been active in service work since 1996. Jay volunteered in the Akron Intergroup Archives and was focused on their database. Jay would go on to serve both at Intergroup and Area service. In fact, at one-point Jay served as Chair of Area 54 and Chair of the Akron Intergroup Council at the same time. The AA Archivist at GSO believes he was the only member to ever do that.
In 2001, after reading the lengthy biography of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Jay was astounded that despite significant space dedicated to the Anti-Saloon League, prohibition, and many other areas of the family’s opposition to alcohol, not a single sentence was devoted to Rockefeller’s connection with Alcoholics Anonymous. Jay complained about this to Gail L., the Akron Intergroup Archivist, and her reaction was: “Why don’t you write a book about it?”
Jay began a 14-year journey and thousands of hours of work to finally publishing Alcoholics Anonymous and the Rockefeller Connection in 2015. He completed his research with primary documents from The Rockefeller Archives in Tarrytown, NY; The AA Archives in New York and the Stepping Stones Archives located in Bedford Hills, NY.
A letter written from Willard Richardson to John D. Rockefeller, Jr. found in the Rockefeller Archives proved that much of the GSO and other sources history concerning Rockefeller was simply a myth. The actual story and the length and depth of the Rockefeller connection is far richer than previously thought.
Jay is retired and lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
Jay led a presentation about his research and book during the Recovery Speakers History Meeting on October 23, 2020. You can listen to the audio recording here:
The book can be found at https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/jay-d-moore/alcoholics-anonymous-and-the-rockefeller-connection-how-john-d-rockefeller-jr-and-his-associates-saved-aa/paperback/product-1dj6vej7.html
You can also go to www.lulu.com and in the bookstore link search Rockefeller.
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