A former University of Oregon faculty member and administrator will speak to the City Club of Eugene Friday, Sept. 26, about letters her father wrote about his work to provide medical care for survivors of the Dachau concentration camp.

Clarice Wilsey now is a legacy speaker for the “Letters From Dachau” project from the Holocaust Center for Humanity, based in Seattle. At the City Club meeting, she will be joined by Bob Welch, the former Register-Guard columnist (now a contributor to Lookout Eugene-Springfield). In 2020, Wilsey and Welch co-authored a memoir, “Letters From Dachau: A Father’s Witness of War, a Daughter’s Dream of Peace.”

The meeting begins at noon Friday at WOW Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave. Admission is free.

In 2009, as Wilsey was clearing out the family home, she found a box with more than 300 letters her father, Dr. David Wilsey, sent to his wife, Emily, documenting his experiences treating patients who had been tortured and starved by the Nazis. Wilsey was among the first doctors to care for the survivors.

In the words of one of his letters: “War & Dachau change lots of things that you will have to just see for yourself.” When he returned stateside, he was unable to share in person his experiences.

At Friday’s meeting, Clarice Wilsey will describe the discovery of the letters and will share excerpts. She will also talk about the work she’s doing now with the Holocaust Center for Humanity. Welch will discuss the process of writing “Letters From Dachau” and the lessons he learned.

Friday’s meeting will also be streamed live on the club’s Facebook page and its YouTube channel. Meetings are rebroadcast on Mondays at 7 p.m. on KLCC, 89.7 FM.

The City Club of Eugene explores issues and helps create solutions. Membership is open to all.

Mike McInally is a Pacific Northwest journalist with four decades of experience in Oregon and Montana, including stints as editor of the Corvallis Gazette-Times and the Albany Democrat-Herald.