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Biography:
"Truth Freed Me!"
Paul S., Akron, Ohio.
(OM, p. 336 in 1st edition.)
He had first met Dr. Bob
much earlier. Dr. Bob formed the habit of stopping at his
house for coffee after office hours on Tuesday and Thursdays.
At first, his topic was honesty, and after several trips
he suggested Paul stop kidding himself. Then the topic changed
to faith -- faith in God.
Though he had stopped drinking,
he was unable at first to grasp the spiritual program. He
was doubtful, fearful, full of self-pity, afraid to humiliate
himself. This lasted until December 11th, when he was faced
with the absolute necessity of raising a sum of money. He
approached a banker and told him the whole story. He believed
his need was money, but the banker told him he knew something
of what he was trying to do, and believed he was on the
right track. He told Paul that if he were right with God,
he would do all he could to help him secure the loan.
Paul had found reality.
His needs were met from another entirely unexpected source.
He was profoundly grateful for the opportunities he had
had of seeing and knowing TRUTH.
In February of 1937 he brought
his brother Dick S. ("The Car Smasher") into the program.
Paul did a lot of 12th step
work. He told one prospect, who complained that he had no
job, that he indeed had a job -- it was to stay sober and
work at this program. That is a full-time job by itself.
And he is known to have visited Clarence S. ("The Home Brewmeister")
often during his hospital stay.
Paul was close to Dr. Bob
and went with him to New York for the Rockefeller dinner
on February 8, 1940. And it was Paul who convinced Frank
Amos (who was sent to Akron by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.,
investigate A.A.) that Dr. Bob needed financial help or
would have to give up his work with alcoholics. Mr. Amos
reported that Paul said it would be criminal to lose Dr.
Bob as their leader, and suggested that Mr. Rockefeller
confidentially arrange for a monthly remuneration for Dr.
Bob for a period of at least two years. Paul also got Dr.
Bob's son, "Smitty," a job in Cleveland working as a service
manager for a tire dealer, after he returned from military
service in WW II.
It was Dick S. who was known
as The Car Smasher. But, sadly, it was Paul S. who died
from a car accident on September 19, 1953. Both brothers
remained sober until their deaths.
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