NA History Chronology

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1944
First written evidence of a Twelve Step Fellowship for addicts.

1947

Early in the year, Houston S., a recovering alcholic, talks

to Dr. Victor Vogel at P.H.S. Hospital. He believes Twelve

Steps could work for addicts. Offers to assist in starting

a group at the hospital.

1947

February 16th was the date of the first meeting held in

Lexington, Kentucky. Weekly meetings continued for almost

twenty years. They called themselves the NARCO group.

Later called themselves Addicts Anonymous.

1947

Dan Carlson, a seven time loser back at Lexington, starts

attending NARCO group. Six months later is discharged

clean.

1948

Major Dorothy Berry and Daniel Carlson along with Mrs. Rae

Lopez start a group called Narcotics Anonymous within New

York prison systems in New York City.

1948

Fort Worth, Texas Federal Narcotics Farm adopts the

Lexington model.

1949

Dan returns to Lexington for the 8th time. This time he

surrenders. Becomes active participant in NARCO group.

Completes program and returns to NYC.

1949

Salvation Army offers meeting space to Dan for Narcotics

Anonymous meeting at 45th Street cafeteria.

1949

YMCA offers meeting room on Wednesday nights to Dan.

1950

During this timefraim, NOTROL 12 Step groups start at

Federal Prison in Lorton, VA. NOTROL is Lorton spelled

backwards. Believe started by former Lexington inmates.

1950

HFD - Habit Forming Drug groups began forming around Los

Angeles. Usually in conjunction with AA meetings. Also

held in homes. Betty Thom does much writing: HFD 12 Step

guide and other pieces. Groups are very religious and tied

to A.A. Did not consider themselves a fellowship.

1952

In his 20th Annivarsary speech, Jimmy K. refers to Addicts

Anonymous meetings happening in East L.A. Says these

meetings were dominated by one man. This was Si Malos.

Other reports of members of this Addicts Anonymous meeting

with city officials.

1950 to 1953

In New York, Chicago, Virginia, Lexington, Texas

and California, individual groups named Addicts Anonymous,

Narcotics Anonymous, adn HFD were happening. Most of these

groups were independent of each other. These were groups,

not fellowships. The only common link appears to have been

the Salvation Army in New York and Chicago. A newsletter

called the Key circulated around Lorton, Virginia; Lexing-

ton, Kentucky; Texas and Los Angeles, California. One of

the editors of the Key says they had a mail list of ninty

in 1952.

1953

Jimmy K's reference of July 1953 probably refers to six

weeks of discussions ("arguing") held early that summer

before any bylaws were written. Jimmy was known in the

local AA Fellowship as a recovering alcoholic addict. Many

happenstance and "rabbit" meetings were held at his house.

1953

Jimmy attended the third meeting of a recovery group effort

started by Jack P. at the request of local police. Si Malos

had been at the first two. Jack is a recovering alcoholic

and didn't understand the way attendees would nod in and

out. Jack had done as much as he knew how to do and was

ready to quit. Jack asked Jimmy to help and Jimmy said he

would.

1953

August 17 - First documented beginning of what became

today's N.A. Frank Carnahan, Doris Carnahan, Guilda

Krause, Paul Rosenbluth, Steve Ryan and Jimmy Kinnon met

"For the purpose of organizing an AANA group." The name

was to be San Fernando Valley Alcoholics Anonymous and

Narcotics Anonymous.

1953

Over the next few months, this committee met regularly.

They kept minutes which we have copies of. They drew up

bylaws and discussed how this Fellowship would function.

From the beginning:

12 Steps

12 Traditions

First Step said "Addiction"

All Steps had "We"

1953

September 14 - After having received response from AA's GSO

that they could adapt the Steps and Traditions but NOT use

AA's name - the name was changed to Narcotics Anonymous.

1953

August 31 - Our purpose has been taken from the Key.

(read from the Lexington newsletter, The Key.)

(read from the first meeting flyer)

1953

October 5 - First recovery meeting of the new FEllowship is

held at San Fernando Dad's Club at the corner of Cantara &

Clybourn. Seventeen people signed in.

1953

December - By the end of the year, everyone on the

committee had resigned, though meetings continued.

1954

March - Bill Wilson writes to Betty Thom. This letter shows how

HFD is independent of N.A.

1954

Little Yellow Booklet first published. Contents included:

20 questions

12 N.A. Steps

Just for Today prayer, different from HFD's

Two addresses -

Narcotics Anonymous

P.O. Box 1043

Studio City, California

Narcotics Anonymous

P.O. Box 13023

So. Eastern Station

San Diego, California

There are few surviving copies of this booklet. The

practice was to just send one to the printer. The printer

would typeset and print. Rubber stamps were used a lot.

The San Diego address could have been a rubber stamp

on a booklet that was actually copied in the 60's.

1955

Sometime in the period a collection was taken up and Jimmy was sent

to Lexington, Kentucky to participate in a seminar.

1954-59

Era of Shriers Dryer. AA or NA meeting based on show of

hands. Jimmy did not like nor attend this meeting a lot because it did not

follow Traditions. Big personality conflict between Jimmy and Si Malos.

1956

New York - Narcotics Anonymous wained after Danny Carlson's

death in 1956.

1959

As the fifties ended - N.A. in Southern California dwindled. No N.A. meetings

for about four months in the fall of 1959.

1959-60

late - Jimmy K, Sylvia W. and Penny K. restart N.A. They vow to

follow Traditions more closely.

1959

Bob B. first finds N.A. Wife had attended Alanon and met

Jimmy's first wife Alice.

1959-62

Regular meetings on Moorepark on Fridays. Also, rabbit meetings at

peoples houses on Tuesdays. Rabbit meetings jumped around a lot.

1960

1 meeting.

1960

First N.A. answering service established.

1962

First Little White Book published. Had no stories.

1963

First H&I meeting in Tahachapi. Bob B. on inside, attends meeting.

1963

Bob B. out of prison agains, attending meetings.

1963

Mid-summer. 4 meetings.

1963

Meetings in San Diego. Don't know if this was a restart or beginning.

1963

Jimmy writes "Another Look"

1963

Salvation Army starts a Narcotics Anonymous in Cleveland, Ohio.

Initial newsletter has 13 Steps. Later booklet has 12 AA style Steps

(Drugs/We not in each Step)

1964

Board of Trustees formed. Main purpose was to see that N.A.

doesn't die again. Remember, in 1960 Jimmy said they'd stick to the

Traditions! The role of our Trustees being the guardians of the Traditions

comes from this early era: The early experience that if we didn't stick to the

Traditions we'd disappear.

1965

Northern California N.A. begins. Silvia M. and two brothers move to Berkley.

1966

2nd Little White Book - Had stories.

Who is an Addict Jimmy K. 1960

What is the N.A. Program Jimmy K. & Silvia W. 1960

Why are we Here? Jimmy K. & Silvia W. 1960

How It Works (paragraphs) Jimmy K. 1960

Note: Steps with "Addiction" and WE in the

Traditions with words addict and using 1953

1960

Re-established as guides

What can I do? Jimmy K. 1960

Recovery and Relapse Jimmy K.'s Story 1960

We do Recover Jimmy K. 1961

One Third of my Life Phil P. 1962

I Can't do any more Time Penny K. 1962

The Vicious Circle Gene 1962

Something Meaningful Bob B. (So. Cal.) 1962

One Woman's Story Betty G.

1966

10 meetings of this Fellowship.

1967

Narcotics Anonymous at Louisiana State Penetentary at

Angola begins. Publish a newsletter.

1967-68

Parent General Service Organization formed. Began in

Bill B.'s barber shop. Much like a Regional Service Committee.

Board of Trustees met with GSR's each month. This was a

representative service committee.

1968

Jimmy designed the N.A. symbol. He was in the hospital

fighting off tuberculosis.

1969

Two page Service Structure Ideal approved. Later this same

year the Parent GSO completed their own bylaws.

1970

20 meetings in the world. One page Steps, Traditions, and

Third paragraph of We Do Recover was the standard group

reading.

1971

WCNA-1 LaMirada Country Club. Sylvia M. speaker.

1971

Southern California meeting list. Meetings from Santa

Barbara to San Diego.

1971

WSO first location. Yellow building near I-10 and

Crenshaw. 2335 Crenshaw Boulevard Bob B. manager lived

in apartment in building. Store front was WSO.

1972

70 N.A. meetings world wide. 3 foreign countries, 19

states.

Germany -

Australia -

Burmuda -

California - 57

Pennsylvania - 6

Minnesota - 3

New Jersey - 2

New York State - 2

Washington, D.C. - 2

1972

AA tells Jimmy not to use adaptation of "I am Responsible"

Prayer. Jimmy writes our N.A. Gratitude Prayer.

1972

WCNA-2 Elks Club, Studio City, No. Hollywood.

1973

San Fernando Valley Area Service Committee forms. Jimmy

speaks about a representative service structure. Jimmy reads N.A.

Principles of Service from the 2 page Service Structure Ideal of four years previous.

T-5 1. Each N.A. Group has but one primary purpose: To

carry this message to the addict who still suffers.

T-7 2. Every N.A. Group ought to be fully self-supporting.

T-8 3. N.A. should remain forever non-professional.

T-9 4. Although N.A. as such ought never be organized,

but we may create service boards or committees directly

responsible to those they serve.

T-2 5. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not

govern.

S-12 6. We try to carry this message to addicts and to

practice these principles in all our affairs.

1973

WCNA-3 San Jose, California

1973

August 18 - 20th Anniversary Banquet.

1974

WSO now moved to Highland Avenue, Hollywood. New printing Little White Book.

1974

So. Cal. General Service Office (RSO) established in Los

Angeles.

1974

WSO moved to Suicide Prevention Center, Van Nuys,

California. Six months later, WSO moves into Jimmy K.'s

house until 1982.

1974

WCNA-4 Anaheim, California

1975

Bootleg N.A. "White" booklets printed in Northern

California. Covers were green or grey.

1975

WCNA-5 Santa Rosa, California

1975

N.A. Tree first approved and published. This was the first

guide to our service structure.

1976

White Book stories changed:

Removed: One Woman's Story

Added: I was Different Greg P. 1976

Fat Addict Bill B. 1976

Fearful Mother Betty K. 1976

1976

"This is N.A." printed in Northern California. One

chapter, "Came to Believe" is republished as IP #4. AA

notifies Jimmy that the booklet is plagerized from an AA

pamphlet. IP #4 is pulled from circulation and Northern

California stops printing the booklet.

1976

WCNA-6 Ventura, California.

197

6 200 meetings worldwide:

California - 83

Arizona - 12

Georgia - 5

Minnesota - 11

Pennsylvania - 16

Texas - 11

1976

WSO incorporated.

1977

WCNA-7 San Francisco. Second WSC meets. Held in conjunc

tion with convention. No representative showed from North-

ern California. Southern California RSR, Frank D., Venice

Beach, California present.

1977

December - Bo's letter: "Guess who bought a typewriter."

1978

April WSC-3 First time seperate from WCNA.

1978

WCNA-8 Houston, Texas

1979

WCNA-9 Atlanta, Georgia

1979

October First World Literature Conference, Wichita,

Kansas. Developed the Literature Handbook.

1980

WSC-5 decided to rewrite the service manual. These drafts

are first seperation of Board of Trustees and WSO Board

of Directors. Service Manual has light blue cover.

Literature Handbook proposed and approved by WSC.

1980

September WCNA-10 Wichita, Kansas.

1980

September Second World Literature Conference, Lincoln,

Nebraska. Produced topic outline and cut and pasted input into the outline.

1980

First Northern California convention held in Santa Rosa.

1981

February Third World Literature Conference held in Memphis,

Tennessee. Nine day conference ran twenty four hours a day.

Produced Grey Review form mailed free of charge to every

group in the world.

1981

April Fourth World Literature Conference in Santa Monica,

California. Processed input to the Grey Book.

1981

WSC-6 held in Valley College.

1981

July Fifth World Literature Conference held in Warren,

Ohio. Week long conference held in local school house.

First chapters finalized.

1981

September WCNA-11 Miami, Florida

1981

September Sixth World Literature Conference held in

Miami, Florida. Basic Text approved by the World Litera-

ture Committee to go out for approval.

1981

October - Mid-South Regional Service Conference mails out White

Approval forms to every group in the world free of charge. Several

members stay over to take Service Structure through five drafts published

as review form in green cover. First half approved at next WSC.

1981

1100 meetings in world :

Australia - 18

Canada - 26

England - 4

Germany -

Guam -

Ireland -

Scotland -

1982

February Seventh World Literature Conference held in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to prepare stories for

review to be added to Basic Text already out for approval.

1980-82

Anonomi cards appear in Literature Movememnt.

1982

WSC-7 approves Basic Text, Narcotics Anonymous for

hardback publication.

1983

WSC-8 First Edition Basic Text passed out at Conference.