From a clipping to a fellowship-wide practice
The Serenity Prayer found its way into A.A. in 1941
An A.A. member brought a newspaper clipping to the small New York office, where its few lines immediately struck Bill W. and Ruth Hock as a compact expression of acceptance, courage, and discernment. Within days, 500 wallet cards had been printed. The prayer soon traveled through A.A. correspondence and meetings, even though it had been written outside the Fellowship.
The origin of the Serenity Prayer in A.A. official history and PDF; opens in a new tab“Never had we seen so much A.A. in so few words.”
Bill W., quoted in the G.S.O. paper, page 1 opens in a new tab
From one clipping to thousands of members
New York · Washington · the FellowshipJack C. brings an obituary clipping
Ruth Hock later recalled that Jack showed her a notice from the New York Herald Tribune at A.A.’s Vesey Street office. She began adding the prayer to correspondence sent to groups and members living at a distance.
The clipping reaches the A.A. office historical paper, page 1; opens in a new tabRuth requests a wallet-size card
Ruth wrote to Washington printer Henry S. for the cost of setting the prayer on a small card that members could carry with them.
Ruth Hock’s letter reproduced on page 1; opens in a new tabFive hundred cards arrive without charge
Henry congratulated the person who had found the clipping and sent the first batch as his contribution.
Henry S.’s reply reproduced on page 1; opens in a new tab“I sent you 500 copies…”
The prayer becomes part of A.A. life
Members first referred to it as “the A.A. prayer.” By the late 1940s, “Serenity Prayer” had become the familiar name, and its use had spread well beyond the New York office.
The prayer in A.A.’s 1941 timeline opens in a new tabThe question of authorship
A.A.’s adoption is clear; the prayer’s earliest history is not
- The prayer reached A.A. from outside the Fellowship.
- The 1941 clipping, letters, and first printing are documented.
- Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr has the strongest claim to the recognizable modern form.
- Earlier and parallel expressions complicate a simple account of one first author.
- A.A.’s embrace of the prayer is part of its history, not a claim that A.A. composed it.
Reinhold Niebuhr’s name enters the story
Correspondence and the January 1950 Grapevine connected the prayer with the American theologian.
Niebuhr responds to the question
The historical paper reports that Niebuhr believed he had written the prayer, while allowing that it might have circulated before him.
Claims of a much older origin are examined
G.S.O. investigated supposed ancient, medieval, and eighteenth-century parallels. The evidence did not produce a simple, settled lineage.
A strong attribution with genuine uncertainties
The paper regards Niebuhr’s claim as formidable while preserving unresolved questions about wording, circulation, and earlier formulations.
The authorship investigation SMF-129, pages 6–12; opens in a new tabWhy the prayer remains useful in A.A.
Acceptance · courage · wisdomA living wording tradition
The prayer has circulated in more than one form
The 1941 obituary clipping preserves one arrangement. Later versions vary in punctuation, length, and the order of “courage” and “wisdom,” while retaining the central movement from acceptance to action and discernment.
Wording and historical variants SMF-129; opens in a new tabMeeting practice
Groups use the prayer in different ways
Some meetings begin or close with the Serenity Prayer; others use silence, another prayer, an A.A. reading, or a declaration. The choice belongs to the format developed by the group.
What happens at an A.A. meeting opens in a new tabDaily recovery
Living Sober applies the prayer to immediate decisions
Section Seven invites readers to distinguish what can be changed from what cannot, and then to direct energy toward the action available now. The prayer becomes a practical way to interrupt confusion and return to the present situation.
“Using the Serenity Prayer” Living Sober text and audio; opens in a new tabA.A.’s place in the story
The Fellowship carried the prayer rather than creating it
A.A. members recognized the prayer’s value, reproduced it, and made it part of recovery and meeting life. Its earlier history remains distinct from the history of its adoption within A.A.
The complete historical account opens in a new tabContinue the story
History, practice, and daily application
- The brief history introduces the prayer’s arrival and rapid adoption.
- The full paper reproduces letters and examines competing authorship claims.
- A.A.’s timeline places the 1941 event within the Fellowship’s early growth.
- Living Sober shows how members apply the prayer in difficult moments.
- The meeting guide describes the variety of closing and opening practices today.