A Manual for Alcoholics Anonymous | Third Edition — Akron Group No. 1 “King School Group”

A Manual for Alcoholics Anonymous

Third Edition — Akron Group No. 1 “King School Group”
Early Alcoholics Anonymous Sponsorship & Recovery Manual

Offered here is an original Third Edition of A Manual for Alcoholics Anonymous, the celebrated early Akron pamphlet written and edited by members of Alcoholics Anonymous Akron Group No. 1, popularly known as the King School Group.

Akron Group No. 1 was the original A.A. group and the home fellowship of A.A. co-founder Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith. This manual offers a direct look at how Alcoholics Anonymous was practiced in Akron during the Fellowship’s formative years, when early members were still shaping sponsorship, hospitalization work, meeting structure, spiritual practice, and the responsibility of carrying the message.

The cover itself identifies the historical importance of the group, noting that Akron Group No. 1 included one of A.A.’s founders, the first person to accept the program, and numerous members whose sobriety dated back to 1935, 1936, and 1937.

Historical Significance

The Akron Manual is one of the most important early instructional pamphlets in Alcoholics Anonymous history.

Unlike later standardized A.A. literature, this booklet reflects the practical experience of the early Akron fellowship. Its stated purpose was straightforward: to serve as a guide for both new members and sponsors of new members.

The Foreword explains that the manual was intended to give newcomers a practical explanation of what to do—and what not to do—in seeking sobriety, while also instructing sponsors in their responsibilities toward the new alcoholic.

The booklet was designed to be used alongside the Big Book, the Bible, daily spiritual readings, and other constructive literature.

Early A.A. Practice

The manual provides unusually direct insight into how early A.A. operated.

Among the subjects discussed are:

• sponsorship and working with newcomers
• hospital visits and carrying the message
• daily spiritual practice
• meeting attendance
• helping other alcoholics
• humility and vigilance against relapse
• group organization and service
• suggested spiritual reading

The language is direct, practical, and unmistakably rooted in the earliest years of the Fellowship.

One passage advises the recovering alcoholic that the more A.A. work he does, the less likely he is to take the first drink. Another explains that meetings should be attended regularly and describes the organizational structure then used by Akron Group No. 1.

These pages preserve a vivid picture of A.A. before its practices became fully standardized.

Suggested Reading

The final pages include a revealing list of books early Akron members found helpful, including:

• The Holy Bible
• Alcoholics Anonymous — Works Publishing Company
• The Greatest Thing in the World — Henry Drummond
• As a Man Thinketh — James Allen
• The Sermon on the Mount — Emmet Fox
• The Self You Have to Live With — Winfred Rhoades
• Psychology of Christian Personality — Ernest M. Ligon
• Abundant Living — E. Stanley Jones
• The Man Nobody Knows — Bruce Barton

This reading list provides additional insight into the spiritual and intellectual material circulating among early A.A. members.

Edition Details

Title: A Manual for Alcoholics Anonymous
Edition: Third Edition
Group: Alcoholics Anonymous Akron Group No. 1
Popular Name: King School Group
Format: Stapled pamphlet
Cover Price: 15¢
Distribution: A.A. Akron Group No. 1, P.O. Box 932, Akron, Ohio

The rear ordering page remains intact and includes the original detachable mail-order coupon for additional copies of the pamphlet.

Condition

This example is in very good condition overall.

The pale green covers remain clean and attractive, showing only light age-related wear and handling. There is a small handwritten “15¢” notation at the upper-right corner of the front cover, along with a few light marks and spots consistent with age.

The original staples are present and the binding remains secure.

The interior pages are clean, complete, and well preserved, with only mild age toning. No significant writing or markings are visible inside the booklet.

Importantly, the rear order coupon remains fully intact and has not been detached.

Please review all photographs carefully for the exact condition and appearance of this copy.

Collector Significance

This is an important surviving example of one of the key early instructional pamphlets produced by Alcoholics Anonymous.

Its significance lies in its direct connection to:

• Akron Group No. 1 — the original A.A. group
• the fellowship surrounding Dr. Bob
• early sponsorship practice
• hospital-based Twelfth Step work
• early meeting structure and group service
• the spiritual reading that influenced early A.A.
• the practical day-to-day methods used before A.A. literature became standardized

The Third Edition designation, intact rear order form, and strong overall condition make this a particularly appealing example for a serious collection of early Alcoholics Anonymous literature.

A substantial piece of A.A. history that documents not merely what early members believed, but how they actually practiced recovery and carried the message in Akron.