 Courtenay Baylor became well known as an expert on alcoholism, publishing a description of his methods in 1919.One of the recovering alcoholics who attended his classes in 1921-22 was Richard R. Peabody, a descendant of a wealthy and influential Boston family.Peabody trained as a lay therapist under Baylor's direction and then set up his own practice, first in Boston and then in New York City.