How did the connection between the
Rockefeller's and Alcoholics Anonymous
develop?
Answer
After the meeting in Akron in the Fall of
1937, I went back to New York as we say, all
steamed up. I then made the dismal discovery
that the very rich who had the money that we
needed had not the slightest interest in
drunks, they just didn't give a damn. I
solicited and I solicited and I became very
worried. I even approached the Rockefeller
Foundation, you know, I figured John D.
would have an interest in alcoholism,
sociology, medicine and religion and this
should just fit the bill. But no, we didn't
fit into any category with the Rockefeller
Foundation and they felt a little poor at
the time what with the depression. One day
I'm in my brother-in-law's office, he a
doctor. I was moaning about the stinginess
of the rich, our need for money and how it
looked like this thing wasn't going to go
anywhere. He said, "Have you tried the
Rockefeller Foundation." And I told him that
I had. "Well," he said, "it might help if
you saw Mr. Rockefeller personally." I said,
"Dr. Winn, I don't want to seem facetious,
but could you recommend me to the Prince of
Wales, he might help out too." And then came
one of those strange turns of fate, if you
like, or providence, if you prefer and the
slender thread was this, My brother-in-law
the doctor sat there scratching his head and
he said, "When I was a young fellow I used
to go to school with a girl and I think the
girl had a uncle and it seemed to me that
his name was Willard Richardson and it seems
he was a pretty old guy and he might be dead
now but it does seem to me that he had
something to do with the Rockefeller
charities. Supposing I call the Rockefeller
offices and see if he is around and if he
would remember me. He called this dear old
gentleman on the phone, one of the greatest
nonalcoholic friends that A.A. ever had.
Immediately he remembered my brother-in-law
and said, "Leonard where have you been all
these years. I'd love to see you."
Unlike me, my brother-in-law is a man of
very few words and he rather tensely
explained that he had a relative who was
trying to help alcoholics and was making
some headway and could we come over to Mr.
Rockefeller's offices and talk about it.
"Why certainly," said the old man, and soon
we were in the presence of this wonderful
Christian gentleman who was incredibly one
of John D's closest friends. When I saw that
I thought that now we are really getting
close to the bankroll and the old man asked
me a few shrewd questions and I told the
yarn so far as it had been spun. Then he
said, "Mr. Wilson, would you like to come to
lunch with me early next week." Oh boy,
would I. Now we were really getting warm. So
we had lunch and at the lunch he said, "I
know of three or four fellows who would be
real interested in this. I'll get a meeting
together with them as they are friends or
are associated with Mr. Rockefeller and some
were recently on a committee, which recently
recommended the discontinuance of the
prohibition experiment. So presently,
several of us alcoholics, Smitty and a
couple from Akron, some of the boys from New
York, found ourselves sitting in the company
of these friends of Mr. Rockefeller in Mr.
Rockefeller's private boardroom. In fact, I
was told that I was sitting in a chair that
Mr. Rockefeller had sat in only a half-hour
before. I thought, now we are really getting
hot.
Well, we were nonplussed, a little lost for
words, so each of us alkies just started
telling his story. Our new friends listened
with rapt attention and then with reluctance
and modesty I brought up the subject of
money and at once you see that God has
worked through many people to shape our
destiny. At once, Mr. Scott who had sat at
the head of the table said, "I am deeply
impressed and moved by what has been said
here but aren't you boys afraid that if you
had money you might create a professional
class, aren't you afraid that the management
of plants, properties and hospitals would
distract you from your purely good will
aims." Well, we admitted, we had certainly
thought of those difficulties. They had been
urged upon us by some of our own members,
but we felt that the risk of not doing these
things was greater than the risk of doing at
least some of them. "At least," we said,
"Mr. Scott, this society needs a book in
which we can record our experience so that
the alcoholics at a distance can know what
has happened."
One of the gentlemen said that he would go
out to Akron and we kind of steered him that
way as the mortgage on the Smith's house was
bigger than mine and he went out to Akron
and came back with a glowing report which
Mr. Richardson placed in front of Mr.
Rockefeller. This marked another turning
point. After hearing the story and reading
the report on Akron Group No.1, Mr.
Rockefeller expressed his deep interest and
feelings about us. "But Dick," he said, "If
we give these fellows real money its going
to spoil them and it will change the whole
complexion. Maybe you fellows think it needs
money and if you do go ahead and get them up
some." He said, "I'll tell you what I'll do,
I'll put a small sum in the Riverside Church
treasury and you can draw it out and at
least try to help these two men for a while
but this thing should be self sustaining.
Money, Dick, will spoil it." What a profound
realization. God did not work through us but
through Mr. Rockefeller whose every interest
we had actually claimed from that moment.
This man who had devoted his life to giving
away money said "not this time." And he
never did give us real money, praise God.
(Chicago, Ill., February1951)
