Liberty Magazine from September 1939 - Alcoholics and God article by Morris Markey

This rare issue of Liberty Magazine from September 30, 1939 is a cornerstone piece of Alcoholics Anonymous history. It features the groundbreaking two-page article by journalist Morris Markey, titled “Alcoholics and God” — the first nationally published article on Alcoholics Anonymous. This historic article was instrumental in spreading awareness of AA at a time when the fellowship was still in its infancy.

Charles Towns, owner of Towns Hospital where Bill Wilson had sobered up, introduced Markey to the story of AA. The piece, greenlit by editor Fulton Oursler, highlighted the revolutionary spiritual solution AA offered to alcoholics. Though Bill W. himself feared the title might seem “lurid,” the results were immediate and extraordinary: Liberty received over 800 urgent pleas for help, which were forwarded to AA’s office. Bill and secretary Ruth Hock responded personally, sending literature and selling several hundred copies of the Big Book.

The ripple effect was dramatic. The article helped establish new AA groups in Philadelphia and Chicago and gave Alcoholics Anonymous its first wave of national credibility and growth. Dr. Bob, upon reading the story, expressed his elation, and Anne Smith remarked that it seemed AA was “getting a little bit respectable.” The Markey article is thus regarded as AA’s first successful piece of national publicity — a true turning point in its history.

This issue remains one of the most desirable artifacts for AA historians and collectors, offering not just the original article, but a tangible connection to the moment when Alcoholics Anonymous first reached the wider world.