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HISTORY QUESTIONS
Q. HOW DID BOYS TOWN GET STARTED? (top)
A. Father Edward J. Flanagan, a Roman Catholic priest and Irish immigrant, knew that boys facing neglect, indifference and ignorance had bleak futures. In their desperation, they often turned to crime. He wanted to get the boys off the streets and away from crime. He borrowed $90 from a friend to open a home for wayward boys in downtown Omaha.
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On December 12, 1917, he opened Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home. Five boys moved in the home in downtown Omaha. Immediately, boys began to come in off the street. Within two months, 25 boys were under Father Flanagan’s care. He believed that rehabilitation rather than incarceration; self-government; and alternative education would help boys be successful. Most importantly, he gave the boys generous amounts of love, care, patience and understanding.
In 1921, Father Flanagan moved his boys to Overlook Farm west of Omaha. The boys later voted to change the name from Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home to Boys Town. In 1936, Boys Town became an incorporated village of the state of Nebraska. Today, Boys Town National Headquarters, also known as “Home Campus”, is located at the historic Village of Boys Town.
Q. HOW HAS FATHER FLANAGAN BEEN COMMEMORATED? (top)
A. Yes. The U.S. Postal Service issued a four-cent stamp in July 1986 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Father Flanagan’s birth. The stamp was part of the Great Americans Series, which honors outstanding Americans. The public submits names of possible candidates for this series to the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, a group selected by the Postal Service.
The Boys Town National Alumni Association recently unveiled a life-size, bronze Father Flanagan statue. The statue, created by world-renowned sculptor Fred Hoppe, will remain at the Village of Boys Town for future generations of girls and boys to enjoy. A second, identical statue was dedicated to the people of Father Flanagan’s birthplace in Ballymoe, Ireland, in October 2001. The statues represent a “sister city” relationship between these two cities monumental in Father Flanagan’s life.
Q. WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE TWO BROTHERS STATUE ? (top)
A. The Two Brothers statue may date back as far as 1921, when Home resident Howard Loomis was photographed being carried by another boy, Jim Edwards. In 1941, Father Flanagan saw an illustration of two boys in a similar pose in the Messenger, a publication of the Louis Allis Co. Over the years, Father Flanagan had seen numerous examples of boys helping each other in a fashion similar to the one depicted in the publication. He thought the drawing would be perfect to illustrate the work done at Boys Town.
Father Flanagan contacted the company for permission to adapt the illustration and phrase for Boys Town’s use. Permission was granted and a painting and statue were commissioned. Thereafter, the trademarked “Two Brothers” and “He ain’t heavy, Father … he’s m’ brother” became universally recognized symbols. The original statue, done in soft sandstone, is housed at Boys Town National Headquarters in Nebraska. The painting was copyrighted for Boys Town’s exclusive use in 1943.
Today, Boys Town utilizes an updated version of two brothers and a similar rendering with two girls in its logo.
Q. HAVE ANY MOVIES BEEN MADE ABOUT BOYS TOWN? (top)
A. Yes. Four movies have been made about Boys Town. In 1938, Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney starred in the feature-length motion picture “Boys Town”, earning Tracy an Academy Award for his portrayal of Father Flanagan. “Men of Boys Town,” also starring Tracy and Rooney, debuted in 1941 as a sequel to the 1938 film. In 1986, “Miracle of the Heart: A Boys Town Story,” a two-hour television movie starring Art Carney, was broadcast nationally. In 1996, the theatrical movie “The Road Home” was released. It is the story of two orphaned boys from 1930s New York who travel cross-country and overcome many obstacles to reach Boys Town. Rooney stars in a cameo role as Father Flanagan.
In addition to the four movies, a documentary entitled “Boys Town: Building Families” was made by the Nebraska Educational Television Network. It has been aired on numerous PBS stations across the nation. Boys Town also has been the subject of numerous television, radio and print news and feature stories.
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