1941 The first Washington State Alcoholics Anonymous meeting is held.
On April 19, 1941, the first meeting of the Seattle Group was held at the Washington Hotel. There were three people in attendance and one in communication via phone lines. Our Stories Disclosed...A History of the Western Washington Area of Alcoholics Anonymous, 1939-2002. Second Edition. Western Washington Area of Alcoholics Anonymous, c2004; pg. 12.
1943 Summer School of Alcohol Studies is founded at Yale.
Yale Center of Alcohol Studies initiates a significant research program, the Summer School of Alcohol Studies, the Yale plan Outpatient Clinics, and the Yale Plan for Business and Industry. The Center will move to Rutgers in 1962. White, William L. Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems, 1998.
 |
||||
1944 Marty Mann founds the National Committee for Education on Alcoholism, (NCA).
It was an idea whose time had come. Not long after Marty Mann became the first woman to stay sober in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), she resolved to let America know that alcoholism is a disease and that the alcoholic is a sick person. She knew it would be an enormous undertaking that would need the support of an established academic institution so she turned to her friends at Yale University where E.M. Jellinek--father of the modern disease concept--and some of the most progressive minds in the country had been working to transform alcoholism from a moral problem into a public health issue. They recognized that Marty could popularize their cause. National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. History and Mission.
Click for Web Resource
The name was later changed to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). The Committee was founded around the following propositions: 1. Alcoholism is a disease; 2. The alcoholic, therefore, is a sick person; 3. The alcoholic can be helped; 4. The alcoholic is worth helping; 5. The alcoholic is our No. 4 health problem, and our public responsibility. White, William L. Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems, 1998.
|
||||
1948 In May, the Women’s Studio Club begins operation in Seattle.
The first alcohol treatment for women. Moved to include men in 1971. "Workshop on Alcoholism". Eve McClellan. [Workshop held at the Quay Motel, Vancouver, WA on October 29th & 30th, 1971].
The Women’s Studio Club was organized in March 1948 and their first home was opened in May of that same year. The idea was to have a halfway house for the woman alcoholic who had no place to go. Our Stories Disclosed…A History of the Western Washington Area of Alcoholics Anonymous 1939-2002. Second Edition. Seattle: Western Washington Area of Alcoholics Anonymous, c2004; pg. 75.
Our first home was an old residence at 324-19th Avenue. In January, 1950, the Studio Club was moved to a better home and neighborhood at 4246 Pasadena Place. K., Everett. The History of Washington State Alcoholics Anonymous, 1941-1966. Seattle: Everett K., c 1966; pg. 60-61.
 |
||||
1948 Initiative 171 passes in Washington authorizing the sale of liquor by the drink.
A law to authorize the public sale of liquor by the drink was before the voters in 1948. Initiative measure 171 was drawn to allow the Liquor Board to license hotels, restaurants, clubs, trains, boats – any establishment where serving full meals was a principal business - was a “Class H” License to sell hard liquor by the drink. It was called by its supporters “The Common Sense Bill”…(but) their arguments were carefully phrased in conservative, anti-saloon tones. Initiative 171 did not permit the serving of women “except when seated at tables;” it prohibited licenses in residential areas or near schools. Revenues from the new licenses were marked for medical research at the University of Washington and Washington State College. Clark, Norman H. The Dry Years: Prohibition & Social Change in Washington. Seattle: University of Washington Press, c1988; pg. 248.
 |
||||
Initiative 171, authorizing the sale of intoxicating liquor by the drink, was passed by state voters. The original initiative provided that the Liquor Control Board distribute revenue from all Class H license fees to the University of Washington and Washington State University for medical and biological research only. “ADAI Funding History.” (Unattributed memoir).
|
||||
In 1948, State Initiative 171 was placed before the voters to permit the sale of liquor by the drink in hotels and bars in Washington State. As part of this initiative, a provision was made that some of the revenue generated from the sale of these licenses would go toward the support of research into the problems created by alcohol abuse. When the law passed in 1949, it was decided that the dedicated monies should be distributed to the University of Washington and Washington State University, who were charged with carrying out the research. “ADAI History.” (Unattributed memoir).
|
||||
1948 "The Farm" is opened in August by the Seattle Police Department.
The Seattle Police Alcoholic Rehabilitation Project, or Police Farm as it was known, was in operation from 1948 to 1961. It provided for Police Chief George D. Eastman to send male prisoners - getting them out of jail confinement and into productive employment. Here at The Farm, alcoholics were given counseling, making their pathways to recovery a little easier. Our Stories Disclosed...A History of the Western Washington Area of Alcoholics Anonymous, 1939-2002. Second Edition. Western Washington Area of Alcoholics Anonymous, c2004; pg. 68.
The project was established on some 21 acres of farmland in the Duwamish Bend Area, donated by the Seattle Police Athletic Association. When the project was completed, A.A. members were called on to bring their "Program of Recovery" into the "Police Farm" or, as it was sometimes called - The Seattle Police Snake Ranch. K., Everett. The History of Washington State Alcoholics Anonymous, 1941-1966. Seattle: Everett K., c1966; pg. 22.
1948 The Seattle Rehabilitation Center is incorporated in November to help Skid Road Drunks.
Better known as the Yesler Way Rehab, this A.A. sponsored halfway house opened when the Old City Hotel at 417 Yesler Way was rented. The early success of the 'Rehab' was due to the members being willing to help each other get a foothold in this new way of living. Graduates from the 'Rehab' were urged to move away from the Skid Road area - to change their mode of living completely. K., Everett. The History of Washington State Alcoholics Anonymous, 1941-1966. Seattle: Everett K., c1966; pg. 63-64.
1949 Hazelden is founded in Minnesota.
The idea for Hazelden was born in 1947 when Austin Ripley, a recovering alcoholic, set out to create a treatment center in Minnesota specifically for alcoholic priests. After Lynn Carroll and other key supporters got involved, the priest-only concept was rejected for a broader patient base. Hazelden was incorporated on January 10, 1949, as "a sanatorium for curable alcoholics of the professional class." The property on which Hazelden's Center City, Minnesota, campus now stands was called "Hazelden," named for Hazel Thompson of the Thompson family that acquired the property in 1925. Hazelden. What is Hazelden?
Click for Web Resource
1949 The Minnesota Model of chemical dependency treatment emerges.
The Minnesota Model develops from the combined concepts of three organizations operating in Minnesota: Pioneer House, Hazelden, and Willmar State Hospital. White, William L. Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems, 1998.
|
||||
1949 Symposium on Alcoholism at Seattle University.
(Father James E. Royce) is now senior professor of psychology at Seattle University, where he began his “Symposium on Alcoholism” in the winter of 1949-50, probably the oldest college course on alcoholism in the country to be offered as part of the regular undergraduate curriculum during the school year. Royce, James E. Alcohol Problems and Alcoholism: A Comprehensive Survey. Introduction. New York: The Free Press, c1981
.
In the Winter Quarter of 1949-1950, Father James Royce, S.J., offered a two-credit course (PSY 190) titled Symposium on Alcoholism. The course has been offered regularly since 1950. This means that the Seattle University Alcohol Studies Program is the oldest program in the United States to offer a course on alcoholism in its regular undergraduate curriculum. “A Short History of The Seattle University Alcohol Studies Program.” (Unattributed Memoir).
|
||||
1951 The Boggs Act creates mandatory minimum sentencing for drug related convictions.
In the years immediately following the World War II levels of illicit drug use began to rise steadily again. This caused concern in the Bureau of Narcotics and resulted in modification in the penalties associated with the Harrison Act violations. Effective Drug Control: Toward a New Legal Framework: State-Level Regulation as a Workable Alternative to the “War on Drugs.” Seattle: King County Bar Association Drug Policy Project, 2005; pg. 23.
Click for Web Resource
1953 Washington State Toxicology Laboratory is established.
The State Legislature authorized the establishment of a State Toxicology Laboratory in 1953. The Laboratory functions in three fields of endeavor. The first is that of a service function through which coroners, prosecuting attorneys, and certain police agencies in the state can request analysis of human tissue for the presence of chemical agents as the cause of poisoning for forensic medical purposes. Laboratory director is legally identified as the State Toxicologist, and as such has charge of implementing certain of the State Laws pertaining to chemical induced toxicity. University of Washington Correspondence, Interdepartmental. “Use of Initiative 171 Funds at the University of Washington 1973-74." January 16, 1975; pg. 2.
|
||||
The State Toxicology Lab was established by the Legislature and funded from Initiative 171 monies. “ADAI Funding History” (Unattributed memoir).
|
||||
1954 American Medical Society on Alcoholism (AMSA later to become ASAM) is established.
ASAM has its roots in research and clinical traditions that pre-date its founding in the early 1950’s, when Ruth Fox, M.D. began regular meetings with other physicians interested in alcoholism and its treatment at the New York Academy of Medicine. In 1954 these physicians established the New York City Medical Society on Alcoholism with Dr. Fox as its first President. As the organization grew, it was subsequently named the American Medical Society on alcoholism (AMSA). ASAM. ASAM History
Click for Web Resource
1956 The American Medical Association recognizes alcoholics as treatable patients.
The AMA stopped short of declaring alcoholism as a disease, but does recognize alcoholics as legitimate patients, “Hospitals should be urged to consider admission of such patients with a diagnosis of alcoholism based upon the condition of the individual patient, rather than a general objection to all such patients.” White, William L. Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems, 1998.
|
||||
1957 The Alcoholism Division of the Department of Institutions in Washington State is founded.
Alcoholism - Study, Treatment, Rehabilitation Act. The purpose of this act is to establish a statewide program for the study, treatment and rehabilitation of persons suffering from alcoholism and those addicted to the use of alcoholic beverages, research into the causes and prevention of alcoholism and associated health problems, and public education relating thereto, by creating a division on alcoholism within the state department of institutions. Approved by the Governor (Arthur B. Langley), March 20, 1957. Washington State Session Laws, 1957, Chapter 136 (Sub. H.B. 85) Section 1; Department of Institutions Administrative Files.
|
|
|
||
1958 First Council on Alcoholism in Washington.
In 1954, there was talk of forming an Alcoholism Council. 1958 saw the first operation, and initially functioning in June 1965. They had need of local interest, information, and a lobbyist. The council asked the Health Department for approval of a draft in 1966. "Workshop on Alcoholism." Jim Oldham. [Workshop held at the Quay Motel, Vancouver, WA on October 29th & 30th, 1971].
|
||||
1958 Council on Alcoholism opens first Alcoholism Information and Referral Center.
Alcoholism services began in Washington State in 1958 with one council on Alcoholism which opened the first Alcoholism Information and Referral Center the same year. Washington State Comprehensive Alcoholism Plan, Fiscal Year 1977 (Draft), “History of the State Alcoholism Program.” April 1, 1976; pg.2.
|
||||
1959 The Alcoholism Program is moved from the Department of Institutions to the Department of Health by the passage of RCW 70.96.
70.96.085 Powers and duties of department – Assistance in development and operation of public or private facilities. The department is authorized to provide financial assistance and consultative services to assist in the development, establishment, constriction, maintenance, and operation of community, public, or private nonprofit facilities throughout the state for the referral, care, custody, treatment, recovery and rehabilitation of alcoholics. RCW Chapter 70.96. Alcoholism.
|
||||
1960 E.M. Jellinek publishes “The Disease Concept of Alcoholism.”
Jellinek coined the expression "the disease concept of alcoholism", and significantly accelerated the movement towards the medicalization of drunkenness and alcohol habituation. In his 1960 book he identified five different types of alcoholism, and defined them in terms of their abnormal physiological processes. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. E. Morton Jellinek. Jellinek and alcoholism as a disease.
Click for Web Resource
 |
||||
1960 FOCUS on Alcoholism Newsletter founded, following the State Alcoholism Program Advisory Committee’s recommendation that people be provided with current information about alcoholism.
In Volume 1, Number 1 of October 1960, Dr. Bernard Bucove, Director of the State Department of Health, launched a publication titled “Focus,” a bi-monthly publication dedicated to the Alcoholism Program. Focus lasted to Volume 11, Number 4 in October of 1979. FOCUS. Bureau of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. Vol. 1, No. 1, June 1969; pg. 1. (Inset)
|
|
|||
1960 Dr. James W. Smith becomes the Medical Director at Shadel Hospital.
Dr. Smith has been leading the treatment at Schick Shadel since 1960, including conducting the research that has led to expanding aversion therapy from only alcohol to nicotine, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and other prescription drugs. Schick Shadel Hospital. Staff Bios: Dr. James W. Smith.
Click for Web Resource
|
 |
|||
1963 Pioneer Fellowship House, the first halfway house for men, is founded.
Pioneer Fellowship House was started in 1963 by a group of alcoholic ex-felons who opened the first half-way house for indigent male alcoholics in the State of Washington. “Pioneer Cooperative Affiliation: Fact Sheet.”
|
||||
November 1, 1963, Pioneer Fellowship House, a private, nonprofit social service agency, opened at 1102 E. Spruce Street, Seattle. House purchased for $19,000 (with $2,000 down payment) from the American Baptist Convention. Pioneer Human Services. Pioneer History Highlights.
Click for Web Resource
1964 The SARA Center opens for alcoholic women with children.
With the closing of the Women's Studio Club in August of 1964, the problem of having no facility for women alcoholics needing help became a pressing one. The need brought about the opening of the SARA Center (Seattle Alcoholic Rehabilitation Association). During its first year, this recovery house provided a residence for 82 women. K., Everett. The History of Washington State Alcoholics Anonymous, 1941-1966. Seattle: Everett K., c1966; pg. 62.
1964 The first Malden Rehabilitation Center opens to provide transitional housing.
First opened as Malden House at 511 Malden Avenue East, to provide a stepping stone home for alcoholics who have graduated from the Yesler Rehab facility. K., Everett. The History of Washington State Alcoholics Anonymous, 1941-1966. Seattle: Everett K., c1966; pg. 62.
1965 Drug Abuse Control Act creates the Bureau of Drug Abuse Control.
The Bureau of Drug Abuse Control was established within the Food and Drug Administration to enforce the Drug Abuse Control Act, which in its limited scope covered stimulants and depressants and which imposed a registration, inspection and record keeping pattern, covering everyone concerned with the controlled traffic which closely paralleled the Harrison Act requirements. Effective Drug Control: Toward a New Legal Framework: State-Level Regulation as a Workable Alternative to the “War on Drugs.” Seattle: King County Bar Association Drug Policy Project, 2005; pg. 24. Click for Web Resource
1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act is passed.
The single largest source of federal support for K-12 education is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Born as part of Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty in 1965, this $11-billion-a-year Act has been sending federal assistance to poor schools, communities, and children for nearly 30 years.
Twenty years of research and the experiences of dedicated and creative practitioners have contributed to the U.S. Department of Education's elementary and secondary education reform legislation. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Click for Web Resource
1965 Legal alcohol limit is set at .15 in Washington State.
Washington State: 1965 Session Laws of the State of Washington, Volume No. 2; Section 60 2(c).
|
||||
1965 The Washington State Council on Alcoholism (WSCA) is formally founded.
The WSCA was grown from small beginnings in 1965 when Ralph Bruksos, then chairman of the Seattle Committee on Alcoholism, issues a call to all local alcoholism committees in the state to meet to consider a drive for a statewide council. Such a Council would provide a means of exchanging ideas and sharing common problems and concerns. The 1st Annual meeting was held Friday, May 13, 1966 in Vancouver. “History of WSCA.” (Unattributed Memoir).
|
||||
(A description of the state’s recommendation for the formation of county Alcoholism councils.) State of Washington Department of Health. “Alcoholism Councils.” [date]
|
||||
By 1965 there were ‘alcoholism committees” in 16 of the state’s 39 counties working on the local problems. Ralph Bruksos, Seattle, figured to unite these committees in a common cause, to exchange ideas and share common problems and concerns. This was the early start of the Washington State Council on Alcoholism. The group first met formally on Friday, May 13, 1966 in Vancouver, WA, electing the Rev. Charles Fox, Wenatchee, president. FOCUS. Bureau of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Vol. II, No. 2, May 1980; pg. 3.
|
||||
1965 Schick Laboratories, Inc. purchases Shadel Hospital.
In 1964, Patrick J. Frawley, Jr., chairman and CEO of the Schick Safety Razor company checked into Shadel Hospital to face his addiction to alcohol. In 1965, Schick Safety Razor company formed Schick Laboratories, Inc., with Mr. Frawley as chairman. This new company purchased Shadel Hospital. Shadel’s original aversion technique was expanded for treatment of other addictions at Schick Shadel Hospital. Schick Shadel Hospital. Give us 10 days and we’ll give you back your life. (Brochure)
|
|
|
||
Schick Shadel Hospital. History of Schick Shadel Hospital.
Click for Web Resource
1966 President Lyndon Johnson proclaims alcoholism as a disease.
President Johnson appoints the first National Advisory Committee on Alcoholism and becomes the first President to address the country about alcoholism, “The alcoholic suffers from a disease which will yield eventually to scientific research and adequate treatment.” White, William L. Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems, 1998.
|
||||
1966 The Johnson Institute is founded in Minnesota.
In 1966, the Johnson Institute was formed and dedicated to designing treatment programs as well as educating individuals, families, professionals, and entire communities about addiction disease. The Johnson Institute is named after Rev. Vernon Johnson, an Episcopal priest who convened a Minnesota church study group to figure out how to convince alcoholics to accept help before incurring tragic consequences of their drinking. The result was the first application of the intervention concept that would become the standard approach for getting alcoholics into treatment. From that first historic new insight came “Minnesota Model” programs that have helped hundreds of thousands of recovering alcoholics around the world. The Johnson Institute. About Us. A Guiding Light for Four Decades: History of the Johnson Institute.
Click for Web Resource
1967 The American Medical Association adopts the disease concept of alcoholism.
The AMA passes a resolution identifying alcoholism as a “complex disease,” and a “disease that merits the serious concern of all members of the health professions.” White, William L. Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems, 1998.
|
||||
1967 Cedar Hills Alcoholism Treatment Center is opened by the King County Sheriff's Department.
Cedar Hills Alcoholism Treatment Center, a 112 bed facility in South King County operated by the Sheriff's Department was officially dedicated in November at ceremonies attended by more that two hundred people. FOCUS on Alcoholism. Washington State Department of Health. Volume 8, Number 3, September-October 1967; pg. 8.
|
||||
Jail can be beneficial, if you are a male alcoholic in Seattle-King County and are ready to kick the habit. Cedar Hills Alcoholism Treatment Center is King County's progressive program for rehabilitation of the alcoholic. Prisoners may volunteer for treatment or the court may send them to "take the cure." FOCUS on Alcoholism. Washington State Department of Health. Volume 9, Number 3, May-June 1968; pgs. 6-7.
1967 Open Door Clinic opens in Seattle’s University District.
The clinic opened on October 24, 1967 in response to the need to provide drug abuse intervention and social services 24 hours a day to young people drawn to the University District’s hippie culture. The clinic closed in 1980 for lack of funding. HistoryLink.org: The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History, “Amphetamines constitute largest drug problem in Seattle's University District as of January 7, 1968”.
Click for Web Resource
1968 Task force appointed by Washington State Governor Dan Evans recommends consolidation of social services.
Three major benefits to consolidation of social services were identified in the task force's recommendations: improved capability of delivering coordinated services to people with multiple needs; better internal coordination; and better capacity to deal with the federal government. Department of Health and Social Services: A History of Human Services.
Click for Web Resource
1968 Link between prenatal alcohol exposure and adverse infant outcome first discovered.
Christy Ulleland, M.D. Chief Resident at Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington first discovers the link between prenatal alcohol exposure and adverse outcomes in infants. In January 1968, Dr. Ulleland received funding to conduct an 18-month study to scientifically assess her clinical observation that infants born to alcoholic women had impaired outcomes. Upon completion of the study, Dr. Ulleland concluded “Chronic alcoholism can be appropriately added to the list of maternal factors that create an unhealthy intrauterine environment for the developing fetus; the consequences of which may be life long.” Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Washington State History (1968 – 2004)
Click for Web Resource
Ulleland, Christy N. “The Offspring of Alcoholic Mothers.”
Click for Web Resource
1968 Seattle Drug & Narcotic Center (SEADRUNAR) is founded.
Founded in 1968 by Nan Busby, the Executive Director, Seattle Drug and Narcotic Treatment Center, Inc., also known as "Seadrunar", is a long-term drug and alcohol treatment facility. Seadrunar was the first drug treatment facility in the Northwest. SEADRUNAR.
Click for Web Resource
 |
||||
Click for Interview
with Nan Busby |
1968 Eastside Alcohol Center opens as early Information & Referral Center.
The Eastside Alcohol Center had a modest and somewhat colorful debut in the Bellevue area in 1968 when it opened it's doors to the public primarily as an information and referral center. It was known at the time as the Eastside Council on Alcoholism. "Eastside Alcohol/Drug Center: Early History and Brief Chronological History of Eastside Drug and Alcohol Center." (Unattributed memoir).
|
||||
1968 Walla Walla County Council on Alcoholism is established.
Walla Walla Council was established as a non-profit organization to work with the community and review existing programs and needs for the problem drinker. The first part-time Information and Referral Center opened in 1969. “A Comprehensive Plan For Dealing With Alcoholism Education and the Excessive Drinking Problem in the Counties of Asotin, Columbia, Garfield and Walla Walla. (1972)”
|
||||
1968 Sundown M Ranch treatment facility opens in White Swan, WA.
Sundown M Ranch is a private corporation established on March 4, 1968 as the first non-profit alcoholism treatment program in Washington. The Philosophy of Treatment: Sundown M Ranch: A History of Success. A Community of Recovery. 1986.
|
|
|
||
On March 4, 1968, Sundown M. Ranch opened in an abandoned Yakima Indian Christian Mission leased to the Ranch by Homeland Ministries for $1.00 a year in White Swan, WA. Sundown established itself as the WA State’s first non-medical intensive residential alcoholism treatment program, and its reputation for providing affordable, quality treatment quickly grew. Sundown M Ranch Celebrating 35 Years: A History of Success, A Community of Recovery. Sundown M Ranch, 2003.
|
 |
|||
1969 January is designated as First Alcoholism Awareness Month by Governor Daniel Evans.
|
|
|||
1969 Drugs and Health Education program is developed on August 19.
Governor Evans formalized his concern over the rapidly growing problem of drug abuse in the State of Washington by appointing a special task force on drug abuse. The highest priority was to be the development of an effective program of drug education as a part of a health education program. Drug Education for the ‘70’s:Grades Primary through Senior High. Olympia, WA: Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction, c1969; pg. 4.
|
||||
1969 The Southwest Washington Alcoholic Recovery Foundation (SWARF) opens.
SWARF is the first state funded in-patient treatment program in the state for men and women. Although functioning in cooperation with the Alcoholism Councils and the Health Officers from the seven counties of southwest Washington, SWARF is designed to accept alcoholics from the entire nation. Opening day is in August 1979, with John Soltman as director. FOCUS on Alcoholism. Washington State Department of Health. Vol. 10, No. 9, Nov.-Dec. 1969; pg. 3.
|
 |
|
||
1969 Olalla Guest Lodge is founded.
Olalla grew from a small meeting of A.A. members in 1969 and the availability of an abandoned Nike Missile fire-control center on a hill overlooking West Passage and Vashon Island. The five A.A. members nearing retirement age decided it might do as a place to help alcoholics. Seattle Times. "The Faust Treatment: A father figure helps 'bottomed out' alcoholics." Sunday Magazine, September 9, 1973.
|
|
|||
Olalla Recovery Centers. Recovery is a choice. Click for Web Resource
