Henrietta B. Seiberling: Ohio's Lady with a Cause

The story of A.A. co-founder Henrietta Buckler Seiberling, the non-alcoholic Akron woman pioneer who dedicated much of her life to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. This is the lady who heard from her Creator and revealed to Dr. Bob that he must not take one drink, then arranged for the meeting at which Dr. Bob confessed to his alcoholism, and then led the group in joining Dr. Bob in prayer for Dr. Bob's cure. This is the lady whose prayers were shortly answered when she received a phone call from Bill W. stating that he needed to work with another drunk and understood Bill's "pass it on" orientation from the Oxford Group. She declared that Bill's call was "manna from heaven" and immediately arranged for Bill W. to meet and work with Dr. Bob. The two men met at her Gate Lodge home on the Seiberling estate in Akron, talked for 6 hours, and concluded that they had a mission to carry out--helping others to get sober. Henrietta arranged for Bill to be housed at the Portage Country Club in Akron, and then to move in with Dr. Bob and his wife Anne for the summer of 1935 when the A.A. recovery program ideas were developed. Henrietta continued to be active in the formation and development of A.A. for many years thereafter. And this is the account of her life, her family, and her unique role in establishing Alcoholics Anonymous. You will understand A.A. better and understand the role of the Creator in the founding of the program when you learn what this Ohio lady with a cause was able to do.