A.A. At Last — Early New Jersey Alcoholics Anonymous Pamphlet

Offered here is an early Alcoholics Anonymous pamphlet titled A.A. At Last, published by the A.A. Groups of New Jersey and distributed through the New Jersey Intergroup office at 944 Broad Street in Newark.

This is an especially interesting piece of regional A.A. literature from a period when local Intergroups and Central Offices were still developing their own ways of introducing newcomers to the Fellowship. Northern New Jersey played an important role in that development. The New Jersey Intergroup office moved to 944 Broad Street in April 1948, placing this pamphlet within an important era of early organized A.A. service in the state. 

The booklet states its purpose plainly:

“This pamphlet is an attempt to set forth a few of the rudimentary ideas of A.A. Its primary purpose is to give the new member a working knowledge of the A.A. program…”

Rather than simply promoting meetings, A.A. At Last attempts to explain Alcoholics Anonymous to someone encountering the Fellowship for the first time.

An Early Newcomer’s Guide to A.A.

The pamphlet is organized around practical questions about Alcoholics Anonymous, including:

• What do the letters A.A. stand for?
• What is A.A.?
• What is an alcoholic?
• Am I an alcoholic?
• Is it a disgrace to be an alcoholic?
• How soon will I be cured?
• Why can A.A. help where others could not?
• What do I have in common with such a group?
• Is it a religious group or movement?
• Are there dues or fees?
• What form of government does A.A. have?
• How do I become a member?

The answers provide a fascinating look at the language used by A.A. members to explain the Fellowship during its earlier decades.

The pamphlet describes alcoholism in terms of both a physical allergy and a mental obsession, stresses that the individual must decide for himself or herself whether they are alcoholic, discusses spiritual help without presenting A.A. as a formal religion, explains the absence of dues or initiation fees, and emphasizes the importance of one alcoholic helping another.

It also contains a lengthy “What Is an Alcoholic?” questionnaire consisting of 35 yes-or-no questions. The text notes that the questions were formulated by Alcoholics Anonymous and based upon a guide used by Johns Hopkins University Hospital in evaluating alcoholism.

Promotion of the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book

The back cover contains an early advertisement for the 400-page book Alcoholics Anonymous, stating that it could be obtained through the clubhouse or a public library.

The pamphlet describes the book as presenting the pooled experience of approximately 100 men and women who had suffered from alcoholism and recommends it to alcoholics, families, physicians, clergy, psychiatrists, and social workers.

The closing statement is characteristically direct:

“A.A. CAN and DOES show these people a solution to their problem and its greatest recommendation is—IT WORKS!”

For collectors of early A.A. literature, this connection to the Big Book adds considerable interest. The pamphlet was not simply meeting literature; it functioned as an introduction to the wider A.A. program and encouraged readers to seek out the Fellowship’s principal text.

New Jersey A.A. History

New Jersey has an unusually important place in early Alcoholics Anonymous history. The first New Jersey A.A. group developed in 1939, and by the 1940s the state had a growing network of groups requiring coordinated services. New Jersey eventually became an early example of how an Intergroup or Central Office could serve multiple autonomous A.A. groups. 

The address printed inside this pamphlet is:

Intergroup Office — A.A. Groups of New Jersey
944 Broad Street, Newark, N.J.
P.O. Box 575, Newark 1, N.J.
Telephone: MArket 3-7528

The 944 Broad Street office was occupied by New Jersey Intergroup beginning in April 1948. The organization operated there during a particularly important period in the expansion of A.A. service work, making surviving literature carrying this address desirable documentation of early regional A.A. activity. 

Publication Details

Title: A.A. At Last
Organization: A.A. Groups of New Jersey
Publisher/Distributor: New Jersey Intergroup Office
Location: 944 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey
Format: Stapled illustrated pamphlet
Subject: Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, newcomer information, A.A. membership and recovery
Era: Post-1948 New Jersey A.A. literature

I would not assign an exact publication year yet without additional evidence. The 944 Broad Street address establishes a date no earlier than April 1948, but the pamphlet itself does not appear to carry a printed date in the photographs provided. 

Condition

This pamphlet remains in very good condition for its age.

The illustrated covers show light age toning, minor handling wear, and some light edge and corner wear. The interior pages remain clean and fully readable, with expected age-related toning.

The binding remains intact and the pamphlet appears complete. There is no significant writing or major damage visible in the photographs provided.

Please review all photographs carefully for a complete understanding of the condition and appearance.

A wonderful piece of early regional Alcoholics Anonymous history, documenting how the New Jersey Fellowship introduced newcomers to A.A., explained alcoholism and membership, promoted the Big Book, and helped shape the developing Intergroup service structure during the formative decades of the movement.