▁to ▁another ," ▁and ▁the ▁Jung ian ▁th esis ▁which ▁was ▁passed ▁along ▁to ▁Row land ▁Haz ard ▁and , ▁in ▁turn , ▁to ▁Th acher ▁that ▁alco hol ics ▁could ▁recover ▁by ▁a ▁" gen u ine ▁conversion ". ▁ ▁Al co hol ism ▁Th acher ▁was ▁a ▁school friend ▁of ▁Wilson , ▁and ▁batt led ▁his ▁whole ▁life ▁with ▁alco hol ism , ▁frequently ▁landing ▁in ▁mental ▁hosp it als ▁or ▁j ail . ▁After ▁one ▁b ender , ▁three ▁members ▁of ▁The ▁Oxford ▁Group , ▁Row land ▁Haz ard , ▁F . ▁She p ard ▁Corn ell , ▁and ▁C eb ra ▁Gra ves , ▁convinced ▁the ▁court ▁to ▁par ole ▁Th acher ▁into ▁their ▁cust ody . ▁Haz ard ▁taught ▁Th acher ▁the ▁Oxford ▁Group ▁principles ▁and ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁a ▁conversion ▁was ▁needed ▁between ▁patients . ▁Haz ard ▁lod ged ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁Cal v ary ▁Res cue ▁Mission , ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁Cal v ary ▁Epis cop al ▁Church ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁ ▁Begin nings ▁of ▁AA ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁Th acher ▁had ▁arranged ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁Wilson ' s ▁a partment . ▁Ex pect ing ▁to ▁spend ▁a ▁day ▁drink ing ▁and ▁re - l iving ▁old ▁times , ▁Wilson ▁was ▁instead ▁shock ed ▁by ▁Th acher ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁drink . ▁" I ' ve ▁got ▁religion ," ▁he ▁reported ly ▁said ▁to ▁Wilson ' s ▁surprise . ▁Th acher ▁told ▁Wilson ▁of ▁his ▁conversion