1951 A.A. Tri-State Conference — Denver, Colorado — Bill W. Featured Speaker
Offered here is an original program from the 1951 Alcoholics Anonymous Tri-State Conference, representing Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, held May 18–20, 1951, in Denver.
The three-day gathering included A.A. meetings, delegate sessions, an Auxiliary program for the wives and husbands of A.A. members, and a public closing meeting at the Denver City Auditorium featuring an address by Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill W.
The striking illustrated cover depicts a man leaving a bottle behind and climbing a long staircase toward the letters “AA,” while the rear features portraits of Bill W. and Dr. Bob S., identified as:
“The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous”
Bill W. in Denver — May 1951
The program states that:
“The Officers and Board of Directors of the Tri-State Conference (Texas, New Mexico and Colorado) will serve as a Welcoming Committee for Bill W.”
The conference culminated on Sunday, May 20, 1951, with a public meeting at the Denver City Auditorium.
The program identifies:
Phil C., Denver — Chairman
Ernie R., Colorado’s oldest A.A. member, 9½ years, and Board of Directors, Tri-State Conference — on stage
followed by:
Address by “Bill W.”, Co-Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, New York City.
Bill’s appearance makes this more than a generic regional conference program—it is a surviving record of one of the early regional gatherings at which A.A.’s co-founder personally participated.
A.A. Auxiliary — Immediately Before the Founding of Al-Anon
Another particularly interesting feature is the conference’s extensive Auxiliary program.
On Friday afternoon, the conference scheduled an Auxiliary “Get Acquainted Meeting,” with talks by women from Denver and Colorado Springs.
On Saturday afternoon, another Auxiliary meeting was held:
“For AA members and their wives and husbands.”
The program included speakers from Denver and Pueblo and a reading of a paper written by Mrs. Lois W., New York City.
This timing is especially noteworthy. The conference took place in May 1951, during the period when independent A.A. family and auxiliary groups were already active around the country and shortly before Al-Anon Family Groups was formally organized later that year.
Material documenting these pre-Al-Anon family groups is an important part of the history represented by this conference. A separate surviving publication from this same Denver Tri-State Conference contains family-group presentations and begins with material from Lois Wilson, further demonstrating the family-recovery component of the gathering.
The Twelve Steps
Printed directly within the program are:
“THESE ARE THE 12 STEPS IN THE LADDER OF COMPLETE SOBRIETY”
followed by all Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Their inclusion is particularly effective alongside the cover artwork, which depicts the alcoholic climbing a long staircase away from a discarded bottle and toward A.A.
Conference Program
The three-day conference included meetings and participants from throughout the Tri-State region.
Events were held primarily at the Shirley-Savoy Hotel, with additional activities at Denver’s Alano Club and the Denver City Auditorium.
The program also records a Saturday evening buffet dinner at the famous Elitch Gardens, followed by Bill W.’s Sunday public address.
Of particular historical interest, Sunday’s schedule also included a “Report of the Third Legacy Conference in New York City” by a Colorado Springs delegate. This places the program within an important period in the development of A.A.’s service structure—the first General Service Conference had convened in April 1951.
Item Details
Event: Alcoholics Anonymous Tri-State Conference
States Represented: Texas, New Mexico and Colorado
Dates: May 18–20, 1951
Location: Denver, Colorado
Primary Venue: Shirley-Savoy Hotel
Closing Meeting: Denver City Auditorium
Featured Speaker: Bill W., Co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous
Family/Auxiliary Content: A.A. Auxiliary meetings, including a paper by Lois W.
Special Content: Twelve Steps printed within the program
Format: Folding illustrated conference program
Printer: Monitor, Denver
Condition
The original program remains complete and in good vintage condition.
There is general age toning, handling wear, and horizontal and vertical fold lines from its original use and storage. The illustrated cover shows rubbing and surface wear, with edge and corner wear and a small area of loss at the lower-right corner. There are scattered small marks, creases, and minor edge imperfections.
The interior remains clean and highly legible, with the complete three-day conference schedule and Twelve Steps intact. The illustrated rear panel featuring Bill W. and Dr. Bob remains attractive with expected age and handling wear.
Please review all photographs carefully for the most complete representation of condition.
Historical Significance
This program brings together several important strands of early Alcoholics Anonymous history in a single surviving piece of ephemera.
It documents Bill Wilson personally appearing at a regional A.A. conference in 1951, features both Bill W. and Dr. Bob as the co-founders, prints the Twelve Steps, records discussion of A.A.’s developing Third Legacy service structure, and preserves evidence of the A.A. Auxiliary and family-group movement immediately before the organization of Al-Anon.
For a collection focused on Bill W., Dr. Bob, early A.A. conferences, Colorado A.A., the development of A.A. service, or the origins of Al-Anon, this is an especially interesting early conference program.
