The Atlanta Men's Workshop was founded in 1982 by the late "Dock" Crandell of Roswell, Georgia with the help of his sponsor, Bill Hollingsworth of Roanoke, Virginia. The first and third workshops were held in Toccoa, Georgia. All others have been held at Rock Eagle 4-H Center near Eatonton, Georgia.

The Workshop was founded for the sole purpose of allowing men to share the joys of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous. Dock even established a scholarship fund, which now bears his name, to assure that no man ever be turned away from the Workshop because he can't afford to attend.

Other workshops patterned after the Atlanta Men's Workshop are now held in numerous other states from the east coast to California. Another is also held at Rock Eagle in January and sponsored by the Heavy Hitters Group in Decatur.

In total, there are twelve workshops that have grown out of the Atlanta Men's Workshop.