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)
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