ABSTRACT
William (Bill) Griffi th Wilson was cofounder with Dr. Robert Smith of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the self-help organization of over 100,000 groups around the world. AA is composed of recovering alcoholics who dedicate themselves to staying sober and helping other alcoholics stay sober. Bill Wilson led AA from its inception in the late 1930s until 1955, dedicating his life to staying sober by working with other alcoholics to help them battle their addiction. He worked very hard to remain anonymous and humble by turning down a paid position as an alcoholic therapist when he badly needed money, off ers of honorary degrees from distinguished universities, and an invitation to appear on the cover of Time magazine. He never saw himself as a role model for other alcoholics. He maintained he was an ordinary man who became an alcoholic and experienced a spiritual epiphany, which led him and Bob Smith to discover a set of steps that has helped many alcoholics stay sober.
