The Saturday Evening Post — April 1, 1950 | Jack Alexander’s “The Drunkard’s Best Friend”
An original April 1, 1950 issue of The Saturday Evening Post featuring Jack Alexander’s important follow-up article on Alcoholics Anonymous, “The Drunkard’s Best Friend.”
Nine years earlier, Alexander’s landmark March 1, 1941 article introduced Alcoholics Anonymous to a national audience at a time when the Fellowship was still small and largely unknown. This 1950 article returned to the subject to examine how A.A. had developed during the intervening years and how its approach was helping alcoholics across the country.
The article begins:
“Nine years ago the Post reported on the then-obscure group known as Alcoholics Anonymous. Since that time these self-rehabilitated men—and women—have sobered up an astonishing number of America’s heaviest drinkers. This is how they do it.”
Alexander describes the growth of the Fellowship, the role of sponsorship, the expanding participation of women, cooperation with hospitals and physicians, and A.A.’s continued insistence upon anonymity and voluntary service.
The article is illustrated with period photographs, including scenes of hospital treatment, A.A. members helping alcoholics, and the daily work of carrying the message. It presents Alcoholics Anonymous not as a temporary curiosity, but as a growing national movement with a practical and increasingly visible record of recovery.
A National Follow-Up to the 1941 Article
Jack Alexander’s earlier article is widely regarded as one of the most influential pieces of national publicity in early A.A. history. Published when Alcoholics Anonymous was still in its formative years, it helped introduce the Fellowship to readers throughout the United States.
By 1950, A.A. had grown substantially. In “The Drunkard’s Best Friend,” Alexander revisited the movement and reported on its broader reach, its developing service structure, and the methods by which members helped one another achieve sobriety.
This follow-up article captures Alcoholics Anonymous at an important point in its development: no longer obscure, but still close enough to its beginnings that many of its earliest practices, personalities, and methods remained plainly visible.
Issue Details
Publication: The Saturday Evening Post
Date: April 1, 1950
Volume: 222
Number: 40
Featured Article: “The Drunkard’s Best Friend”
Author: Jack Alexander
Article Pages: Begins on page 17 and continues later in the issue
Format: Complete illustrated national magazine
Cover Price: 15 cents
The issue retains its original illustrated front cover and includes the complete Jack Alexander article as published, along with the magazine’s original advertisements, fiction, features, and period photography.
The back cover features a full-page Wheaties advertisement with Jackie Robinson, adding further historical and visual interest to the issue.
Condition
This issue remains in good condition overall, with visible age and handling wear.
The front cover shows edge wear, creasing, small tears, surface rubbing, and minor paper loss, particularly along the spine and corners. There is an old mailing label affixed near the lower-right corner of the front cover.
The spine shows wear and separation in places, but the magazine remains assembled. The interior pages show light toning, occasional edge wear, and minor creasing consistent with age and use. The Jack Alexander article is complete, clear, and fully readable.
The back cover shows general surface wear, light soiling, and minor edge wear, but the Jackie Robinson Wheaties advertisement remains bright and visually strong.
Please review all photographs carefully for a complete understanding of the condition and appearance.
An important piece of Alcoholics Anonymous history, documenting the Fellowship’s continued growth through one of the most influential national magazines of its era.
