National Committee for Education on Alcoholism Annual Report 1948
National Committee for Education on Alcoholism
Annual Report — 1948
Publisher: National Committee for Education on Alcoholism (NCEA)
Date: 1948
Format: Original stapled report / journal offprint
Reprinted from: Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol
Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 421–442 (December 1948)
Editorial Office: Laboratory of Applied Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Description
This is an original 1948 Annual Report of the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism (NCEA), covering activities from September 1, 1947 to August 31, 1948—a crucial period in the development of alcoholism as a recognized public health issue in the United States.
Founded by Marty Mann, the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism played a pivotal role in shifting public understanding of alcoholism from moral failure to medical disease. This report documents the Committee’s expanding national influence during the postwar years, including education, research collaboration, public lectures, literature distribution, and cooperation with medical institutions, courts, and community organizations.
The report is authored by Mrs. Marty Mann, Executive Director, and clearly states the organization’s foundational principles:
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Alcoholism is a disease and the alcoholic is a sick person.
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The alcoholic can be helped and is worth helping.
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Alcoholism is a public health problem and therefore a public responsibility.
Content includes:
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National and international outreach activities
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Growth of affiliated local committees across the U.S. and abroad
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Cooperation with Yale’s Plan on Alcoholism
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Distribution of educational literature and public lectures
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Early references to collaboration with Alcoholics Anonymous
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Lists of Board members, medical advisors, and organizational leadership
This document offers a rare, firsthand look at the institutional foundations that helped legitimize alcoholism treatment and directly influenced modern recovery movements.
Historical Significance
By 1948, the NCEA was one of the most influential voices in alcoholism education, operating at the intersection of medicine, public policy, and recovery advocacy. Reports like this one are foundational primary sources for understanding how alcoholism came to be treated as a medical and social issue—rather than a moral or criminal one.
Original NCEA publications from the 1940s are scarce, especially complete examples that retain their original covers.
Condition
Overall condition: Good for age
Covers: Light blue cardstock covers present; edge wear, toning, and staining visible, particularly along the spine
Interior: Pages intact with age toning; text remains clear and legible throughout
Binding: Original staple binding intact; rust and staining around staples consistent with age.
Please review all photos carefully for the most accurate representation of condition.
Summary
An authentic 1948 National Committee for Education on Alcoholism Annual Report, documenting one of the most important early efforts to reframe alcoholism as a treatable disease. A compelling piece for collectors of AA history, recovery ephemera, medical history, or early public health literature.
A scarce and meaningful artifact from the formative years of modern alcoholism education.
