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HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY GROUP 1
In the early spring of 1941 Jack Alexander wrote an article for the Saturday Evening Post about Alcoholics Anonymous. Three people in the Kansas City area wrote to the address given after reading the article. These letters were given to a traveling candy salesman named Johnny who covered this area. He contacted the three men when he came to Kansas City and met them at the Robert E. Lee Hotel. At this initial meeting they made plans to start a group, and the first official AA meeting was held at the Victoria Hotel, 9th & McGee. They moved that same month to the Pickwick Hotel. Soon the group had grown to seven men. In late 1941, the Kansas City Star, published an article about AA. This helped the group grow and, by New Year’s Eve 1941, there were 20 members.
The group has continued over the years at different locations. In April of 1949, the group members formed a separate benevolent corporation for the single purpose of purchasing and maintaining property so that Alcoholics Anonymous would always have a place to meet in Kansas City. Through the years as the number of alcoholics reaching to A.A. for help has increased, neighborhood meetings have grown into their own groups. But most groups in the Kansas City Metro Area can trace their beginnings back to KC Group 1.
The group is currently located at 311 W. 80th Terrace, just off Wornall Road. The “Hall” is open throughout the day with someone always available to offer a cup of coffee and talk about the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. There are at least 2 regularly scheduled meetings each day.
Please feel free to visit any time and join us as we “trudge the road of happy destiny” together.
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