Smyrna times., 1963-06-27
Bissell
Recognized
By Future
HOnemakers

national recognition by the Flu
lure Homemakers of America.
The late Miss Emily P. Bis
sell, Wilmington humanitarian
who was widely heralded both
In this country and abroad be-
fore her death in le48, has
proposed for special recog-
milton in the national FILA pro-
gram, 'Homes Make A Nation.
The persons so honored will
be announced at the Future
Homemaker Associations ma
donal convention July 10 in
Chicago.
Miss Bissell's name has been
placed In nomination by the
delegation from Delaware, ac-
cording to Mrs. Mildred Snow
berger, state director of home
economics, Vocational Divi-
sion, State Department of Pub
lie Instruction.
"The House Make a Nation
program is an effort on the
part of the FILA to pay trt-
butte to great citizens who have
contributed a part of their sue
cess In life to their early
home training or to the in
fluence one person may have
had upon them," Mrs. Snow
berger said.
She said that one individual
from each state will be select
ed, and a slide series and
script prepared to illustrate
a representative group of dis
tinguished citizens who have
benefited from proper home
training.
Miss Bissell, Mrs. Snowber-
ger pointed out, devoted her
entire adult life to improving
the home and family life of
others.
''Pioneer work always inter-
ested' her," the home econom-
les director said. "She started
the West End Reading Room In
1889 where the first free
kindergarten, the first child
ren's playground in the state,
the first better babies demon
stration, the first Boys Bri-
gade (forerunner of the Boy
Scouts) and the first free gym
nasium for boys we're started.
miss Bissell was instru-
mental In putting through the
first Child Labor Law in Del
aware, and served on the first
Child Labor Commission. She
was one of the organizers of the
Children's Bureau, and served
on its board until her death.
''She was the first president
of the Consumers League, and
aided the passage of the first
law limiting the hours ofwomen
In industry. At the request of
the Hon. George Gray, she aid
ed him in establishing the Della
ware Chapter of the American
Red Cross in 1904, and served
as its secretary for many years.
"She was a director of the
Associated Charities for many
years, and was chairman of
social service in the FEEDER
alton of Women's Clubs for
eight years. She was president
of the Delaware Anti -Tubercu-
losis Society from 1909 until
her death.
SIN connection with all these
responsibilities came the rails
ing of large amounts of money"
Mrs. Snowberger continued.
''The Christmas Stamp of 1907
was not a monemtary idea lit
was the result of great deal
of practical experience, in
starting and carrying forward
new experiments in Delaware,
applied to this government idea
from Denmark"
Mrs. Snowberger said that the
challenge which resulted In the
Christmas Seal came from Miss
Bissell's cousin, DR.. Joseph P.
Wales. He and a group of other
Wilmington doctors we're oper-
ating a small open-air tuber-
culosis sanatorium which ran
out of funds In October, 1907.
He appealed to his cousin, tell
ing her that unless three hun
dred dollars could be raised
the tuberculous patients would
have to be turned out Ito die
and to spread death before they
die".
''How Miss Bissell succeed
ed In raising the needed money
through Christmas Seals is now
history" Mrs. Snowberger
said. 'fHer contribution has
been of immeasu surable value not
only to Delaware but also to
every state in the nation. 81
In 1887 the city of Whining
ton, the state of Delaware ano
TWO nations paid tribute to Miss
Bissell when the tuberculosis
associations of the United States
unveiled bronze plaque on the
main building of the Brandy
wine Sanatorium, commemor-
ating the founding of the firsI
Christmas Seal In the United
States by Miss Bissell. In 1912
she was awarded the Trudeau
Medal of the National Tuber-
culosis Association, the first
non-professional worker to re-
ceive the award. In l945 she
was honored by the State Board