From 1905-1915, Dr. Livingston Trudeau was the first President of the, then National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, whose goal was making free clinics available in every city and county for examination and treatment. Trudeau's own struggle against TB prompted him to build a sanatorium in 1884 at Saranac Lake, NY, which was featured on the 1934 Christmas Seal.
In 2008, Trudeau was honored on a US postage stamp (proposed by The Christmas Seal & Charity Stamp Society's own Governor and Director at Large, Dr. Dean Schraufnagel, MD).
The first Managing Director, who served from 1904-1914, was Dr. Livingston Farrand, who guided the Association thru it's infancy to a healthy and flourishing existence. He continued to fight TB, and in 1921 became the fourth president of Cornell University.
Dr. Charles J. Hatfield was the second Managing Director of the NTA from 1914-1922, during a period of expansion and development of it's affiliate associations. Illustrated here with his staff, possibly in 1920 when the Association split from the American Red Cross, and became the "National Tuberculosis Association".
Dr. Linsly Williams, the NTA's third Managing Director from 1922-1928 applied business principles which resulted in continued growth. Before serving in the NTA, he ran the Rockefeller Foundation's efforts to reduce tuberculosis in France, and was awarded the French Legion of Honor.
In 1928 Dr. Kendall Emerson became the fourth Managing Director of the NTA. Seen here with Miss Emily Bissell, designer and promoter of the first US Christmas Seal. Emerson continued serving till 1947 and thru education, mass X-ray testing, and antibiotics, he helped transform TB from a public health threat, to a manageable, curable disease.
Our Christmas Seal collections are testaments of the achievements of the Volunteer Health Movement.
