Boys Town: The Constant Spirit maps the remarkable journey of a tiny youth refuge, Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, from its humble beginnings in December 1917 to its role as a leading national force in youth care by the end of the century. Compiling over 200 photographs from the Boys Town archives, author James R. Ivey recreates the history of the ideas, successes, and triumphs of Father Flanagan and his boys. In 1917, Father Edward J. Flanagan, a Roman Catholic priest and Irish immigrant, borrowed $90 from a friend to open a home for wayward boys in downtown Omaha. The first five boys he took off the streets moved in just after Thanksgiving of that year, and a legacy was born. Featured here in vintage photographs are the first house at 25th and Dodge Streets, the move to the spacious Overlook Farm, the road to Hollywood, and Father Flanagan's rarely noted assistance to Japanese Americans during World War II.

James R. Ivey is a retired newspaper staff writer, and is the author of several articles on the history of Boys Town, which is now under the banner of Girls and Boys Town. This new book captures the spirit of Father Flanagan, through providing training and long-range care to a million youth and parents snared in the web of common social problems facing the 21st century family.

Published by Arcadia Publishing
Pages: 128