Dan Wilson Memoir: Relief, Rehabilitation and Hope: A.F.S.C Work in Germany and Austria

Dan Wilson first became acquainted with the Society of Friends in 1936, and eventually officially joined with his wife, Rosalie, in 1943. They lived in Whittier, California with their two children, Mickey and Larry, who were six and two respectively in 1948. The couple were active members of the Whittier First Friends Church. Wilson was hired by the AFSC in 1947 to raise funds for foreign relief and reconstruction projects, concentrating in Southern California. He then joined the Pasadena Shares initiative which created a “sister city” relationship between the city of Pasadena and Ludwigshafen to encourage comprehensive war relief. In coordination with the AFSC and Pasadena Shares, Wilson embarked on a months-long journey to Ludwigshafen, Germany beginning on June 1, 1948. Wilson returned to the US on September 5th, 1948 in New York, traveling to Philadelphia to debrief his work to the AFSC headquarters and then returning home to Pasadena on September 20th.

Following his travels, Wilson continued to work on projects with the AFSC and other organizations such as C.O.R.E (Committee on Racial Equality). Wilson and Rosalie’s third child, Kathleen Deborah, was born in 1950. In 1952, Wilson shifted from outreach work and became acting director of Pendle Hill and eventually graduated to official director until 1980, working frequently with Douglas Van Steere, who served as clerk at the time.

Sourced from: “Relief, Rehabilitation and Hope: A.F.S.C Work in Germany and Austria” https://www.friendsjournal.org/3011062/ https://pendlehill.org/explore/pendle-hill-beginnings/ https://www.friendsjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/emember/downloads/1973/HC12-50540.pdf