Father Edward J. Flanagan is the founder and visionary for what’s known today as Boys Town. He had a dream that every child could be a productive citizen if given love, a home, an education and a trade. He accepted boys of every race, color and creed. Father Flanagan firmly believed, “There are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking.”

Father Flanagan was born on July 13, 1886, in County Roscommon, Ireland. In 1904, he set sail for the United States. Following his ordination in 1912, Father Flanagan was assigned to the Diocese of Omaha. His first parish assignment was Saint Patrick’s in O’Neill, Nebraska. In
March 1913, he was appointed Assistant Pastor to Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Omaha.

On December 12, 1917, Father Flanagan opened his first Boys’ Home in a run-down Victorian mansion in downtown Omaha. In 1921, the Boys’ Home moved to Overlook Farm, its present location near 139th and West Dodge Road. Father Flanagan and Boys Town became internationally known with the help of the 1938 movie, “Boys Town.” He became an acknowledged expert in the field of child care, and toured the United States discussing his views on juvenile delinquency.

The federal government called on Father Flanagan to help children both nationally and internationally. After World War II, President Truman asked him to travel to Asia and Europe to attend discussions about children left orphaned and displaced by the war. During a tour of Europe, he fell ill and died of a heart attack in Berlin, Germany, on May 15, 1948. Funeral services for Father Flanagan were held in the Dowd Memorial Catholic Chapel, located at the heart of his beloved Boys Town. Today, the church is the site of his final resting place.

While ministering to the homeless on the streets of Omaha, Nebraska,
Father Edward Joseph Flanagan developed a lifelong interest in young people and their struggle to grow into responsible, productive members of society. Today, with the contributions of many citizens, the organization Boys Town continues Father Flanagan's mission of saving children and healing families. Boys Town is also home to parenting and child behavior experts who have developed a wealth of original content over the years.

Father Steven E. Boes has been the Boys Town Executive Director since 2005. Under his leadership, Boys Town continues to expand its care across America. The national headquarters remain in Omaha. As one of the largest non-profit child-care agencies in the country, they provide compassionate treatment for the behavioral, emotional and physical problems of children and families. Each year, Boys Town touches the lives of over 2 million people.

Father Flanagan’s simple dream to make the world a better place for children thrives today because people still believe that every child deserves to be valued and loved, and to live a healthy, positive life.

“…The work will continue, you see, whether I am there or not, because it is God’s work, not mine.”
- Father Flanagan