Description

Description: Father E. J. Flanagan (1886-1948), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served in Nebraska, typed and signed this kind letter to a Mr. Erold Beach on July 21, 1939. He apologizes for missing Mr. Beach and “Dick” the last time they visited Boys Town, and says, “I will be here this week end but will leave here for Cleveland, Ohio, on July 27th, as our ball team is going there for Amateur Day and I am to give a talk on that program. Perhaps you can arrange to come this Sunday. I am enclosing an autographed post card picture of myself for Dick in the event he should come and I am not around. This won’t be the same as if he took it himself, but it may answer the purpose in the event we miss one another.” [not included]

Father Flanagan founded the orphanage and educational center, Boys Town, near Omaha, Nebraska in 1921. Boys between the ages of 10 and 16 were educated and taught a trade at the complex. Flanagan’s work with youths became nationally known, especially after the 1938 movie, Boys Town, starring Spencer Tracy as Flanagan and Mickey Rooney as one of the boys. Tracy won the Academy Award for his performance as Flanagan.

Typed on a 10 7/8″ x 8 3/8″ sheet of “Father Flanagan’s Boys Home” imprinted stationery. Item #A01566

Condition: Mailing fold lines, letter had been stored in one of those ubiquitous “sticky” page photo albums and the glue from the page has migrated to the recto of the letter leaving light tidy stripes, otherwise very good condition with a neat, bold signature.