U.S. commemorative stamp honoring Emily Bissell

On May 30, 1980, the United States Postal Service issued a 15‑cent commemorative postage stamp honoring Emily Perkins Bissell for her introduction of Christmas Seals in the United States and her lifelong crusade against tuberculosis.[2][1] Part of a broader series recognizing contributors to American health and welfare, the stamp featured Bissell’s portrait alongside Christmas Seal imagery, visually linking her identity to the fundraising campaign she helped create.[2][7]

The 1980 stamp, released more than three decades after her death, signaled federal recognition of the historical importance of her work. By then, the Christmas Seal tradition had been firmly integrated into the activities of the American Lung Association (successor to the National Tuberculosis Association), and the concept of small voluntary donations from millions of citizens had become standard in public health philanthropy.[8][11] The stamp’s issue encouraged renewed public interest in Bissell’s story, especially at a time when memories of the pre‑antibiotic tuberculosis era were fading.

From a women’s history perspective, this commemorative issue is significant because it placed a woman social worker—rather than a physician, politician, or military figure—on a U.S. postage stamp, a medium that both reflects and shapes national memory. It acknowledged the crucial role of women’s voluntary activism and organizational skill in building durable health institutions.[2][10] The stamp also helped cement Bissell’s association with Christmas Seals in public imagination, sometimes overshadowing her other contributions such as kindergarten and playground reforms and immigrant Americanization programs. The May 30, 1980 issue date thus marks a posthumous milestone in the recognition of women reformers within official narratives of American public health and social welfare.