Lois Wilson née Burnham (4 March 1891 – 6 October, 1988) was the founder of Al-Anon, a support group for the friends and family of alcoholics. She was the wife of Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill W.

She was born into affluence in Brooklyn Heights with her father being a prominent surgeon and gynecologist. Abraham Lincoln's grandchildren were playmates of her siblings when they were young and they attended prestigious schools. Her family were adherents of Swedenborgianism, but the schools she attended in youth tended to be Quaker in nature.

Her marriage to Bill W at first seemed promising, but after miscarriages and his drinking it took a downward spiral. His rehabilitation and co-founding of AA inspired her to work on efforts for families of alcoholics. Although scattered programs concerning this had already existed in relation to AA she had been a professional woman and organizer in her own right so coalesced them into an overall organization.

References

• Borchert, William. The Lois Wilson Story: When Love Is Not Enough. Hazelden, 2005. ISBN 1592853285

External links

• A short biography

1891 births | 1988 deaths | Alcohol abuse | Activists | Swedenborgians