1960 Alcoholics Anonymous 25th Anniversary International Convention Collection — Long Beach, California
Official Program, Complete Three-Day Daily Bulletin Run & Housing Reservation Application
Offered here is an original group of material from the 25th Anniversary International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous, held in Long Beach, California, July 1–3, 1960.
Rather than a single souvenir, this group preserves several different pieces that would have accompanied an attendee through the convention itself: the official program, the complete run of three convention Daily Bulletins, and the housing and reservation material prepared for those traveling to Long Beach.
The 1960 International Convention marked A.A.’s first quarter-century. By then, the Fellowship had expanded far beyond its beginnings in Akron and New York, and the Long Beach gathering brought together thousands of members, families, trustees, clergy, physicians, institutional representatives, and other participants from across the United States and abroad.
Included in the Collection
Official 25th Anniversary International Convention Program
The original program is titled:
Program — 25th Anniversary International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous
Long Beach, California
July 1–2–3, 1960
“Recovery — Unity — Service”
The program provides the detailed schedule for the convention, including workshops, Alkathon meetings, special presentations, Al-Anon events, and the major general sessions.
Among the people and subjects represented are Bill W., Lois W., Sister Ignatia, Dr. Harry Tiebout, clergy, trustees, hospital representatives, General Service personnel, and speakers from A.A. groups throughout the country and abroad.
The program also contains period handwritten notes and markings from its original use. Of particular interest is a handwritten notation for the Greenleaf Hotel, 63 Lime Avenue, Hemlock 6-5219, along with meeting-related notes and several marked names and sessions.
Complete Three-Day Daily Bulletin Run
Also included are all three issues of the convention’s Daily Bulletin, published during the gathering:
No. 1 — Friday, July 1, 1960
Headline: “Biggest A.A. Meeting Gets Under Way Today”
This first issue covers the opening of the convention, Al-Anon activities, convention transportation, anonymity, the opening schedule, and the anticipation surrounding Bill W.’s participation.
One particularly interesting column, “A Request from Bill,” explains that Bill asked convention attendees not to bring him books and other items to autograph during the weekend so that he could spend his time meeting and greeting members. He nevertheless offered to sign books sent to him later through the General Service Office.
Another article looks toward the evening session and the memory of Dr. Bob, describing Bill as the surviving co-founder and noting the importance of the Akron beginnings of A.A.
No. 2 — Saturday, July 2, 1960
Headline: “Ike Hails A.A. Program and Group Service”
The front page reproduces a message from President Dwight D. Eisenhower offering greetings and best wishes to those attending the convention.
The issue also reports on Bill W.’s remarks, the development of Al-Anon service plans, international A.A. participation, trustees, institutional work, hospitals, prisons, industry, and the broadening public understanding of alcoholism.
No. 3 — Sunday, July 3, 1960
Headline: “Fellowship Looks Ahead to Next 25 Years”
The final bulletin looks forward to A.A.’s future and includes coverage of Bill W.’s call for continued service.
It contains the “Sense of the Meeting — Message of Long Beach to Our Fellowship,” together with articles involving Dr. Harry Tiebout, Sister Ignatia, Lois W., hospital and prison work, industry, medicine, and public cooperation with A.A.
The Sunday issue bears a handwritten date, “July 3/60,” and has three-hole punches, indicating that it was likely retained or filed after the convention.
Housing Reservation Application
The group also includes an original Registration and Housing Reservation Information piece for the convention.
Its cover identifies the:
25th Anniversary Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous
Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 3, 1960
Long Beach, California
Inside is a detailed list of participating hotels and motels, period room rates, addresses, and a Long Beach map showing the hotel zones surrounding the Municipal Auditorium.
The application is especially useful alongside the handwritten Greenleaf Hotel notation found on the program, helping preserve the practical side of attending the convention — not simply the formal meetings, but also the accommodations, transportation, and planning involved in being there.
Historical Significance
The 1960 Long Beach Convention occurred twenty-five years after the beginnings of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935.
By this point, A.A. had developed into an international fellowship with thousands of groups and an established General Service structure. The convention reflected that growth while still bringing together many individuals personally connected to the earlier history of the movement.
The surviving material captures the convention from several perspectives at once: the official schedule, the daily reporting produced during the weekend, the practical arrangements for attendees, and handwritten evidence of one participant actually using the material.
Of particular interest are references throughout the group to Bill W., Lois W., Dr. Bob, Sister Ignatia, Dr. Harry Tiebout, the General Service Board, Al-Anon, hospitals, prisons, clergy, medicine, industry, and international A.A. activity.
The Daily Bulletins are especially compelling because they were not retrospective histories. They were produced during the convention itself, reporting events as they occurred and giving the modern collector an unusually immediate view of the atmosphere, concerns, personalities, and priorities of A.A. at its twenty-fifth anniversary.
Collection Details
Event: Alcoholics Anonymous 25th Anniversary International Convention
Location: Long Beach, California
Dates: July 1–3, 1960
Theme: “Recovery — Unity — Service”
Included:
- Official convention program
- Daily Bulletin No. 1 — July 1, 1960
- Daily Bulletin No. 2 — July 2, 1960
- Daily Bulletin No. 3 — July 3, 1960
- Registration and Housing Reservation Information / Housing Reservation Application
Notable Names Represented: Bill W., Lois W., Sister Ignatia, Dr. Harry Tiebout, Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Service trustees and officers, clergy, physicians, institutional leaders, and numerous A.A. and Al-Anon participants.
Condition
The collection shows honest evidence of use and age consistent with convention material that was carried, read, folded, and retained.
The official program remains complete and readable, with light soiling, handling wear, minor edge wear, and handwritten notes and markings from its original use.
The three Daily Bulletins show varying degrees of toning, edge wear, folds, small tears, staining and handling wear. The first issue has noticeable staining across portions of the upper margin. The second issue shows edge tears and heavier handling wear. The third issue is age-toned, has three-hole punches, and bears a handwritten date at the upper right. Despite the wear, the printed content remains substantially readable and visually strong.
The housing reservation application shows fold lines, edge wear, small tears, minor losses and handwritten notation to the front cover. The hotel listings, period rates, map and registration information remain present and readable.
Please review all photographs carefully for the exact condition of each individual piece.
Collector Significance
Surviving material from A.A.’s International Conventions provides a different perspective from books and pamphlets alone. These pieces document the Fellowship gathering in real time — who spoke, what issues were being discussed, how the convention was organized, and what attendees themselves carried and read.
The combination offered here is particularly appealing because the pieces work together as a coherent 1960 Long Beach convention group, including the official program, the complete three-day Daily Bulletin run, and the original housing material.
An evocative group of original ephemera from one of the major milestone gatherings in Alcoholics Anonymous history.
