BOYS TOWN, Neb. (AP) — A Texas teenager has been elected mayor of Boys Town, Nebraska.

The Rev. Edward Flanagan, who founded the home for wayward youth, conceived the self-government system in 1926 as a tool to build character and a sense of community among its residents. Boys Town is small incorporated village on the western edge of Omaha.

Jason Landin, of Laredo, Texas, was elected Tuesday as the 117th mayor. The new vice mayor is TiJaih Davis, of Baltimore.

The 16-year-old Landin runs track and cross country and is a student council member. Davis is 17 and a football captain who also runs track.

The election process was made famous in the 1938 movie “Boys Town.” Mickey Rooney portrayed Whitey Marsh, a young tough who turns his life around and becomes Boys Town mayor.