Who We Are
From Plastic Tub
Straight Dope
Published in 1965, it contains an AA Primer listing the name, nationality, entrance ritual, examples of known works and quotes from essential AA personages.
It also carried illustrations by William Flintrock executed in a nondescript style typical of the era, depicting the personalites at work in seemingly whimsical situations designed to shed light upon an essential characteristic of the person portrayed. The most notable examples can be seen on the pages of Stimes Addisson, Stimso Adid, Fintrock and Alexandre Dacusse.
A cache of these introductory booklets was discovered in an old lady's attic in Wichita and sold to an undisclosed buyer in 2001.
A Compleat List
- Stimes Addisson | Stimso Adid | Verna Cable | Mazzistow Carrington |Alexandre Dacusse | William Flintrock | Wilhemina Forkes | Albert Kook | Yon Milhaus | Guvernor Morris | Creatine Panderbox | Jorge Suarez | Jonathan Trenchwheat | Cappy Trowbridge | Solomon Witte
Births and Deaths
If we exclude Morris and Kook, who lived nearly two hundred years before the rest of the persons listed, we can calculate that the average birthdate of the 12 remaining Who We Are group was 1927. The earliest birth date was 1920 (Adid and Addisson). The latest was 1939 (Witte). Only four of the twelve were born after 1929 (Witte, Trowbridge, Panderbox, Milhaus).
Perhaps surprisingly, the group has shown remarkable longevity. Seven of the twelve are still living. Those who have died include Panderbox (1960, aged 30 by suicide?), Cable (1989 aged 64 by accidental decapitation), Suarez (1992 aged 70 of cirrhosis), Milhaus (1997 aged 65 of a stroke) and Addisson (1999 aged 79 of a heart attack).
Ethnic Composition
Again, excepting Morris and Kook, just over two thirds of the Who We Are group were born outside of the United States and emigrated there at various points in their lives. Points of origin include Egypt (Adid), Germany (Milhaus and Forkes), England (Panderbox), France (Dacusse), Poland (Witte), Scotland (Trowbridge), Canada (Trenchwheat) and Chile (Suarez). Of those born in the U.S., Addisson hails from Ohio; Cable, from New York City; Carrington from Detroit and Flintrock from Kansas. Only Adisson was a WASP. Cable was born of Italian immigrants, Flintrock was second-generation Irish and Carrington was African-American.
The Who We Are groups is overwhelmingly of middle or working-class stock. Addisson's old man was a haberdasher; Suarez likewise. Adid's father was an officer in the Royal Army. Carrington grew up on a modest ranch in Texas. Witte's father operated a Deli. Trenchwheat's pa was a lumberjack. Flintrock, Dacusse and Trowbridge grew up in poverty, often precarious.
Three women were part of the circle: Panderbox, Forkes and Cable.
Although the group was hardly religious, we know that Flintrock came from that rare breed of Irish Protestant, Carrington was from a long line of Baptists and Witte was Jewish. Cable and Suarez both grew up in Catholic households. Trenchwheat's family were apparently Swedenborgians.
