{"product_id":"1947-alcoholics-anonymous-tampa-banquet-program-clarence-snyder","title":"Third Annual Banquet — Alcoholics Anonymous - Tampa, Florida — January 26, 1947 - Original Program","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOriginal Program with Clarence Snyder \u0026amp; Tampa A.A. Founder Roy Yeargan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOffered here is an original program from the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThird Annual Banquet of Alcoholics Anonymous in Tampa, Florida\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, held Sunday, January 26, 1947, in the Skyline Dining Room of the Bayshore Royal Hotel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eDating from the formative years of Alcoholics Anonymous, this remarkable piece of early A.A. ephemera documents the developing fellowship in Florida and the broader network through which Alcoholics Anonymous was spreading across the country during the 1940s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAmong the participants listed on the program is \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eClarence Snyder of Cleveland, Ohio\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, one of the most important members of A.A.’s pioneering generation and founder of the first Alcoholics Anonymous group in Cleveland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eEqually significant is \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eRoy Yeargan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, identified directly on the program—where his surname is printed “Yeargin”—as the:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Founder of the Tampa Groups of Alcoholics Anonymous.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eResearch into Yeargan reveals an important connection between the early development of A.A. in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCleveland, Houston, and Florida\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, making this surviving program considerably more historically significant than a typical anniversary or banquet souvenir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Third Annual Tampa A.A. Banquet\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe banquet took place at \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e2:30 P.M. on January 26, 1947\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, in the Skyline Dining Room of Tampa’s Bayshore Royal Hotel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe program lists:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAllene King\u003c\/b\u003e — Program Chairman\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDot Albritton\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e — Opening Prayer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Fred McMullen, Clearwater, Florida\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e — Explanation of the Alcoholics Anonymous Program\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eRoy Yeargin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e — Founder of the Tampa Groups of Alcoholics Anonymous\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eClarence Snyder, Cleveland, Ohio\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e — Guest Speaker\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVerne Manley, Atlanta, Georgia\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e — Guest Speaker\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Ashley C. Lovejoy, Jacksonville, Florida\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e — Guest Speaker\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLewis L. Martin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e — Secretary, Tampa Groups\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eRev. Paul Wagner\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e — Closing Prayer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe geographic range represented by the participants—Tampa, Clearwater, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Cleveland—provides a fascinating glimpse into the developing network of Alcoholics Anonymous during this early period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eContemporary reporting in the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFebruary 1947 issue of AA Grapevine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e independently documents the Tampa Group’s Third Annual Banquet at the Bayshore Royal Hotel and notes the participation of visiting speakers from Jacksonville and Atlanta. The surviving program provides their names and additionally records Clarence Snyder’s appearance from Cleveland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eClarence Snyder and Early Alcoholics Anonymous\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eClarence Snyder (1902–1984)\u003c\/b\u003e occupies an important place in the earliest history of Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eSnyder achieved sobriety in 1938 and became associated with the Akron fellowship before returning to Cleveland, where he established what became the first Alcoholics Anonymous group in Cleveland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHis role in the rapid expansion of A.A. throughout Cleveland became an important part of the Fellowship’s early history, and he remained closely associated with sponsorship and the transmission of A.A.’s program for decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eClarence’s surviving papers and A.A. materials are today preserved as the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eClarence Snyder Alcoholics Anonymous Papers at Brown University’s John Hay Library\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, a collection that includes correspondence, publications, programs, menus, tickets and other ephemera documenting his participation in the Fellowship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis program places Snyder in Tampa in January 1947 as one of three invited guest speakers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eRoy Yeargan and the Beginnings of A.A. in Florida\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003ePerhaps the most historically revealing feature of the program is its identification of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eRoy Yeargan as founder of the Tampa Groups of Alcoholics Anonymous\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAlthough his surname appears as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Yeargin”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e on the original program, historical sources identify him as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eRoy A. Yeargan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, sometimes known as \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“The Sarge.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBefore his involvement in Florida A.A., Yeargan had been associated with the pioneering Alcoholics Anonymous fellowship in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHouston, Texas\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA historical study prepared in connection with the Texas Historical Commission traces A.A.’s arrival in Houston to 1940. Early Houston member \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLarry Jewell\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e arrived from Cleveland carrying a copy of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e given to him by Clarence Snyder. Jewell helped establish the Houston fellowship, where Roy Yeargan became one of its early members.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eYeargan and fellow member Ed Hudson subsequently traveled through Texas introducing Alcoholics Anonymous to doctors, ministers, law-enforcement officials and others who might encounter alcoholics in need of help.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eDuring World War II, Yeargan served in the military. A March 1944 A.A. \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eCentral Bulletin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e records \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eT\/Sgt. Roy A. Yeargan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e at Fairfield Air Depot, Patterson Field, Ohio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHistorical accounts subsequently associate Yeargan with the establishment and early development of Alcoholics Anonymous in the Tampa Bay area. Local A.A. historical records identify \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eErnie King and Roy “The Sarge” Yeargan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e with the beginnings of the Tampa group and document Tampa members’ involvement in the subsequent development of A.A. in St. Petersburg and the surrounding region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe contemporary wording on this 1947 program—identifying Yeargan specifically as the \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Founder of the Tampa Groups of Alcoholics Anonymous”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e—provides an important primary-source record of that history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom Cleveland to Houston to Tampa\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe appearance of Clarence Snyder and Roy Yeargan on the same 1947 program creates an especially interesting connection in early A.A. history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBefore Houston A.A. was established, Clarence Snyder gave Larry Jewell a copy of the Big Book as Jewell departed Cleveland for Texas. Jewell subsequently became instrumental in the beginnings of the Houston fellowship, where Yeargan became an early member.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eYeargan later helped carry Alcoholics Anonymous into Florida and became associated with the establishment of the Tampa fellowship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eSeveral years later, at this January 1947 gathering, \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eClarence Snyder traveled from Cleveland to Tampa and appeared as a guest speaker at the banquet of the fellowship Yeargan had helped establish.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWhile no evidence has been located indicating that Snyder’s appearance was deliberately arranged because of this earlier connection, the documented relationship illustrates the remarkably small and interconnected network through which Alcoholics Anonymous spread during its first decade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOther Participants\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe program also provides a valuable record of several individuals participating in early A.A. activity throughout Florida and the Southeast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Fred McMullen of Clearwater, Florida\u003c\/b\u003e, is assigned the presentation titled \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Explanation of the Alcoholics Anonymous Program.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Contemporary records confirm McMullen as an established Clearwater dental professional. The program itself documents his participation in this A.A. gathering; no claim is made that McMullen was himself an A.A. member.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eVerne Manley of Atlanta, Georgia\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Ashley C. Lovejoy of Jacksonville, Florida\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, appear alongside Snyder as guest speakers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTogether, the participants document the regional character of the gathering and the connections developing among A.A. communities throughout Florida and the Southeast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn Artifact from A.A.’s First Edition Era\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe date of this program is particularly significant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIn January 1947, Alcoholics Anonymous was still a comparatively young fellowship. The original First Edition of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e had been published less than eight years earlier, and the Big Book was then only in its \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTenth Printing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThis gathering predates the 1950 First International Convention in Cleveland, the publication of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwelve Steps and Twelve Traditions\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, and the 1955 publication of the Second Edition Big Book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe program therefore survives from the period in which A.A. was rapidly expanding from its original centers into communities throughout the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe program remains in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003egood condition for an original piece of 1947 event ephemera\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIt has been folded horizontally and vertically, apparently from historical storage, with visible creasing along the original fold lines. There is general age toning, scattered spotting and soiling, and expected handling wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eSmall chips and losses are present along portions of the edges, including the upper-right area, together with several small edge tears and areas of wear along the folds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eDespite this age and use, the program remains substantially complete and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eall historically significant text, names, date and event information remain clearly legible\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe illustrated Bayshore Royal Hotel design remains attractive, featuring the hotel, sailboat, seabirds and Florida imagery surrounding the typed A.A. program.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe reverse is blank aside from age-related discoloration and show-through from the printing on the front.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003ePlease review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHistorical Significance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eEarly Alcoholics Anonymous event ephemera was produced for immediate use rather than long-term preservation, and surviving programs from regional A.A. gatherings of the 1940s are particularly difficult to locate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eNo other example of this specific \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eJanuary 26, 1947 Third Annual Tampa A.A. Banquet program\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e was located during our research.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBeyond its scarcity, this example provides a tangible record of the early development of Alcoholics Anonymous in Florida. It identifies Roy Yeargan as founder of the Tampa Groups, documents Clarence Snyder’s appearance as a guest speaker, and records participants from several developing A.A. communities throughout Florida and the Southeast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003eAn exceptional piece of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eearly Alcoholics Anonymous ephemera from the First Edition era\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, connecting the pioneering histories of A.A. in Cleveland, Houston and Tampa through a single surviving 1947 document.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eItem Details\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEvent:\u003c\/b\u003e Third Annual Banquet — Alcoholics Anonymous\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eLocation:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Skyline Dining Room, Bayshore Royal Hotel, Tampa, Florida\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDate:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e January 26, 1947\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTime:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e 2:30 P.M.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFeatured Participant:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Clarence Snyder, Cleveland, Ohio\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTampa Founder Identified:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Roy Yeargan (“Yeargin” as printed)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOther Speakers:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Verne Manley; Dr. Ashley C. Lovejoy; Dr. Fred McMullen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Original illustrated hotel program \/ single-sheet ephemera\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEra:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Early Alcoholics Anonymous \/ First Edition Big Book era\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Good; original folds, age toning, spotting, edge wear and small losses as photographed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eRarity:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e No other example of this specific program located during our research\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49982262870258,"sku":null,"price":1250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/BE1CAB97-E587-4E2B-8A4B-BFEB1F8FCC86.jpg?v=1787681668","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/1947-alcoholics-anonymous-tampa-banquet-program-clarence-snyder","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}