Robert Holbrook Smith was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 physician and surgeon who co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...

 with Bill Wilson, more commonly known as Bill W.

Bill W.

William Griffith Wilson , also known as Bill Wilson or Bill W., was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous , an international mutual aid fellowship with over two million members belonging to 100,800 groups of alcoholics helping other alcoholics achieve and maintain sobriety...

 He was also known as Dr. Bob. He was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont

St. Johnsbury, Vermont

St. Johnsbury is the shire town of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,571 at the 2000 census. St. Johnsbury is located approximately northwest of the Connecticut River and south of the Canadian border.St...

, where he was raised, to Susan A. Holbrook and Walter Perrin Smith. After graduation from Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...

 in 1902, he completed medical school at Rush Medical College

Rush Medical College

Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, a private university in Chicago, Illinois. Rush Medical College was one of the first medical colleges in the state of Illinois and was chartered in 1837, two days before the city of Chicago was chartered, and opened with 22 students on...

. Smith was married to Anne Ripley Smith

Anne Ripley Smith

Anne Ripley Smith wife of AA Co-founder Dr Bob Smith, Mother and Co-Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.Anne Smith's influence in AA became widely known through her publication, Anne Smith's Journal, 1933-1939....

, who played a vital role in the development of the 12 steps of AA.