The Last of The Tribe
A Tribute to Bob Smith - Son of Our Co-Founder Dr. Bob
By Dick B.
Bob Smith is dead. As his lovely wife Mona has written, thousands will be
writing condolences and mourning the loss of this great warrior-"The Amazing
Bob," as Mona called him in her reports of his recent illness and
hospitalization.
Yes. Thousands will write, phone, send condolences, and mourn. They will say
lots of great things about "Smitty." Some of these things I know. And some I
don't. But I do believe I have a special relationship with the "Tribe" that
merits reporting because it shows how much Smitty gave and was willing to
give of love and service in his last few years-in his late seventies and
eighties. And that's when I knew him.
When I first began researching AA history and writing about it, I was
immediately in touch with Dr. Bob's daughter Sue Smith Windows. It was she
who showed me some of Dr. Bob's books among the host she had in her attic.
It was she who put to rest the erroneously reported story that Dr. Bob had
given away all his books. And it was she who made a list for me of those she
owned and later took me to her attic to see in Akron. It was she who told me
there was another "half" in possession of her brother (about which, there
will be more in a moment). And it was Sue who wrote the letter to GSO
Archives Committee, asking them to send me a copy of her mother's "Journal,"
which had languished in the shadows for decades. And it was Sue, along with
Smitty, who gave me many of the materials and the endorsements for my first
three AA history books-Dr. Bob's Library, Anne Smith's Journal, and The
Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous. And Sue kept in touch with Smitty as
to everything she was doing.
What of Smitty?
Right after the Seattle Convention in 1990, I contacted Smitty, told him
that our little group in Marin County, California, was going to do a history
conference with AA archivist Frank Mauser, a film of "Bill's Story," and the
"Dawn of Hope" story. Smitty declined. For one thing, he didn't know me from
Adam's off ox. But that situation was not to last for long. In the ensuing
year, I contacted Smitty by phone, told me of Sue's doings as to the Dr. Bob
books and the Anne Smith Journal. Smitty always got on the phone with his
then wife Betty. And the two promised immediate cooperation on two major
items: First, they would send me a list of the Dr. Bob books that they had
in their possession, and did so. Second, they would dig out of their files
the many letters in tribute to Anne Smith on her death, that Bill had
promised to publish, but never did. And they sent me those letters.
Armed with the almost complete list of the books Dr. Bob had read, studied,
circulated, and placed his name in, I wrote Dr. Bob's Library-the strange
looking yellow book that was published by The Bishop of Books. Later, I used
additional materials gathered from the Seiberling family, the Clarence
Snyder relatives, and many manuscripts to write The Books Early AAs Read for
Spiritual Growth. Meanwhile, "Anne Smith's Journal" arrived from Frank
Mauser at GSO archives. I gave a copy to Sue, and she said many pages were
missing. Then, I went to Stepping Stones and found another copy-that visit
facilitated by Frank Mauser, Nell Wing, and Paul Lang, the archivist. And
off we went with "Anne Smith's Spiritual Journal."
These clues began to give the real picture of early AA-something that was
being encouraged by Nell Wing and Frank Mauser. But it was only the start.
Because, I soon discovered how many of Dr. Bob's books and how much of Anne
Smith's Journal made repeated references to Oxford Group books and ideas as
well as the writings of Rev. Sam Shoemaker. I also was in touch with
Congressman John Seiberling, who was teaching at Akron University's Peace
Center. And from John and his sisters came more information about the Akron
beginnings and the Oxford Group. Then the flood gates were open. I was in
touch with a host of the Oxford Group survivors, with the entire Shoemaker
family, with T. Henry Williams's daughter, and many others. From Jim and
Ellie Newton in Florida, George Vondermuhll, Jr. in Connecticut, Garth Lean
in Great Britain, and Willard Hunter in California, the story of Shoemaker,
the Oxford Group events in Akron, and the Oxford Group ideas began to come
in place.
But I'm getting ahead of my story. Our little AA group in Marin sponsored
the first real AA history conference I know of. It was called "A Day in
Marin." Frank Mauser was the principal speaker; the films were shown; and I
covered the Oxford Group-with Frank's telling me I had a book in me. About
eight hundred AAs attended. And Frank asked when we were going to put on the
"Son of Day in Marin." Which is what we did. Frank was not available the
next year. But when I contacted Smitty, he and Betty jumped at the
invitation. Willard Hunter came and spoke on the Oxford Group. Mel B. came
and spoke on the spiritual roots of the program. And I spoke on the Bible
roots. Again, about eight hundred attended. This time, Smitty and his wife
Betty said over and over that they never felt a greater uplift at any
conference than this one on the Biblical roots of early AA.
There followed my title The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous. It put
together the real story of Akron's beginnings-a story that was partly and
well recounted in A.A.'s DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, but lacked
specifics. As was beginning to occur, this title received endorsements from
Smitty, Sue, and John Seiberling, and it is still in print and available.
The years went by. I met with Smitty and Betty for lunch at the San Diego
Convention. I arranged to meet with Smitty at the Minneapolis Convention and
spoke just before he did at Archives 2000. By that time, Sue and Smitty had
published their "Children of the Healer"-which was a pip. I knew them well
by that time. And they spoke in different cadences and with different words.
As I read the book, I felt as though I were actually listening to them
speak. The book faithfully recorded their "voices," their recollections, and
a great deal more of our treasured early spiritual history.
A little more than a year ago, I was contacted by Ed M. in Phoenix about
putting on a history conference that would really cover the fast retreating
"God" part of A.A. I suggested that he have as speakers, in addition to me,
Smitty, and Ray G.-the archivist at Dr. Bob's Home. I also suggested that
Ray bring his archives, collections, and the Dr. Bob and other books which
had grown into large proportions. Smitty came, and I met his new wife Mona
for the first time. Ray G. and his wife Ginny came and displayed all their
memorabilia, while Ray talked and showed pictures. The Conference became
"The First Nationwide Alcoholics Anonymous History Conference." And it is
still rolling. In fact, Smitty was scheduled to speak there next February.
The high point for me was to sit on an "askit baskit" panel with Smitty and
Ray and field all kinds of questions about early A.A.
I want to conclude with these two factual events pertaining to Sue and
Smitty.
First, when I was in Akron for my first research visit, a reporter from an
Ohio newspaper was interviewing me. She said she wished she could meet Dr.
Bob's daughter. And at that very moment, Sue and a friend were walking into
the lobby of the Quaker Hilton. I asked Sue to come over. The reporter asked
Sue what she thought about all the history books I was writing, and Sue said
she thought they were just fine. Then the reporter said, "Do AAs still
believe that material about the Bible?" Sue replied, "Those who are still
around certainly do." And I could have kissed her because who would better
know than the woman who gave unselfishly of her time at Dr. Bob's Home and
at Founders Day.
Second, as I got to know Smitty and his then wife Betty quite well, I
learned two very positive things. Betty sought me out when I was in the home
in Nocona Texas and Smitty was in the hospital and discussed Christianity,
the Bible, and prayer with me at great length. She invited the pastor of
their church to come and meet me, and we talked lots about the Book of James
and AA. We then went to the hospital where Smitty was in bed. And he said,
"Dick, you sure turned the preacher on. He's still talking about the Bible
and AA; and he's in AA. Those were the earlier days, but I saw a change in
the way Smitty spoke of God. His father, Dr. Bob, had often referred to the
Creator as our "Heavenly Father." In fact, that's the last line of Dr. Bob's
personal story on page 181 of the Big Book. And, by the time I was listening
to Smitty or the platform with Nell Wing, Sue, and a couple of old-timers,
Smitty must have spoken about Yahweh, our Creator, quite a few times. And
each time, Smitty referred to Him as our "Heavenly Father."
Smitty's last words to me on the phone were that he was going to continue
speaking around the country and was booked solid for months. He said, "You
know, I'm the last of the Tribe." And who were its members? They were Anne
Smith, Dr. Bob, Sue Smith Windows, Betty Smith-Smitty's wife, and Smitty.
All these knew the facts about A.A.'s beginnings. Sue and Smitty attended
many of the early meetings. Both loved their mother Anne with deep and
abiding love. Smitty was the only person still alive who was present when
Bill met Dr. Bob at Henrietta Seiberling's Gate House Lodge.
Yes. Smitty was the last of the Tribe of believers that looked to their
Heavenly Father for love, forgiveness, strength, and guidance from the
beginnings of their lives to the end. Though I knew her for only a short
while, I immediately saw this same faith and love in Mona Sides-Smith who
saw the loving and humorous Robert R. Smith through several of his last and
greatest years. And now we know the facts for sure.
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