Mr. Feeny

George Hamilton Feeney
First appearance	"Pilot"
Last appearance	"Brave New World (Parts 2 & 3)" (Boy Meets World) "Girl Meets Pluto" (Girl Meets World)
Created by	Michael Jacobs April Kelly
Portrayed by	William Daniels
Number of episodes	161
Information
Nickname(s)	Feeny Weeny (by Shawn) Georgie
Aliases	50's Feeny ("I Was a Teenage Spy") Captain Feeny ("I Was a Teenage Spy") The Ghost of Christmas Future ("A Very Topanga Christmas") Fez-Head ("As Time Goes By") WWII Feeny ("No Guts, No Cory") Dream Feeny ("The Psychotic Episode") Imaginary Feeny (Girl Meets World)
Gender	Male
Occupation	U.S. Navy (formerly) Teacher (formerly) (Jefferson Elementary) Principal (formerly) (John Adams High School) Student (formerly) (Pennbrook University of Philadelphia) Professor (formerly) (Pennbrook University of Philadelphia) Retired
Family	Unnamed sister Unnamed brother
Spouse(s)	Lillian (February 14, 1960-?; deceased) Dean Lila Bolander Kincaid Feeny (May 14, 1999-present)
Significant other(s)	Elizabeth
Relatives	Jessica Feeny (niece) Myron (nephew) Unnamed nephew
Hometown	Boston, Massachusetts
Residence	Cedar Heights, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (currently) Jackson Hole, Wisconsin (briefly)

George Hamilton Feeny (William Daniels) Throughout the series, George tries his best to guide young Cory, Shawn, and their friends as they encounter problems in their lives on their road to adulthood. He first appears on the show as their grade-school teacher. He eventually becoming their principal, and lastly college professor (teaching such diverse courses as archaeology, English literature, and quantum physics). Cory mentions more than once that Feeny is the only teacher he has ever had since kindergarten. Later on in the show, George Feeny becomes the mentor and idol of Eric Matthews. George Feeny is a Boston native and enjoys gardening. He delivers the final line of Boy Meets World dialogue in the series finale, directed to an empty classroom just vacated by his beloved students: "I love you all. Class dismissed."

Mr. Feeny was once married to a woman named Lillian, who died before the series began. Although he speaks of her fondly and occasionally, it is not known how or when she passed away, though it is known that they were married on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1960 and celebrated their five year anniversary together at his cabin in the Poconos when she gave him one of his most prized possessions, his watch. This watch is lost by Cory in an accident, though after learning about how much it means to him, he swims in the freezing cold sewer waters in order to successfully retrieve it. Although Feeny had dated another teacher named Elizabeth from Boston off-screen on-and-off for 15 years, a conversation with Eric made him realize that, despite that he and his romantic partner each believed that they should not marry because of their careers, they simply do not love each other. He later marries Dean Lila Bolander (played by William Daniels' real-life wife Bonnie Bartlett; the duo similarly portrayed spouses on St. Elsewhere) on May 14, 1999 in the Matthews' living room, whom he finds success after his relationship with Elizabeth and competition with Dean Bolander's ex-husband Dr. Curtis Kincaid (Francis X. McCarthy) for her affection.

He makes a brief cameo at the end of the Girl Meets World pilot episode as a figment of Cory's imagination, telling him, "Well done, Mr. Matthews", and Topanga likens Cory to him in a later episode.^[1] The character is set to have a greater role in Girl Meets World’s second season, and appears twice within the first four episodes.^[2]

Trivia

• He was the elementary school teacher of Cory Matthews, Shawn Hunter, Topanga Lawrence Matthews, and Stuart Minkus, where he was more authoritarian and not as friendly with Cory and his friends.
• Moved to John Adams High in the beginning season 2 (much to Cory and Shawn's horror), where he became the principal and teacher.
• He has a least one sister living within his school district, as a nephew of his attended John Adams High.
• Another nephew, Myron, (whom he dislikes) was on the counseling staff at Pennbrook University.
• Owned a cabin in the Poconos.
• Mr. Feeny has been married twice: his first wife being Lilian, who is deceased, and his second Lila, the Dean of Admissions for Pennbrook University.
• Continually taught Cory, Topanga, and Shawn at least one class a year from first grade to their sophomore year at Pennbrook.
• Mr. Feeny admitted in the final episode of Boy Meets World, "Brave New World," that he liked Eric's "Feeny Call."
• Although he claims Eric to be annoying and disrupting, Mr. Feeny actually likes him, deep down.
• Every time someone cross-dressed in Boy Meets World, Mr. Feeny would instantly recognize them.
• Mr. Feeny originally had two scenes in the pilot, but the other one was cut in the final product.
• A poster of Mr. Feeny is located on the subway platform, much like in "Train of Fools" when there was a similar poster in the subway behind Cory and Shawn.
• He was Cory, Shawn, Topanga and Eric's teacher from elementary school to college at Pennbrook university.
• A picture of Mr. Feeny and Auggie is pinned on the Matthews kitchen wall near the refrigerator.

References

1. In "Girl Meets Smackle", Topanga defends her insufficient familiarity with all of the life lessons that Cory teaches by explaining that "he has so many of them." This leads her to gasp, "Oh my God; I married Feeny!"
2. "Girl Meets Gravity", "Girl Meets Pluto".