Bob Smith (doctor)

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"Doctor Bob" redirects here. For other uses, see Doctor Bob (disambiguation).

Robert Holbrook Smith (August 8, 1879 – November 16, 1950) was an American physician and surgeon who co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous. He was also known as Dr. Bob.

He was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, where he was raised, to Susan A. Holbrook and Walter Perrin Smith.[1] After graduation from Dartmouth College in 1902, he completed medical school at the University of Michigan. Smith was married to Anne Ripley Smith, who played a vital role in the development of the 12 steps of AA. Smith co-founded the recovery movement Alcoholics Anonymous with Bill Wilson, in 1935 in Akron, Ohio.

Smith was called the "Prince of Twelfth Steppers" by Wilson because he voluntarily helped more than 5000 alcoholics. In addition, it was in his home that the basic ideas of A.A. were developed.

Many A.A. ideas developed initially in an offshoot of the then-popular Oxford Group, which was a Christian movement. Smith said that A.A.'s basic ideas came from their study of the Bible; the Steps, in essence meant "love and service."

Smith is a co-founder of A.A. because A.A. is based on the idea of one alcoholic helping another to recover from alcoholism. A.A. did not exist until Bill Wilson had helped another alcoholic, Smith, to achieve sobriety. By applying the spiritual solution of the 12 Steps and working with other alcoholics, Smith was able to stay sober from June 10, 1935, until his death in 1950.

1 See also
2 Literature
3 Footnotes
4 External links

Literature

Alcoholics Anonymous. The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism, New York: Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed. new and rev. 2001, ISBN 1-893007-16-2, Dewey 362.29 A347 2001 ('Big Book').
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age. A Brief History of A.A., New York: Alcoholics Anonymous, 1990, ISBN 0-916856-02-X, LC HV5278.A78A4, Dewey: 178.1 A1c.
Dick B., Turning Point: A History of the Spiritual Roots and Successes of Early A.A., Kihei, Hawaii: Paradise Research Publications, 1997, ISBN 1-885803-07-9.
Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, New York: Alcoholics Anonymous, 1980, ISBN 0-916856-07-0, LCCN 80-65962, LC HV5278.D62 1980.
Ernest Kurtz, Not-God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous, Center City, Minnesota: Hazelden, 1979,

ISBN 0-89486-065-8 or ISBN 0-89486-065-8 (pbk.), LC HV5278, LCCN 79-88264, Dewey 362.2/9286 or 362.29286 K87 1979.

Pass It On: The story of Bill Wilson and how the A.A. message reached the world, New York: Alcoholics Anonymous, 1984. ISBN 0-916856-12-7, LC HV5032 .W19P37x 1984, LCCN 84-072766, Dewey 362.29/286/O92.