Boys Town
The Plot Against AmericaBoys Town is a home for homeless boys founded in Omaha by Edward Flanagan in 1917. Established to provide for boys of all races and religions, it represents an organized response to their welfare rather than a project restricted to a single community.
Founding and Purpose
Edward Flanagan emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1904 and began studying for the priesthood. Ordained in 1912, he founded Father Flanagan’s Home for Boys five years later in Omaha, with the stated purpose of providing for homeless boys of all races and religions.
Public Recognition
Boys Town entered national prominence in 1938, when a popular film about the home featured Spencer Tracy as Father Flanagan. The film made Flanagan a national figure and brought wider attention to the institution he had founded.
