Robert Holbrook Smith (August 8, 1879 – November 16, 1950) was an American physician and surgeon who co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous with Bill Wilson, more commonly known as Bill W. He was also known as Dr. Bob.[1] He was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, where he was raised, to Susan A. Holbrook and Walter Perrin Smith.[2] After graduation from Dartmouth College in 1902, he completed medical school at Rush Medical College. Smith was married to Anne Ripley Smith, who played a vital role in the development of the 12 steps of AA. Smith co-founded the recovery movement Alcoholics Anonymous with Bill Wilson, in 1935 in Akron, Ohio.
Smith was called the "Prince of Twelfth Steppers" by Wilson because he voluntarily helped more than 5000 alcoholics. In addition, it was in his home that the basic ideas of AA were developed. Many AA ideas developed initially in an offshoot of the then-popular Oxford Group, which was a Christian movement. Smith said that AA's basic ideas came from their study of the Bible; the Steps, in essence meant "love and service." Although Bill Wilson had helped other alcoholics with little or no success, AA is said to have begun June 10, 1935. This was the day "Dr. Bob" took his last bottle of beer, under the watch of Bill Wilson, to steady his hands for surgery. By applying the spiritual solution of the 12 Steps and working with other alcoholics, Smith was able to stay sober from June 10, 1935, until his death in 1950 from colon cancer.