Our History

Over a century ago, on December 12, 1917, Father Edward J. Flanagan borrowed $90 to pay the rent on a boardinghouse in downtown Omaha that became the first Father Flanagan's Home for Boys (the name later changed to Boys Town when the Home moved west of the city in 1921). Father Flanagan welcomed all boys, regardless of their race or religion, despite public opposition. By the spring of 1918, 100 boys were living at the Home. Boys Town and Father Flanagan’s fame quickly grew.