Saturday Evening Post from July 2, 1955 - Help for the Alcoholic’s Family
Saturday Evening Post — July 2, 1955
Featuring “Help for the Alcoholic’s Family” — A Landmark Al-Anon Article
Publication: The Saturday Evening Post
Date: July 2, 1955
Publisher: Curtis Publishing Company
Description
Offered here is the July 2, 1955 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, featuring the influential article “Help for the Alcoholic’s Family” by Jerome Ellison—one of the earliest pieces of national journalism to bring widespread attention to Al-Anon Family Groups.
Published just four years after the official founding of Al-Anon (1951), this article played a crucial role in introducing the general public to the idea that alcoholism deeply affects families—and that recovery and support were available not only for the alcoholic, but also for spouses, children, and loved ones.
Ellison’s article followed in the footsteps of Jack Alexander’s landmark 1941 Saturday Evening Post articles on Alcoholics Anonymous, which had helped propel A.A. into national consciousness. In a similar way, “Help for the Alcoholic’s Family” served as a major moment of validation and visibility for Al-Anon during its formative years.
The article includes:
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Early descriptions of Al-Anon meetings and family groups
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Case histories illustrating the emotional toll of alcoholism on families
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Discussion of Al-Anon’s relationship to Alcoholics Anonymous
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Period photography documenting meetings and family recovery
For collectors and historians, this issue represents a key transitional moment—when recovery literature expanded beyond the alcoholic to acknowledge the broader family system.
Condition
Good vintage condition. General wear and aging consistent with a mid-1950s newsstand magazine. Edge wear, creasing, and toning present. Pages intact and complete.
Please review all photos carefully for exact condition details.
Collector Significance
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Early national press coverage of Al-Anon Family Groups
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Published only four years after Al-Anon’s founding
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Direct historical connection to A.A.’s rise via The Saturday Evening Post
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Important companion piece to the Jack Alexander A.A. articles
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A meaningful artifact of early recovery and family-focused alcoholism literature
A scarce and historically important magazine issue, documenting the moment Al-Anon stepped onto the national stage and the recovery movement widened its lens beyond the alcoholic alone.
