Alcoholics Anonymous History
A.A. History Brief: Oxford Group
Dick B.
© 2013 Anonymous. All rights reserved.
Where My Oxford Group Evidence Came From
As soon as I learned that the Oxford Group was a major
source of A.A. ideas, I began going directly to its own literature to see
exactly what the program was and how it might relate to Alcoholics Anonymous.
From that point, I was able to gather actual Oxford Group literature used or
authored by Oxford Group activists, authors, and employees all over the world.
I was able to befriend and communicate with a large number
of Oxford Group leaders, activists, and writers. These included Garth Lean,
Frank Buchman’s biographer. Dr. Morris Martin—Frank Buchman’s personal
secretary. Also James Draper Newton and his wife Eleanor Napier Forde
(Newton)—long-time activists and personal friends of Frank Buchman and Rev. Sam
Shoemaker. Kenneth Belden, Michael Hutchinson, and R.C. Mowat in Great Britain.
Richard Ruffin—MRA Executive Director in America. Harry Almond, Ruffin’s
predecessor. George Vondermuhll, Jr., Treasurer of MRA in America. T. Willard
Hunter—long-time Oxford Group employee and writer. Mrs. W. Irving Harris—who
was (with her husband) an activist and a keeper of the book stall for the
Oxford Group in Calvary House. The entire Shoemaker family—Mrs. Samuel M. Shoemaker,
Jr., Sally Robinson Shoemaker, and Nickie Haggart Shoemaker. L. Parks Shipley, Sr., Richard Hadden,
Michael Henderson, James Houck, and Frederick Watt.
This array of well-informed Oxford Group people furnished me
with many references, books, articles, magazines, and films—as well as a great
many personal recollections. I purchased many Oxford Group books and articles.
I was given many by the foregoing people. And then came the opportunity and
time to obtain almost every piece of Oxford Group material that existed in the
United States, Great Britain, Canada, and elsewhere.
From the following, I either acquired all of their Oxford
Group literature or important items I did not already have. The number of
books, articles, pamphlets, magazines, manuscripts, pieces of correspondence,
and other relevant items exceeded 25,000. These came, in large part, from:
George Vondermuhll, Jr., of Connecticut (now deceased): his
entire Oxford Group archives—some 500 items.
T. Willard Hunter, of Claremont, California (now deceased):
his entire library.
James D. Newton and
Eleanor Forde Newton, of Ft. Myers Beach, Florida (both now deceased): a pick of their entire
collection of Oxford Group, Shoemaker, and MRA books, articles, and pamphlets
Mrs. W. Irving Harris, of New Jersey (now deceased): all of
the Shoemaker books and many Oxford Group pieces.
Richard Ruffin, of Washington, D.C.: many of the older
Oxford Group books and pamphlets in the library of Moral Re-Armament in
Washington, D.C.
Garth Lean, England (now deceased): copies of all his books.
Kenneth Belden, England (now deceased): copies of all his
books.
Morris Martin, Ph.D.: copies of his books
Dennis Wayne Cassidy (now deceased), A.A. historian and
speaker: his entire library of Oxford Group, Shoemaker, and relevant A.A.
books, pamphlets, and pictures.
Danny Whitmore of Palmdale, California, A.A. Historian: his
entire library of Oxford Group, Shoemaker, and relevant A.A. books, pamphlets,
and pictures.
Where This Historical Treasure Trove Is Available Today:
1.
At the Griffith Library (in the house where Bill
Wilson was raised), East Dorset, Vermont. Ozzie Lepper (Manager of the Wilson
House) built an entire library of A.A. historical literature and proposed
calling it the Dick B. Library. While that proposal was declined by me, I was
able to have several benefactors donate sufficient funds to ship and locate at
the Griffith Library some 23,900 items.
2.
At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron,
Ohio—the church to which Dr. Bob belonged at the time of his death, and the
church of which Rev. Walter Tunks was rector in the 1930’s. A small library
containing a portion of my Oxford Group, Shoemaker, and other A.A. historical
books was established through funding by a number of benefactors.
3.
At Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh,
Ohio—the last church of which Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr. was rector. A
library was established in the Shoemaker Room at the church; and two
benefactors enabled all of my Shoemaker papers to be lodged in that room.
4.
The Seiberling Gate Lodge in Akron—home of Mrs.
Henrietta Seiberling and her three children. It was Mrs. Seiberling who led Dr.
Bob in the prayers that started Bob’s recovery. It was she who was called by
Bill Wilson looking for a drunk to help. It was she who arranged a six hour
introductory meeting of Bill and Bob at her home. And it was she who led many
of the early A.A. meetings in Akron.
5.
The Dr. Bob Core Library in North Congregational
Church of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, containing all of the important historical
evidence of the Christian upbringing of A.A. cofounder as a youngster in
Vermont.
The purpose of these libraries was to make accessible and
available for viewing almost every Oxford Group and Shoemaker book and
writing—all being relevant to A.A. history and important article.
References
Dick B., Making Known the Biblical History and Roots of
Alcoholics Anonymous: A 16-Year Research, Writing, Publishing, and
Fact-Dissemination Project. 3rd ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications,
Inc., 2006)
Dick B. The Oxford Group & Alcoholics Anonymous: A
Design for Living That Works, new rev. ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research
Publications, Inc., 1998)
Gloria Deo
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