Bill W.

Activist

Birthday November 26, 1895

Birth Sign Sagittarius

Birthplace Vermont

DEATH DATE Jan 24, 1971 (75)

#237,372 Most Popular

About

The co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous with Dr. William Silkworth.

Before Fame

He was a promising Wall Street banker but his alcoholism cost him his job and most of his money, and he found the series of practical steps suggested by Silkworth curbed his addiction.

Trivia

He and another formerly struggling alcoholic, Dr. Bob Smith, formed a national program that treated addiction with practical solutions, moving away from past religious-oriented help.

Family Life

His wife Lois Burnham (Lois W.) founded Al-Anon, a group of friends and supporters of recovering alcoholics.

Associated With

He joined luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi and Franklin D. Roosevelt as one of the Time 100: Most Important People of The Century.