When thinking about or studying A.A. history we must look at the work of Anne Smith. She was a tireless worker and helped Dr. Bob treat alcoholics and their family’s at her home at 855 Ardmore Ave., Akron, Ohio.
Anne was only with us for a short time. After Anne passed away on June 1, 1949 Bill W. asked the early AA members and their spouses in and around the Akron area to send him their memories of Anne. He wanted to create some sort of memorial book that would give lasting memory of Anne’s contribution to AA’s and their families.
This first letter was written by Henrietta Dotson, the wife of AA #3:
“On Friday night when I went to the house on Ardmore Avenue I met the most thoughtful, understanding person I have ever known. After talking with her a while, I addressed her as Mrs. Smith and she said; “Anne to you, my dear.”
Anne taught me to have a “quiet time” in the morning that I might feel near to God and receive strength for the day. She taught me to surrender my husband to God and not to try to tell him how to stay sober, as I had tried that and failed. Anne taught me to love everyone. She said, “Ask yourself, what is wrong with me today if I don’t love you?” She said, “The love of God is triangular. It must flow from God through me, through you, and back to God.”
In the early part of 1936 Anne organized a “women’s group” for wives of alcoholics, whereby in her loving way she tried to teach us patience, love, and unselfishness. When I met and talked with this intelligent deeply spiritual woman I was completely sold on A.A.”
-Henrietta D.
Anne contributed greatly to the spiritual foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous and of course to the families. In another letter sent to Bill at his request the writer tells the following:
“In the days when no one could afford a hospital, in the days when her own kitchen was a battlefield where with prayer and hot coffee and good fellowship and still more hot coffee, a soul was encouraged to go forth and make a fresh stand against liquor, “because this time you’re not alone” Anne was the chief against despondency and despair.
Think back now to those struggling days of 1935. Bill and Dr. Bob and some others would probably tell you that for a time Anne literally was Alcoholics Anonymous. The transition from family group to national organization was in vast degree her accomplishment.
She knew what was the right thing to do and had the courage to do it. Intuitively she began to set up each new convert as a friend, and yet as a separate and distinct unit. People write of her now as if, though departed, she still is with them. That was Anne’s special message. “Carry God in your heart. Walk where you will walk with the knowledge that your friends are near you,” she counseled. She planted self-confidence in people’s hearts and imparted the secret of her own unquestioning faith. “It is a reservoir of hope that those who use it find adequate and never-failing.”
As with the young man from a distant city who lived for ten months in Anne and Dr. Bob’s home. “At first I knew in my heart that nothing would ever persuade me to go back to my home city,” he writes. “After six months with Dr. Bob and Anne I realized I must go back to the same place where I had fouled up. Anne didn’t tell me so. She helped me see myself in the right light so the decision came to me slowly and naturally. Let us add permanently.
“Sometimes the miracle that Anne affected took place more simply. A handshake at an A.A. meeting, an introduction to various friends, perhaps a visit to the home—no one kept any count. Anne did no preaching, but she sometimes wrapped a key message up in a neat package. “People have been good to you here,” she told one. “Be sure that you go out of your way to extend a welcome to newcomers whenever you meet them.”
People speak of her knowing how to say the right thing in just the right way. To a newcomer, case-hardened, fearful of facing embarrassment, negative in her thinking, because she has seen her drinking husband “reformed” before and was dubious about the whole thing she said merely, “We are all here for the same purpose. Everything will be all right” And everything was all right.
But it was in the greater and still unknown field of the human soul that Anne effected her works. From that fateful day in 1935 when A.A. took shape in the persons of Bill W. and Dr. Bob, both uncertain as to what each could do for himself but both determined to help the other, she saw her field of usefulness and seized it. No man or woman is powerful enough to defeat alcoholism unaided, but any sincere alcoholic can help rescue some other alcoholic, and in the saving win himself freedom. That was the program, and with God’s aid and her husband’s tremendous power—he was and is a big man, a man of deep voice and greatness of spirit—she set herself to extend this program to reach thousands who asked to be freed from the slavery of drink.
Truly her soul goes marching on.”
-F.B.B.
The following was contributed by Ruth Grieg of Toledo. Her husband Ernie was one of the first 100. I had the privilege of meeting Ruth in 1988 and when we met, she said “my husband and I came into AA at Dr.Bob’s house” I soon discovered that Ruth was not an alcoholic however she said they were all welcome. Here’s a piece that she contributed:
“May we be very careful not to saddle Anne’s personality with the deadliest of all our errors that can hold mankind back from spiritual growth—namely spiritual pride. May we loose her in our consciousness so that she may continue on in her kind, loving, understanding and humble way, working only for the Glory of God, which will hasten her full enlightenment and experience of The Divine.”
-Ruth G.
It would be very difficult to measure the contributions made by Anne in her lifetime however we should all remember that it was at her request that Bill W. stay in Akron to help Dr. Bob and the first few Akron members.
Her son Robert “Bob” known to AA’s as “Smitty” said this about his mother:
