OUR FOUNDERS: BILL W. AND DR. BOB
The first photograph depicts Bill W.
The first photograph depicts Bill W. (sitting on the right) and Dr. Bob (sitting on the left)
A primeira fotografia retrata Bill W. (sentado à direita) e Dr. Bob (sentado à esquerda) e foi tirada em Akron, Ohio, em 1949. As noted in the caption, Dr. Bob, whose full name was Robert Holbrook Smith, was born on August 8, 1879, in St. Louis and died on November 16, 1950, in Akron, atthe age of 71, with 15 years of sobriety. He was 16 years older than Bill W.
Bill W., whose full name was William Griffith Wilson, was born on November 26, 1895, in East Dorset, Vermont, and died on January 24, 1971, in Miami, at the age of 75, with 36 years of sobriety. He was married to Lois Burnham for 53 years.
Bill and Bob met in May 1935 in Akron, where Bill had gone on a business trip. Through a series of coincidences, he was introduced to Dr. Bob. Discussing his alcoholism with Dr. Bob led to Dr. Bob's decision to stop drinking sometime later.
These two men were pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Dr. Bob believed that the most important aspects of AA were unity within the community and humility. For him, love and service were the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous. The phrase “Keep it simple” (“let’s keep things simple”) is attributed to him and is believed to have been the last thing he said to Bill W. when they last met.
Dr. Bob was a doctor, and this fact was crucial in helping detoxify many alcoholics at Thomas Hospital in St. Louis, where he worked. It is reported that he helped more than 5,000 alcoholics achieve sobriety with the support of Sister Ignatia, a nurse.
Bill W. trained in law, which proved very useful for AA in organizing and structuring its concepts.
He worked briefly as a stockbroker but left th profession early to dedicate himself full-time to AA. His enthusiasm and vision for the future played a significant role in making important decisions for Alcoholics Anonymous.
Bill and Bob developed a deep friendship, characterized by mutual love and respect. They supported each other in every decision that needed to be made in the early days of AA.
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Os Nossos Fundadores
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Our Founders