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Boys Town, officially Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, is a non-profit organization based in Boys Town, Nebraska, dedicated to caring for children and families.
Boys Town was founded on December 12, 1917, as an orphanage for boys. Originally known as "The City of Little Men", the organization was begun by Edward J. Flanagan, a Roman Catholic priest, while he worked in the Diocese of Omaha. Using a loan of $90, he first rented a home at 25th and Dodge streets, in Omaha, to care for five boys, the first of whom was named John Kresse. From these beginnings, the City of Little Men developed new juvenile care methods in 20th-century America, emphasizing "social preparation as a model for public boys' homes worldwide".
In 1943, Boys Town adopted as its image and logo a picture of a boy carrying a younger boy on his back, captioned "He ain't heavy, Father, he's my brother", a phrase originating with the United Free Church of Scotland. They felt it epitomized the importance of their residents caring for each other and having someone care about them. The saying inspired a song and album by the Hollies.
Boys Town has grown over the years, providing care to children and families across the country. There are nine sites across the United States, in Central Florida, North Florida, South Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska, Iowa, New England, Nevada, and Washington, D.C.
In popular culture
- The movie called Boys Town (1938) featured actor Spencer Tracy portraying Flanagan. It also starred Mickey Rooney, Henry Hull, and Gene Reynolds, and its sequel, Men of Boys Town (1941), also featured Tracy and Rooney.
- A movie named Miracle of the Heart: A Boys Town Story (1986) featured Art Carney and Casey Siemaszko.
- The Boys Town Visitors Center has the world's largest ball of stamps, measuring 32 inches in diameter, consisting of 4,655,000 stamps, and weighing 600 pounds.