Henry Parkhurst Signed Handwritten Letter Alcoholics Anonymous AA – COA JSA

Description

Presented is a handwritten and signed letter by Hank Parkhurst. He was a business dynamo who was the first alcoholic to recover in New York, following Bill Wilson. Thus, Hank was New York’s AA#2. His was a vital contribution to AA: without Hank Parkhurst the Big Book might never have been published.

The handwritten letter on his letterhead includes the envelope which dates it to 1947 with the postmark is an investment deal that reads as follows: “Dear Clarence, If at all possible be up here a week from today. I have figured out a deal which I feel positive will sell and upon of which by doing the kind of selling which you like to do you should be able to make yourself $9060.00 between June 14th and Nov. 1st. This is not dream money but completely within the realm of possiblility both from the sales and production standpoint. This includes front money of 100 a week for traveling.

I have figured this forward, backwards and sideways and feel positive that it CAN be done. If for any reason you can’t be here please drop me a line which I’ll get when I return on May 10th (Sat) because I’m going through with it and will make other sales arrangements. There’s no fooling out on this one. I’ve made it up from the standpoint of a salesman and tough market conditions. Best – Hank” 

Hank Parkhurst died January 18, 1954, at Mercer Hospital in Pennington, New Jersey, within two months of his 59th birthday. Lois Wilson said his death was due to drinking. Others claimed it was pills. Some thought it was both. His obituary says only that he died after a lengthy illness. Others noted that Hank’s disagreements with Bill and his subsequent resentments, mostly over. Big Book matters, apparently kept Parkhurst from returning to AA.

Despite the pain and trouble he caused during the final years of his life, Alcoholics Anonymous would appear to owe a huge debt to Henry G. Parkhurst. Ruth Hock, who was there for the entire adventure, said the Big Book definitely would not have been written without Bill and surely could not have been published without Hank. His story, “The Unbeliever” appeared in the first edition of the book that he was so instrumental in publishing.

Authentication: JSA Full Letter

Henry Parkhurst Signed Handwritten Letter