The history of Christmas seals

It’s only been a few weeks since the American Lung Association launched its 2010 Christmas Seals Campaign, a holiday event where decorative seals, used to adorn Christmas time cards and packages, are purchased to benefit the Lung Association in its mission to prevent lung disease. The time-honored tradition, encompassing a history of 104 years, revolutionized fundraising, became a cultural event, and helped to “stamped out” lung disease. Christmas Seals is the nation’s oldest direct-mail fundraising campaign. Begun in 1907 by Red Cross volunteer and veteran fundraiser Emily Bissell, the campaign sought to raise $300 to save a tiny tuberculosis sanatorium in Delaware. Inspired by the idea from a Denmark fundraiser, Bissell used a $40 loan to start the very first Christmas Seals. Then called “Christmas Stamps,” the decorative seals had no postage value and sold for a penny each at the Wilmington Post Office. Pretty soon, help from a Philadelphia paper and an endorsement from President Roosevelt helped raise $3,000. “Tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the U.S.,” said Deb Brown, CEO of the Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic. “In dealing with this humanitarian crisis, Emily Bissell displayed a great deal of vision. As a result, lives were saved and the plight of tuberculosis became a cause of high visibility.” By year two, Christmas Seals were distributed nationwide. A design by American illustrator and Wilmington, Delaware native Howard Pyle allowed the Christmas Seals - millions printed - to raise $135,000. The start of a national tradition utilized direct mail fundraising, and funded research, hygiene campaigns and mobile x-rays. Tuberculosis was finally controlled and the American Lung Association began to tackle new challenges. As the holiday event grew, so did its national prominence, with celebrity and cultural icon endorsements from Norman Rockwell, Frank Sinatra and Will Smith. The White House’s involvement continued through the decades, with First Lady Jackie Kennedy, and former Presidents Ford and Reagan. By 1990, the Christmas Seals campaign had raised a $35.7 million. Today, it supports the American Lung Association in medical research, education, disease management, smoking cessation and advocacy. Key victories of the organization, such as the smoking ban on airplanes, helping generations quit smoking, medical breakthroughs, passing of smoke-free air laws in 27 states, and FDA regulation of tobacco products, would not be possible with the Christmas Seals campaign. For more information on the American Lung Association’s Christmas Seals Campaign, visit www.ChristmasSeals.org, or call 1-800-LUNG-USA.