The Alcohol Problems Council of Wisconsin is a non-profit corporation established for the purpose of conducting a statewide educational program on alcohol. “If people want to drink they are going to drink, whether it is legal or not; therefore we see our work primarily as education, not legislation - we are seeking to convince, not to corral.” This statement comprises the basic premise of the organization. Besides educating the public on the dangers of alcohol, other group goals include assisting rehabilitation of alcohol victims, promoting total abstinence from alcohol, fostering beverage alcohol research, publishing and distributing alcohol literature, and cooperating with other organizations to combat alcohol problems.
Prominent leaders of APCW include Dr. Earnest Parish (Executive Director, 1948-1960), Frank Nelson (President, 1948-1963), Charles Velte (Vice President, 1948-1963; President, 1963-1977), Reverend Ray Bayley (Director of Education, circa 1956-1960; Executive Director, 1960-1973), William Stevens (Vice President, 1963-1977; President, 1977-circa 1991), Russell Reed (Director of Public Relations, 1967-1971; Associate Director, 1971-1973), and Claude Witt (Executive Director, 1976-1983).
The Board of Directors, consisting of thirty to sixty members, oversees the affairs of the organization. They meet annually to review activities, determine policy, and elect four officers and five additional members to the Executive Committee. The Board is responsible for the financial solvency of APCW. The Executive Committee is responsible for the overseeing of day-to-day operations, meeting ten times yearly to authorize and direct expenditures and programs and to engage staff members. The Executive Director is responsible to the Executive Committee for all operations of APCW. All staff members have direct access to the Executive Committee.
In 1948, the organization's headquarters was in Madison, Wisconsin. After the merger in 1952, the main office was moved to 161 W. Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In December of 1960, the principal office moved back to Madison at 301 South Blount Street. In 1966 the office switched to 302 East Washington Avenue in Madison. After Bayley's resignation in 1973, the office was vacated, but the mailing address remained. Witt reestablished the East Washington office after his arrival in 1976. In the late 1980's the office briefly moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin only to return to Madison several years later.
Dr. Earnest C. Parish founded the Wisconsin Temperance Movement (WTM) on April 29, 1948 after responding to a divine call to full time temperance work in Wisconsin. On November 11, 1948, the first Board of Directors was officially elected and four months later, an office was opened in Madison.
While the WTM was promoting total abstinence from alcohol, so were two other organizations: The Wisconsin Temperance Federation (previously called the Wisconsin Anti-Saloon League) and the Wisconsin Temperance Education Association. It soon became evident a united temperance front in Wisconsin would be more productive. On January 1, 1952, these three organizations merged into one organization called the United Temperance Movement of Wisconsin. The name was changed to Alcohol Problems Council of Wisconsin (APCW) in 1966.
As Executive Director, Parish carried out a grueling schedule of preaching, fund raising, travel, organization, speaking to school assemblies, and delivering commencement addresses throughout Wisconsin. In 1959, Parish announced his resignation, effective April 30, 1960, due to ill health. A special committee was formed under the direction of Charles Velte to seek a suitable Executive Director. The organization's Education Director, the Reverend Ray W. G. Bayley, was chosen as Parish's successor as Executive Director. Bayley began his duties on May 1, 1960.
APCW was divided into four committees: Education, Church Relations, Public Relations, and Finance. Alcohol education was the main thrust of APCW. Bayley organized public speaking appearances in schools, churches and organizations throughout Wisconsin. Bayley and other staff members led lively classroom discussions on alcohol problems in public and private high schools. The group also sponsored Dr. Glenn Cunningham, the famous middle distance runner of the 1936 Olympic Games, to give presentations at school assemblies. For two weeks a year, Cunningham traveled throughout Wisconsin to present his program, “Clean Living and the Race of Life.” The arrangement with Cunningham lasted from 1954 to 1973. During the 1955-56 school year, Bayley and Cunningham spoke at 107 schools in Wisconsin reaching 47,460 people in attendance. Public speaking appearances netted $27,627.64 in financial income.
APCW found it important to establish a good working relationship with pastors of Christian churches in Wisconsin. As an ordained minister, Bayley and other qualified staff often made appearances as guest preachers. They were prepared to go into any church in any community and present the problems of the modern use of alcoholic beverages and their relation to the church and community. Methodist and Baptist churches were the most receptive to their services. APCW also co-sponsored the Alcohol Studies Church Camp together with the Youth Temperance Council from 1962 to 1971. The camp, held at Camp Lucerne, had a total volunteer staff and was geared toward junior-high students. For one week each summer, junior-high students would gather to study the Bible and listen to alcohol presentations. Many other church camps also used the APCW services, sometimes for a single presentation to an entire camp, or sometimes to small groups or even as an entire camp period as one of the major study groups.
APCW produced various publications to increase public awareness. A newsletter called “The Challenge” began production in 1956 and was sent to the entire supporting constituency to spread their message. Bayley also wrote a special pamphlet entitled “Pastor, I Need Help. I Think I'm an Alcoholic,” which was distributed to all clergyman on the mailing list.
APCW also set up exhibit booths at the Wisconsin State Fair. They showed films on alcohol and distributed tons of literature on the dangers of alcohol to the general public. Alcohol literature was also distributed to school teachers and principals at the two teacher conventions held annually at Milwaukee and Eau Claire. Many school engagements were arranged via these conventions. Staff also attended church conferences to explain the services of APCW to clergy and lay delegates. Presentations to service clubs and community organizations also opened the door to an entirely different group of people.
APCW relied solely on church offerings and donations from loyal supporters to finance all their activities. Letters soliciting donations were sent to supporters twice a year at Easter and Christmas. APCW programs were limited only by the amount of available money. At its inception, APCW support was strong. They received financial backing from many schools and churches. Gradually in the 1960's financial support of APCW dwindled. On March 1, 1967, Russell Reed joined the staff of APCW as the Public Relations Director. Russell Reed is quoted as saying “Having a Director of Public Relations will not solve your financial problems unless members of the organization and its Board of Directors will work together with him.” Cooperation occurred, but in too few instances.
According to an analysis conducted by Reed in 1969, APCW had gone backward in several areas. They had discontinued participation at the Wisconsin State Fair and changed the plan of operation at the Wisconsin Teachers Association. Newsletter production was decreased from 6 issues per year to 2 issues a year. The contributor list stagnated. Schools and churches were no longer requesting presentations. A request for Board of Directors members to secure school and church bookings in their own areas was a total failure. Reed also noted the net deficit had remarkably decreased but APCW had yet to be in the black for over four years. Reed voluntarily reduced his salary to meet payments on $6,500.00 worth of addressing equipment so the budget did not have to increase.
In October of 1969, Bayley presented a “dream program” on the future of APCW entitled “Where We Ought to Be - And How to Get There.” Unfortunately many of Bayley's dreams for APCW never materialized. Apathy on the part of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee posed a serious threat to APCW's continuation. Due to limited driving ability, Reed asked for his title to be changed from Director of Public Relations to Associate Director with duties limited to local obligations. In May of 1973, Reed reduced his hours to half time and accepted employment with Forest Product Research Society. Reed was frustrated over his deferred salary due to lack of APCW funds. By June 1973, APCW was $13,300 in debt. Immediate action was needed to bring APCW out of debt. Bayley challenged each Director to find seven people willing to contribute $125.00 on an annual basis. The response to the appeal for funds was not sufficient to wipe out the debt.
The September 25, 1973 meeting of the Executive Committee decided the future fate of APCW. The committee accepted the resignation of Bayley as Executive Director, to become effective on December 31, 1973. Financial conditions forced the following decisions: retain secretarial help until December 31, 1973 on a part-time basis; release Russ Reed at his request effective September 30, 1973; retain Bayley's office until October 31, 1973 and retain the main office until December 31, 1973.
The office at 302 East Washington, Madison, Wisconsin was vacated. Office equipment was sold. Reverend William Stevens continued to publish “The Challenge” newsletter in 1974 and 1975. The Executive Committee continued to make pleas for financial donations to retire all debt and build funds to become an active organization again. The few diligent members of the Executive Committee remaining refused to accept defeat and began a search for a new Executive Director. Dr. David Evans, an active member of the Michigan Council on Alcohol Problems, was hired as the new Executive Director in 1975. Unfortunately family circumstances prevented Evans from moving to Wisconsin.
1976 and 1977 brought several APCW personnel changes. After a long and hard search, the Executive Committee hired Claude M. Witt. In August of 1976, Witt moved from Kentucky with his family to restart APCW. In February of 1977 Charles Velte, age 94, asked to be relieved of his duties as Council President. Velte had held the position for over 20 years. Reverend William Stevens took over the Presidential duties.
Witt tried desperately to revitalize the APCW. He successfully increased involvement in the public schools and service clubs. By 1978 APCW had entered over 150 schools in Wisconsin. He was successful in procuring an insurance company to buy copies of alcohol films for school use. The films were sent to over 75 schools in 1978. Witt attempted to organize a Legislative Committee to disseminate information on issues in the State Legislature related to drug and alcohol problems to APCW supporters. Unfortunately the legislative program was not successful.
Witt was also unable to revitalize the church support. Most of the church support received came from United Methodists and Southern Baptists. In 1980 and 1981 only 26 churches gave contributions. After a particular plea for money sent to over 2000 churches, he received only two guaranteed supporters. Response to his letter requesting funds included “Do not bother me with sarcastic letters,” “We cannot support you because of your call to total abstinence,” and “We don't allow drinkers in our church so we don't need you.” Financial problems again plagued ACPW.
Being from Kentucky, Witt's family had difficulty adjusting to the formal religious climate and the cold snowy winters. He was disheartened by the different view of alcohol by people in the North. According to Witt, Northern folks weren't too receptive to his “good old Southern boy” attitudes. Witt began looking for new employment as a pastor of a Southern Baptist congregation. Unfortunately Witt had difficulty finding a pastoral position. Witt finally left as Executive Director of APCW in July of 1983 to take up similar work in Kentucky.
During the mid-1980's a handful of APCW Executive Committee members continued to meet periodically. The group was dormant until Jean Sable was hired as Executive Secretary in August of 1987. Reverend Fay Johnson was also hired as the Field Representative in Northern Wisconsin. Sable moved the headquarters to Whitewater, Wisconsin. The organization's new motto was “A Pledge to Say “NO” - Makes Life a Rainbow.” Sable worked cooperatively with student groups at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater to teach them about alcohol education so they could spread the message in their own communities. She wrote her own one-act, one-woman play entitled “Please Remember Me” based on her own true-life battle with alcoholism and performed it at churches, high schools, and colleges throughout Wisconsin. She presented her play to various schools around Wisconsin.
As of 1998, headquartered in Madison, the Alcohol Problems Council of Wisconsin continues to educate people on the dangers of alcohol.
