Biography of Father Flanagan, the founder of Boy's Town.
Early Life
John and Honora Flanagan were living on Leabeg Farm, near the village of Ballymoe, County Roscommon when their son, Edward Joseph, was born on July 13, 1886. Edward was an intelligent but somewhat sickly boy who loved to read, and his parents sacrificed to make sure he received the best education within their means.
The Road to the Priesthood
Edward’s family were devoted Catholics, and he responded to the church’s call to faith. In the summer of 1904, 18 year-old Edward and his brother sailed for America on the White Star Line’s S.S. Celtic. He matriculated at St. Joseph’s seminary in New York City and began preparations for the priesthood. Edward was an excellent student, but pneumonia forced his return to Ireland in December 1906.
It took nearly a year for Edward to recuperate sufficiently to restart his studies. Under the sponsorship of the Bishop of Omaha, Nebraska, he entered Gregorian University in Rome, Italy in October 1907. Five months later, respiratory problems would again send him back to Ireland and test his resolve to achieve ordination. Edward persevered, showing a characteristically fierce tenacity. Eighteen months later, he entered the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and continued his studies in theology. His indefatigable efforts resulted in ordination to the priesthood on July 26, 1912.
Humble Beginnings
Fr. Flanagan would spend the next five years laboring in parishes in and around Omaha and O’Neill, Nebraska. His work brought him close to the harsh realities of agrarian life in the Midwest. Deeply touched by the desperation of the poor, he borrowed $90 and rented a home at 25th and Dodge streets in Omaha. Local courts entrusted Father Flanagan’s Boys Home with five destitute boys on December 12, 1917, and an American institution was born.
From a House to a Town
Six months later, Fr. Flanagan moved his boys to the abandoned German American house on 13th street to accommodate a growing number of court-remanded charges. He appealed directly to parishioners in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa for more funds, and purchased Overlook Farm, some 10 miles west of Omaha, in May 1921. Five years later, Overlook Farm officially changed its name to Boys Town. Fr. Flanagan’s firm, loving hand guided the daily operations of Boys Town for the next 25 years, instilling self-respect, discipline, industry, and compassion in the lives of thousands of unfortunate boys who had no one to guide them and no other options in life.
Years later, Fr. Flanagan would recall and remark, “I know when the idea of a boys’ home grew in my mind, I never thought anything remarkable about taking in all of the races and all of the creeds. To me, they are all God’s children. They are my brothers. They are children of God. I must protect them to the best of my ability.”
Hollywood Calls
The success of Boys Town was an irresistible story to Hollywood, who turned it into a memorable movie starring Spencer Tracy and a young Mickey Rooney. Metro Goldwyn Mayer shot the film on location June 26 through July 5, 1938. Tracy’s memorable performance as Fr. Flanagan earned him the Best Actor Oscar® that year. Tracy gave the statuette to Fr. Flanagan as a gift, inscribed, “To Father Edward J. Flanagan, whose great human qualities, kindly simplicity, and inspiring courage were strong enough to shine through my humble efforts.”
Washington Calls
Fr. Flanagan’s work later drew the attention of the federal government. The War Department asked him to tour Japan and Korea in 1947, where he met with General Douglas MacArthur to investigate the needs of war orphans in Asia. President Harry S. Truman received Fr. Flanagan’s report in person at the White House on July 11, 1947.
A tireless worker, Fr. Flanagan was abroad again soon, seeking to raise more funds for charitable work. He was suddenly stricken and died of a heart attack in Berlin, Germany, on May 15, 1948. President Truman laid a wreath on his tomb in Boys Town two weeks later.
Equal Opportunity
Boys Town has grown and evolved over the years. Today the 900-acre campus is a National Historic Landmark and draws over 100,000 visitors each year. Girls were admitted to the facility beginning in 1979; in 2000, the name was changed to Girls and Boys Town to reflect that fact. Today, Fr. Flanagan’s organization also offers social services through satellite facilities in 15 states and through the Boys Town National Research Hospital.
A Philosophy Lived
Fr. Flanagan maintained a long, public dialogue concerning his then-revolutionary views on childcare issues. Perhaps his philosophy is best summarized by his contention that, “A boy or girl given the proper guidance and direction – kept busy and constructively occupied during their leisure or free time – will prove my statement that there is no such thing as a bad boy or girl. I have yet to find a single boy or girl who wants to be bad.”
For more information, visit the official Boys Town website.
