Emily Bissell

Emily Bissell (1861–1948) started the tradition of using Christmas Seals to help fight lung diseases. When Bissell, an active social worker in Wilmington, Delaware, was asked in 1907 to help raise funds for a small facility aiding tuberculosis patients, she began a campaign based on the Danish practice of adding charity stamps to holiday greeting cards. Her efforts were so successful that the campaign was taken nationwide the next year, and Christmas Seals have been used every year since then to raise awareness and funds.

The Emily Bissell stamp was issued in 1980.