Events

Upcoming Events

Ashley (Father Martin’s Ashley) Alumni Reunion Find – September 26th

Time: 11am – 2pm

Find us in the resource tent. 800 Tydings Lane, Havre de Grace, MD 21078

Primary Purpose workshop: Carrying the Message to Individuals and Families – October 3rd

Time: 11am – 2pm

Location: Zoom

Mike Fitzpatrick, founder of Recovery Speakers, will share lessons about how individual and family recovery evolved as AA and Al-Anon were founded and grew. Speakers will offer AA, Al-Anon and Alateen perspectives, followed by discussion about how we can better carry the message to individuals and families. 

Acess zoom ID 84529128011 passcode 411

Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School President’s Lecture Focused Symposium, “Evolution and Opportunities in Family Treatment and Recovery,” – October 21st

Time: TBD

Location: Hazelden/Betty Ford Treatment Center, Center City, MN

Tom will be part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School President’s Lecture Focused Symposium, “Evolution and Opportunities in Family Treatment and Recovery,” hosted by Graduate School President Kevin Doyle.

Two Lives, One Legacy: Bill, Lois and the Power of Family Recovery – November 9th, 10th, 11th

Join Jay Stinnett, the producer of the new award-winning documentary film and book Bill W.: Conscious Contact, for a showing of this groundbreaking film, and Joy Jones and Tom Adams, co-authors of  the Marriage that Changed the World: Lois and Bill Wilson and the Addiction Recovery Movement and Q&A with Jay, Joy, and Tom. Three viewing opportunities:

November 9th

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901G St NW, Washington, DC

November 10th

Time: TBD

Location: Greenbelt Cinema, 129 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD

November 11th

Time: TBD

Location: Senator Theatre, 5904 York Road, Baltimore, MD

Past Events

Book DiscussionMarch 15thMay 18th

Join authors Tom Adams and/or Joy Jones for a free discussion on how Lois Wilson and Bill Wilson helped create Alcoholics Anonymous and Al‑Anon Family Groups, with insights on recovery, relationships, and spiritual growth, plus their continued relevance to addiction recovery today. The event will be held on Zoom and in person at Greenbelt Step Club.

Lessons from the Wilsons, the Smiths and early A.A. and Al-AnonJanuary 24, 2026

Join us in celebrating the wedding anniversaries of Lois & Bill Wilson (Jan 24, 1918) and Anne & Dr. Bob Smith (Jan. 25, 1915), and learn what their marriages can teach us about love, service, and recovery.

Tom Adams and Joy Jones, co-authors of A Marriage that Changed the World, will share insights from their 8 year study of AA, Al-Anon history, and the lives of Lois &Bill and Anne & Dr. Bob.

Time: Saturday, January 24, 2026

10:30 am Meet the Author
11 am Talk & Q&A
11:45 am Book Signing

Location: Delray Club

7611 Clarendon Drive, Bethesda, MD
(Bethesda Presbyterian Church, Chuck O. Room
(Enter from the back of the small parking lot on Clarendon)

Join us for Fellowship, Food and Hearing from the Author of A Marriage that changed the World!January 28, 2026

Join us in celebrating the wedding anniversaries of Lois & Bill Wilson (Jan 24, 1918) and Anne & Dr. Bob Smith (Jan. 25, 1915), and learn what their marriages can teach us about love, service, and recovery.

Tom Adams, co-author of A Marriage that Changed the World, will share insights from their 8 year study of AA, Al-Anon history, and the lives of Lois &Bill and Anne & Dr. Bob.

Time: Wednesday, January 28, 2026

11:30 am Gather & Lunch (Club sandwiches, healthy cuisine, and great view)
12 pm Book talk by Tom Adams
12:45 pm Discussion and Q & A
1:15 pm Brainstorm & discussion

Location: The Oceanage Clubhouse, 1652 S. Ocean Lane, Fort Lauderdale, FL

3rd Annual The History RoundupMarch 27th – 29th, 2026

This is the third gathering of AA history enthusiasts from across the country, featuring workshops, archival resources, and opportunities to deepen understanding of AA’s past.

Tom, along with fellow author Gary Niedhart, will lead a session titled So You Want to Write a Book. This workshop is part of a larger series designed to explore the roots of AA and Al-Anon and highlight lessons still relevant today.
For more information see: https://thehistoryroundup.com

Al-Anon’s 75th Anniversary: Alcoholism as a “family disease”April 24th, 2026

Celebrate the 75th anniversary of Al-Anon with a special online presentation exploring the idea of alcoholism as a “family disease.” Led by co-author Tom Adams, this event will draw on research from A Marriage that Changed the World to trace the shared history of AA and Al-Anon, highlighting how early recovery efforts evolved to include both individuals and families. The talk will examine the roles of pioneers like Bill and Lois Wilson and Dr. Bob and Anne Smith, and how their experiences shaped a broader understanding of recovery as a family journey. Attendees will gain fresh insight into the development of these movements, followed by an interactive Q&A session.

About Tom Adams

Tom AdamsTom Adams writes and speaks on topics vital to the intersection of our personal lives with our community and global lives. He has for decades been engaged in and written about nonprofit leadership and transitions, spirituality and spiritual growth, how we each contribute to a more just and equitable world and recovery from addictions and the Twelve Step recovery movement.