Jimmy Kinnon
Encyclopedia
James Patrick Kinnon was the Co/founder of Narcotics Anonymous
(NA), an international association of recovering addicts. During his lifetime, he was usually referred to as "Jimmy K." due to NA's principle of personal anonymity on the public level. He never referred to himself as the founder of NA, although the record clearly shows that he played a founding role.
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous is a twelve-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous describing itself as a "fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem," and it is the second-largest 12-step organization...
(NA), an international association of recovering addicts. During his lifetime, he was usually referred to as "Jimmy K." due to NA's principle of personal anonymity on the public level. He never referred to himself as the founder of NA, although the record clearly shows that he played a founding role.
Mr. Crookshank
When Kinnon was seven years old he befriended a local alcoholic who he referred to as Mr. Crookshank. He would often find him drunk and beaten. One day Kinnon found him badly beaten up and unresponsive. Kinnon ran for help. Over the following weeks Kinnon did not see Crookshank and after numerous inquiries his mother took him to see his friend. They went to an institution that Crookshank was now a resident of. He was wheelchair bound and incoherent. Upon leaving the facility Kinnon told his mother that when he grew up he was going to help people like Mr. Crookshank.Early life
Kinnon was born in Paisley, Scotland on April 5, 1911. He and his parents moved to the United States in the 1920s. For medical reasons he was separated from his parents on Ellis Island for three and a half days. He befriended a German family while he was waiting for his sister to be cleared of a medical issue. When the family was reunited they moved to Philadelphia. He never saw the German family again. While in Philadelphia Kinnon went to private school and had plans of entering the priesthood. He began using alcohol and drugs which started getting him in trouble. He never followed through with his goal of becoming a priest.Getting Clean
Kinnon Stopped using drugs and alcohol on February 2, 1950. He began attending Alcoholics Anonymous, a twelve-step program. While in Alcoholics Anonymous he met other members who had struggled with addiction to substances other than alcohol. Alcoholics Anonymous often discouraged members from talking about addictions other than alcohol. Kinnon attended meetings of another group called Habit forming Drugs but was disappointed with them.Formation of Narcotics Anonymous
Kinnon and other members of Narcotics Anonymous began holding their own meetings. After some communication with Danny Carlson from New York, who was also trying to set up a program for drug addicts, Kinnon and several others were given permission from Alcoholics Anonymous to adapt the twelve steps. Narcotics Anonymous was founded in 1953.Literature
Most of Narcotics Anonymous early literature was written by James Kinnon. He was the main contributor to the Yellow Booklet, Little White booklet, and Little White Book that were used throughout the 1960s and 1970s. From 1953 to 1977 narcotics anonymous was a gateway for addicts to meet, and attend Alcoholics Anonymous.In 1981 hundreds of Narcotics Anonymous members expanded on this literature and created the Basic Text.Death
James Kinnon died on July 9, 1985 in California. Prior to his death he said, if he ever had a head stone it would read, “All we did was sow some seeds and work and wrought to make this work, so that we and others could live. In Peace, in Freedom and in Love. He was clean for thirty five years at the time of his death.External links
- Narcotics Anonymous History (Real Audio and Windows Media formats)
- Jimmy Kinnon on na12.org
- Official Narcotics Anonymous website
Further reading
- Miracles Happen: The Birth of Narcotics Anonymous in Words and Pictures, Revised version, ISBN 1-55776-341-0
- My Years With Narcotics Anonymous. A History of N.A. by Bob Stone. 1997, Hulon Pendleton Publishing, L.L.C., Joplin, MO, U.S.A., ISBN 0-9654591-0-1
- NA Audio Archive Sampler. 2002, Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. ISBN 1-55776-469-4
See also
- Narcotics AnonymousNarcotics AnonymousNarcotics Anonymous is a twelve-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous describing itself as a "fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem," and it is the second-largest 12-step organization...
- Twelve Steps
- Twelve TraditionsTwelve TraditionsThe Twelve Traditions of twelve-step programs provide guidelines for relationships between the twelve-step groups, members, other groups, the global fellowship, and society at large. Questions of finance, public relations, donations, and purpose are addressed in the Traditions...