caption death_date pseudonym birth_place nationality birth_date language image article_title name occupation
1907 portrait of emily bissell 1948 1861 priscilla leonard wilmington , delaware united states 31 may 1861 english emily bissell.jpg emily bissell
 emily perkins bissell writer and charitable worker
emily bissell

emily perkins bissell -lrb- may 31 , 1861 -- 1948 -rrb- was an american social worker and activist , best remembered for introducing christmas seals to the united states .
born in wilmington , delaware , she made a name for herself at a young age as the founder of that city 's first public kindergarten and for her efforts to introduce child labor laws in that state .
in 1883 , she founded an organization , now known as the west end neighborhood house that originally provided social services to wilmington 's immigrant irish and german families .
bissell wrote under the pseudonym priscilla leonard .
