Last Updated on June 15, 2025 by 2626robert
Dr. William Duncan Silkworth (July 22, 1873 – March 22, 1951) was an American physician celebrated for his groundbreaking work in treating alcoholism. Here’s a detailed look at his life and legacy:
Born in Brooklyn, NY, Silkworth was the eldest of three siblings
He earned his BA from Princeton University in 1896 and completed his MD at Bellevue Hospital Medical College (NYU) in 1899
He later specialized in neurology and psychiatry, working in institutions like Bellevue, Presbyterian’s Neurological Institute, and serving in a psychiatric unit during WWI .
- During the 1920s and 1930s, Dr. Silkworth became the director of the Charles B. Towns Hospital for Drug and Alcohol Addictions in New York City ancestors.familysearch.org
- He treated tens of thousands of alcoholics and became known as “the little doctor who loved drunks”, a title reflecting his unwavering compassion silkworth.net+5silkworth.net+5prestongroup.org+5.
- In 1937, he authored influential articles such as “Alcoholism as a Manifestation of Allergy” and “Reclamation of the Alcoholic”, proposing that alcoholism is a physical disease with mental obsession and physiological allergy components
- Dr. Silkworth admitted Bill W. (co-founder of AA) to Towns Hospital multiple times during the early 1930s, profoundly shaping AA’s understanding of alcoholism
- He introduced Bill to the idea that alcoholism was a disease—not a moral failure—and emphasized that recovery requires recognizing one’s powerlessness and seeking a spiritual transformation
- His medical letter became the cornerstone of “The Doctor’s Opinion” chapter in the AA Big Book (1939), giving the fledgling movement vital credibility 4dubgrp.com
- Silkworth married Marie Antoinette Bennett in 1898. They endured personal tragedy—their infant son lived only six days—but stayed married for life.
- He continued to serve AA and promoted hospital-based detox programs, such as the Knickerbocker Hospital’s ward for alcoholics aaagnostica.org.
- He passed away due to a heart attack in Manhattan on March 22, 1951, and was buried in Glenwood Cemetery, New Jersey aagrapevine.org
Dr. Silkworth was a pioneer who reframed alcoholism as a medical disease, not a moral failing, and helped lay the foundation for modern understanding and treatment. His insights into spiritual recovery and his role in AA’s formation continue to shape addiction medicine today.
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