FATHER FLANAGAN OF BOYS TOWN

Garden City, NY: Doubleday & company, Inc., 1949. First Edition (so stated on copyright page) Signed by both authors (father & son) on a front blank page. In 1917, Flanagan founded a home for homeless boys in Omaha. Because the downtown facilities were inadequate, Flanagan established Boys Town, ten miles west of Omaha, in 1921. Under Flanagan's direction, Boys Town grew to be a large community with its own boy-mayor, schools, chapel, post office, cottages, gymnasium, and other facilities where boys between the ages of 10 and 16 could receive an education and learn a trade. Flanagan did not believe in the reform school model, and stated, "there's (truncated) no such thing as a bad boy." Flanagan died in 1948. A 1938 film starring Spencer Tracy, Boys Town was based on the life of Flanagan and Tracy won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance. Mickey Rooney also starred as one of the residents. "He ain't heavy, Father... he's my brother." Those iconic words have symbolized the spirit of Boys Town for decades. 8vo., gray cloth in dust jacket; 302 pages. Illustrated. Foreword by Monsignor Nicholas H. Wegner, Director of Boys Town.. Very Good (covers nice with very minor indentation to front cover; contents clean & tight); bit of wear (minor soil, short tears & tiny creases; $3.00 price is present on the front flap) d/j. (Inventory #: 57041)