Henrietta McBrayer Buckler Seiberling (March 18, 1888 – December 5, 1979) was a member of a Christian fellowship group named the

Oxford Group The Oxford Group was a Christian organization (first known as ''First Century Christian Fellowship'') founded by the American Lutheran minister Frank Buchman in 1921. Buchman believed that fear and selfishness were the root of all problems. Fur ...

. Seiberling is well-known for connecting the two men who would found

Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship of alcoholics dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually-inclined Twelve Step program. Following its Twelve Traditions, AA is non-professi ...

Early life

Born in

Lawrenceburg, Kentucky Lawrenceburg is a home rule-class city in Anderson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 10,505 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of its county. Lawrenceburg is part of the Frankfort, Kentucky, micropolitan statistical area. His ...

to Judge Julius A. and Mary Maddox Buckler, Seiberling spent her childhood in El Paso and San Antonio, Texas. A gifted pianist, she attend

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

where she earned an A.B. degree with a major in music and a minor in psychology. She met John Fredrick "Fred" Seiberling, a lieutenant in the

Ohio National Guard The Ohio National Guard comprises the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard. The commander-in-chief of the Ohio Army National Guard is the governor of the U.S. state of Ohio. If the Ohio Army National Guard is called to fede ...

, while he was deployed to El Paso. The couple married in 1917 in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 C ...

, and had three children.

Career

Though Seiberling herself was not an alcoholic, she believed as a Christian that it was her responsibility to solve social problems. Seiberling began the “alcoholic squad" of the Oxford Group Movement. In their first case, Dr. Bob Smith admitted that he was a secret drinker, marking the first time the Akron Oxford Group prayed together to help someone through alcoholism. Although the majority of the Seiberling family were members at a Lutheran church near their house, she was not. Seiberling was more of a "student of the bible," rather than a "church-goer." As Henrietta and Fredrick Seiberling's marriage was crumbling, Henrietta became involved with The Oxford Group. Her daughter Dorothy said, "It gave her a new focus, and helped her see that there was more to life than marital problems." Henrietta grew closer to Bob and Anne Smith, and would call Anne everyday to talk about the comfort they both received through the Oxford Group. In addition to Seiberling's efforts to help sober up Dr. Bob Smith in her Oxford Group, Seiberling became famous in AA history for introducing

Bill W. William Griffith Wilson (November 26, 1895 – January 24, 1971), also known as Bill Wilson or Bill W., was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). AA is an international mutual aid fellowship with about two million members worldwide b ...

to Dr. Bob.After Bill W. worked with Dr. Bob for a while, Dr. Bob had his last drink on June 10, 1935, a date which became AA's founding date. Henrietta Seiberling and her husband were devoted supporters of Alcoholics Anonymous, opening their home to its members and also leading meetings of the Oxford Group for those who were interested.

Personal life

Her son,

John F. Seiberling John Frederick Seiberling, Jr. (September 8, 1918 – August 2, 2008) was a United States representative from Ohio. In 1974, he helped to establish what later became the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and served on the House Judiciary Committee ...

, was a Representative in the United States Congress from Ohio and a member of the Democratic party. Seiberling also had 2 daughters, Mary S. Huhn and Dorothy Seiberling Steinberg, who was a deputy editor for the ''New York Times Magazine''.

Death and legacy

Seiberling died in New York City on December 5, 1979. On her gravestone is an inscription familiar to both the Oxford Group people and to the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous: "Let Go and Let God."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seiberling, Henrietta Buckler 1888 births 1979 deaths People from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky Vassar College alumni Alcoholics Anonymous Ohio National Guard personnel Seiberling family