The Alcoholic Foundation Bulletin No. 7 — August 3, 1949 — Early A.A. Headquarters Reorganization

An important original bulletin issued by The Alcoholic Foundation, General Headquarters—Alcoholics Anonymous, dated August 3, 1949.

Marked “CONFIDENTIAL TO MEMBERS OF AA AND NOT FOR PUBLICATION,” Bulletin No. 7 announced a major reorganization of A.A.’s General Headquarters during a pivotal period in the Fellowship’s development.

The document explains Bill W.’s plan to withdraw from active participation in daily headquarters affairs, the appointment of a new General Service Committee, the retirement of longtime headquarters secretary Bobbie B., and the division of headquarters work into separate public-relations and group-relations departments.

This is not a later account of A.A.’s service history. It is an original internal communication issued while the Fellowship was actively developing the structure that would eventually support its worldwide growth.

Bill W. Steps Back from Daily Headquarters Affairs

The bulletin opens with an important announcement concerning Bill W.:

“For a considerable length of time, Bill has expressed a desire to withdraw from active participation in General Headquarters affairs. He has felt it imperative that he concentrate on additional writings, which he deems of great importance to AA as a whole.”

The document explains that Bill had been spending two or three days each week in the office, making it difficult for him to devote the sustained attention necessary to writing.

The bulletin continues:

“We are happy to be able to tell you that at long last Bill’s wishes are about to be realized.”

This announcement reflects an important transition in A.A.’s history. The growing Fellowship could no longer depend indefinitely upon Bill’s direct daily involvement in headquarters administration. A broader and more durable service structure was becoming necessary.

Appointment of a General Service Committee

The Trustees announced the appointment of a General Service Committee consisting of representatives from:

• The Alcoholic Foundation
• Works Publishing
• The A.A. Grapevine
• General Service Headquarters

The committee was created to serve as an advisory body to the headquarters staff on matters of policy and administration requiring immediate attention.

Although this committee was not yet the General Service Conference established in the following decade, the bulletin documents A.A.’s continuing movement toward shared responsibility and a more representative service structure.

The Retirement of Bobbie B.

Bulletin No. 7 also announces the retirement of Bobbie B., one of the important early workers at General Headquarters.

The document states:

“It has been necessary to reorganize at the top level in the Headquarters Office in view of Bobbie’s retirement because of a breakdown in her health.”

It continues with a tribute to her service:

“We feel, as all who have had contact with Bobbie must feel, that a tremendous debt of gratitude is due her for years of devoted service.”

Her retirement created an immediate need to redistribute responsibilities and establish a clearer administrative structure within the rapidly expanding headquarters operation.

Two New Headquarters Divisions

The bulletin explains that headquarters activities would be divided into two primary departments under the overall supervision of a Senior General Secretary.

Public Relations and Office Administration

This department would handle relations with:

• The press
• Radio
• Motion pictures
• Physicians
• Members of the clergy
• Other public-facing contacts

It would also oversee office management and personnel.

Marian Mallett was appointed Senior General Secretary, assisted by Ann Lehman and Lucy Pope.

Group Relations

A second General Secretary would oversee the Group Relations Division, responsible for maintaining closer relationships with A.A. groups throughout the country through correspondence and personal visits.

Ruth Breen, described as one of the older A.A. members and particularly well known in the Southeast and Southwest, was appointed to this role. She was assisted by Virginia Trigg and Polly Fordyce.

These appointments provide a valuable contemporary record of the women who carried much of A.A.’s early administrative, correspondence, public-relations, and group-support work.

Contemporary Financial Report

The bottom of the bulletin contains a financial summary for 1949:

Budget, January 1–December 31, 1949: $75,000.00
Received through July 31, 1949: $31,834.49
Balance required by December 31, 1949: $43,165.51

This report illustrates the financial demands facing A.A.’s growing headquarters operation. The expansion of literature, correspondence, public relations, and group services required both a new administrative structure and continuing financial support from the Fellowship.

The bulletin closes:

“We feel that the importance of these greatly increased activities in your General Headquarters office cannot be over-estimated. You will be hearing much more about them as time goes on. So watch your Bulletins.”

It is signed in type:

Your General Service Committee

Item Details

Issuing organization: The Alcoholic Foundation
Heading: General Headquarters—Alcoholics Anonymous
Document: 1949 Bulletin No. 7
Date: August 3, 1949
Classification: “Confidential to Members of AA and Not for Publication”
Format: Single printed sheet
Location: Grand Central Annex, New York 17, New York
Subjects: Bill W.’s withdrawal from daily headquarters affairs, appointment of a General Service Committee, retirement of Bobbie B., headquarters reorganization, staff appointments, group relations, public relations, and financial needs

Condition

The bulletin remains in very good condition for an original internal A.A. communication from 1949.

The sheet shows general age toning, original horizontal and vertical mailing folds, scattered handling wear, and several small stains and marks. There is minor edge wear, including a small area of loss or disturbance near the upper-left corner and light wear along portions of the fold lines.

The Alcoholic Foundation letterhead and typed text remain clear and fully legible.

The reverse bears a handwritten name, address, and later date notation. These markings do not interfere with the printed content and form part of the document’s history.

Please review all photographs carefully for a complete understanding of the condition and appearance.

Historical and Collector Significance

Bulletin No. 7 documents a crucial transition in the development of Alcoholics Anonymous.

By 1949, A.A. had grown far beyond the small network of groups that existed when the Big Book was published ten years earlier. The Fellowship required specialized staff, clearer divisions of responsibility, closer communication with local groups, and an administrative structure capable of functioning beyond the direct daily supervision of its co-founder.

This bulletin records that transition as it was being announced to A.A. members.

It captures Bill W.’s effort to step back from headquarters administration, honors Bobbie B.’s early service, identifies the women assuming major leadership responsibilities, and documents the emergence of a broader General Service structure.

A rare original internal bulletin from the period when Alcoholics Anonymous was beginning its transition from a founder-directed movement toward the service organization recognized today.