Flanagan, Edward

Flanagan, Edward (Joseph)

(1886–1948) Catholic priest; born in Roscommon, Ireland. Emigrating to the U.S.A. in 1904, he was ordained after studies in Europe. In 1914 he opened a home for derelicts in Omaha, Nebr.; convinced that rehabilitation can be effective if begun early, he went on to found Boys Town near Omaha, to house and reform troubled boys (1922). World famous for his work, he went by the adage "There is no such thing as a bad boy."

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.