document_title: Single parent

question_text: what is the percentage of single parents in america

text: Single parent

text: History[edit]

text: Single parenthood has been common historically due to parental mortality rate (due to disease, wars and maternal mortality). Historical estimates indicate that in French, English, or Spanish villages in the 17th and 18th centuries at least one-third of children lost one of their parents during childhood; in 19th-century Milan, about half of all children lost at least one parent by age 20; in 19th-century China, almost one-third of boys had lost one parent or both by the age of 15.[4] Divorce was generally rare historically (although this depends by culture and era), and divorce especially became very difficult to obtain after the fall of the Roman Empire, in Medieval Europe, due to strong involvement of ecclesiastical courts in family life (though annulment and other forms of separation were more common).[5]

text: Demographics[edit]

text: In the United States, since the 1960s, there has been a marked increase in the number of children living with a single parent. The 1980 United States Census reported that 19.5% were single parent households. From 1980 to 2009, the percentage of single-parent households jumped to 29.5%.[6] The jump was caused by an increase in births to unmarried women and by the increasing prevalence of divorces among couples. In 2010, 40.7% of births in the US were to unmarried women.[7] In 2000, 11% of children were living with parents who had never been married, 15.6% of children lived with a divorced parent, and 1.2% lived with a parent who was widowed.[8][9] The results of the 2010 United States Census showed that 27% of children live with one parent, consistent with the emerging trend noted in 2000.[10] The most recent data of December 2011 shows approximately 13.7 million single parents in the U.S.[11] Mississippi leads the nation with the highest percent of births to unmarried mothers with 54% in 2014, followed by Louisiana, New Mexico, Florida and South Carolina.[12]

text: About 16% of children worldwide live in a single-parent household.[13] In 2006, 12.9 million families in the US were headed by a single parent, 80% of which were headed by a female.[14][15] In 2003, 14% of all Australian households were single-parent families.[16] At the 2013 census, 17.8% of New Zealand families were single-parent, of which five-sixths were headed by a female. Single-parent families in New Zealand have fewer children than two-parent families; 56% of single-parent families have only one child and 29% have two children, compared to 38% and 40% respectively for two-parent families.[17] In the United Kingdom, about 1 out of 4 families with dependent children are single-parent families, 8 to 11 percent of which have a male single-parent.[18][19][20] UK poverty figures show that 52% of single parent families are below the Government-defined poverty line (after housing costs).[21] Single parents in the UK are almost twice as likely to be in low-paid jobs as other workers (39% of working single parents compared with 21% of working people nationally). This is highlighted in a report published by Gingerbread, funded by Trust for London and Barrow Cadbury Trust.[22]

text: Countries in Asia and the Middle East are the least likely to have children raised in single parent households. On the other hand, the 3 areas of the world that are most likely to have non-marital childbearing are Latin America, South Africa, and Sweden. Along with this, the areas where there are an extremely high number of children living in single parent homes include Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania. It has also been shown that children living in areas of South Africa are the very most likely to live with a single parent.[23]

text: Overall, according to the New York Times', how a single parent is defined is dependent on each individual country's culture. There are statistical graphs and charts to support previously mentioned concerns and topics. The following reference ensures statistics of other countries worldwide, rather than just the United States.[24]

text: Debates[edit]

text: There is some debate among experts as to what the important component of the family structure is, particularly in the US, centering on whether or not a complete family or the love and affection of the children's parents is more important. There are even some that argue that a single parent family is not even really a family.[25] In American society, where living standard is very high, single moms and single dads are more likely to be poor, not only because they don't have help in the household, but also because they didn't have much money to begin with.[26] With respect to this, recent public policy debates have centered on whether or not government should give aid to single parent households, which some believe will reduce poverty and improve their situation, or instead focus on wider issues like protecting employment.[27] In addition, there is a debate on the behavioral effects of children with incarcerated parents, and how losing one or both parents to incarceration affects their academic performance and social well-being with others.[28]

text: A variety of viewpoints exist and the debate is complicated by different interpretations of available research.[citation needed] The Institute for the Study of Civil Society reports that children of single parents, after controlling for other variables like family income, are more likely to have problems. The ONS reports that those children are twice more like to suffer from mental illness.[29] Researchers show that children with no fathers are three times more likely to be unhappy, and are also more likely to engage in anti-social behavior, abuse substance and engage in juvenile deliquency.[30][31][32][33]

text: It is encouraged that each parent respect the other, at least in the child's presence[by whom?], and provide child support for the primary caregiver, when parents are not married or separated.[27][34] The civil behavior among separated parents has a direct effect on how child copes with their situation; this is especially seen in younger children who do not yet understand their familial separation, requiring both parents to establish a limited friendship to support the upbringing of their child.[34]

text: Single-parent household children's educational achievement[edit]

text: In this section we will use data from U.S. Census bureau and the National Assessment of Educational Progress to evaluate how the increase in single-parent households may have affected children's educational achievements. The percentage of children living with single parents increased substantially in the United States during the second half of the 20th century. According to Child Trends, 2013 only 9% of children lived with single parents in the 1960s—a figure that increased to 28% in 2012.[35] The main cause of single parent families are high rates of divorce and non-marital childbearing. According to Blankenhorn 1995,[36] Fagan 1999,[37] Pearlstein 2011,[38] Popenoe 2009[39] and Whitehead 1997[40] researches, single parent family is the primary cause of school failure and problems of delinquency, drug use, teenage pregnancies, poverty, and welfare dependency in American society. Using multilevel modeling, Pong 1997 and Pong 1998 high proportions of children from single parent families perform very poorly on math and reading achievement tests in schools.

text: Primary caregivers in the United States[edit]

text: United States single mothers[edit]

text: In the United States, 83% of single parents are mothers.[41][42] Among this percentage of single mothers: 45% of single mothers are currently divorced or separated, 1.7% are widowed, 34% of single mothers never have been married.[1][43] Although decades ago, having a child outside of marriage and/or being a single mother was not prominent. Census information from 1960 tells us that in that year, only nine percent of children lived in single parent families.[44] Today four out of every ten children are born to an unwed mother.[45]

text: The prevalence of single mothers as primary caregiver is a part of traditional parenting trends between mothers and fathers. Data supports these claims, showing that in comparison to men, women are doing more than two-thirds of all child caring and in some cases one hundred percent.[46] Of approximately 12 million single-parent homes in 2015, more than 80 percent were headed by single mothers.[45] This disproportionate statistic has been well- documented in multiple country contexts all around the world.[47] The United States Census Bureau found that today, one in four children under the age of 18, a total of 17.4 million are being raised without a father at all.[45] Women all around the world have been perpetually socialized to adhere to traditional gender roles that place the majority of responsibility for childcare upon them.[48]

text: Cultural definition of a mother's role contributes to the preference of mother as primary caregiver. The "motherhood mandate" describes the societal expectations that good mothers should be available to their children as much as possible.[49] In addition to their traditional protective and nurturing role, single mothers may have to play the role of family provider as well; since men are the breadwinners of the traditional family, in the absence of the child support or social benefits the mother must fulfill this role whilst also providing adequate parentage. Because of this dual role, in the United States, 80% of single mothers are employed, of which 50% are full-time workers and 30% are part-time. Many employed single mothers rely on childcare facilities to care for their children while they are away at work. Linked to the rising prevalence of single parenting is the increasing quality of health care, and there have been findings of positive developmental effects with modern childcare.[citation needed] It is not uncommon that the mother will become actively involved with the childcare program as to compensate for leaving her children under the care of others. Working single mothers may also rely on the help from fictive kin, who provide for the children while the mother is at her job. All of these factors contribute to a well-documented heightened likelihood for single-parent, female-headed households to experience poverty.[50]

text: Single mothers are one of the poorest populations, many of them vulnerable to homelessness. In the United States, nearly half (45%) of single mothers and their children live below the poverty line, also referred to as the poverty threshold.[45] They lack the financial resources to support their children when the birth father is unresponsive. Many seek assistance through living with another adult, perhaps a relative, fictive kin, or significant other, and divorced mothers who remarry have fewer financial struggles than unmarried single mothers, who cannot work for longer periods of time without shirking their child-caring responsibilities. Unmarried mothers are thus more likely to cohabit with another adult.[51] Many of the jobs available to women are not sufficient and do not bring in enough income for the mother and her children; this is common in the United States and other countries all over the world.[52]

text: Father[edit]

text: In the United States today, there are nearly 13.6 million single parents raising over 21 million children.[better source needed] Single fathers are far less common than single mothers, constituting 16% of single-parent families.[53] According to Single Parent Magazine, the number of single fathers has increased by 60% in the last ten years, and is one of the fastest growing family situations in the United States. 60% of single fathers are divorced, by far the most common cause of this family situation. In addition, there is an increasing trend of men having children through surrogate mothers and raising them alone.[54] While fathers are not normally seen as primary caregivers, statistics show that 90% of single-fathers are employed, and 72% have a full-time job.[43]

text: "Father" has been variously defined throughout history as provider, dad, and even sire,[55] carrying connotations of being demanding, disciplinary, and even cruel. Yet, as the writer Armstrong Williams remarks in the article "The Definition of Father," "...every father must take the time to be a dad as well as a friend, disciplinarian, shoulder to cry on, dance partner, coach, audience, adviser, listener, and so much more." Williams, the writer quoted above, goes on to say that he viewed his father as the driving force in his family and also someone who brought strength and compassion to his family.[56] In addition to these qualities, the single father must take on the role of the mother, a role that extends deep into morality, devotion, and the ability to set up an educational yet nurturing environment.[57] Thus it is the father's role to be a source of both resilience and strength, and love and compassion.[56]

text: Little research has been done to suggest the hardships of the "single father as a caretaker" relationship; however, a great deal has been done on the hardships of a single-parent household. Single-parent households tend to find difficulty with the lack of help they receive. More often than not a single parent finds it difficult to find help because there is a lack of support, whether it be a second parent or other family members. This tends to put a strain on not only the parent but also the relationship between the parent and their child. Furthermore, dependency is a hardship that many parents find difficult to overcome. As the single parent becomes closer to their child, the child grows more and more dependent upon that parent. This dependency, while common, may reach far past childhood, damaging the child due to their lack of independence from their parent. "Social isolation of single parents might be a stress factor that they transmit to children. Another explanation may be that the parents do not have the time needed to support and supervise their children. This can have a negative impact on the child."[58]

text: Just as above, it has been found that little 'specific' research to the positives of the father as a single parent has been done; however, there are various proven pros that accompany single parenting. One proven statistic about single fathers states that a single father tends to use more positive parenting techniques than a married father. As far as non-specific pros, a strong bond tends to be formed between parent and child in single-parenting situations, allowing for an increase in maturity and closeness in the household. Gender roles are also less likely to be enforced in a single parent home because the work and chores are more likely to be shared among all individuals rather than specifically a male or female.[59]

text: Mental health of single mothers[edit]

text: It has been statistically proven that the lack of social support for single mothers causes them to spiral into depression. Over 9.5 million American families are run by one woman.

text: Single mothers are likely to have mental health issues, financial hardships, live in a low income area, and receive low levels of social support. All of these factors are taken into consideration when evaluating the mental health of single mothers. The occurrence of moderate to severe mental disability was more pronounced among single mothers at 28.7% compared to partnered mothers at 15.7%.[60] These mental disabilities include but are not limited to anxiety and depression. Financial hardships also have an impact on the mental health of single mothers. Women, ages 15–24, were more likely to live in a low socio-economic area, have one child, and not to have completed their senior year of high school. These women reported to be in the two lowest income areas, and their mental health was much poorer than those in higher income areas.[60]

text: A similar study on the mental health of single mothers attempted to answer the question, "Are there differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, between married, never-married, and separated/divorced mothers?" Statistically, never married, and separated/divorced mothers had the highest regularities of drug abuse, personality disorder and PTSD.[61] The family structure can become a trigger for mental health issues in single mothers. They are especially at risk for having higher levels of depressive symptoms.[62]

text: Studies from the 1970s showed that single mothers who are not financially stable are more likely to experience depression.[63] In a more current study it was proven that financial strain was directly correlated with sky rocket levels of depression.[63] Among low-income, single mothers, depressive symptoms may be as high as 60%.[64]

text: Types of single parenting[edit]

text: Widowed parents[edit]

text: Historically, death of a partner was a common cause of single parenting. Diseases and maternal death not infrequently resulted in a widower or widow responsible for children. At certain times wars might also deprive significant numbers of families of a parent. Improvements in sanitation and maternal care have decreased mortality for those of reproductive age, making death a less common cause of single parenting.

text: Divorced parents[edit]

text: Divorce statistics[edit]

text: In 2009, the overall divorce rate was around 9/1000 in the United States. It was also found that more influence came from the south, with the rates there being about 10.5/1000, as opposed to the north where it was around 7/1000.[65] This resulted in about 1.5% (around 1 million) children living in the house of a recently divorced parent in the same year.[66] Along with this, it has been shown that for the past 10 years or so, first marriages have a 40% chance of ending in divorce.[citation needed] And, for other marriages after a first divorce, the chance of another divorce increases. In 2003, a study showed that about 69% of children in American living in a household that was a different structure than the typical nuclear family. This was broken down into about 30% living with a stepparent, 23% living with a biological mother, 6% with grandparents as caregivers, 4% with a biological father, 4% with someone who was not a direct relative, and a small 1% living with a foster family.[67]

text: Around the mid-1990s, there was a significant amount of single parents raising children, with 1.3 million single fathers and 7.6 million single mothers in the United States alone.[citation needed] However, many parents desire, or attempt, to get sole custody, which would make them a single parent, but are unsuccessful in the court process. There are many parents who may single parent, but do so without official custody, further biasing statistics.

text: Children and divorce[edit]

text: Child custody in reference to divorce refers to which parent is allowed to make important decisions about the children involved. Physical custody refers to which parent the child lives with. Among divorced parents, "parallel parenting" refers to parenting after divorce in which each parent does so independently; this is most common. In comparison, cooperative parenting occurs when the parents involved in the child's life work together around all involved parties' schedules and activities, and this is far less common. After a certain "crisis period," most children resume normal development; however, their future relationships are often affected, as they lack a model upon which to base a healthy long term relationship. Nonetheless, as adults children of divorcees cope better with change.[68][69][70]

text: Children are affected by divorce in many different ways, varying by the circumstances and age of the child. Young children ages two to six are generally the most fearful of parental separation, and often feel abandoned or confused. Both boys and girls have the same amount of trouble coping, but often show this in different ways. Nonetheless this age group adapts best to their situations, as they are often too young to remember their non-custodial parent vividly. Children ages seven to twelve are much better at expressing emotions and accepting parentage breakage, but often distrust their parents, rely on outside help and support for encouragement, and may manifest social and academic problems. Adolescents cope the worst with divorce; they often struggle most with the change, and may even turn away from their family entirely, dealing with their situation on their own. They often have problems expressing feelings, similar to far younger children, and may have adjustment issues with long-term relationships due to these feelings.[71] Keeping in touch with both parents and having a healthy relationship with both mother and father appears to have the most effect on a child's behavior; which leads to an easier time coping with the divorce as well as development through the child's life.[72] Children will do better with their parents divorce if they have a smooth adjustment period. One way to make this adjustment easier on children is to let them "remain in the same neighborhoods and schools following divorce."[73]

text: Unintended pregnancy[edit]

text: Some out of wedlock births are intended, but many are unintentional. Out of wedlock births are not acceptable to society, and they often result in single parenting. A partner may also leave as he or she may want to shirk responsibility of bringing up the child. This also may result in a negative impact on the child.[74] Where they are not acceptable, they sometimes result in forced marriage, however such marriages fail more often than others.

text: In the United States, the rate of unintended pregnancy is higher among unmarried couples than among married ones. In 1990, 73% of births to unmarried women were unintended at the time of conception, compared to about 44% of births overall.[75]

text: Mothers with unintended pregnancies, and their children, are subject to numerous adverse health effects, including increased risk of violence and death, and the children are less likely to succeed in school and are more likely to live in poverty and be involved in crime.

text: "Fragile Families" are usually caused by an unintended pregnancy out of wedlock. Usually in this situation the father is not completely in the picture and the relationship between the mother, father, and child is consistently unstable. As well as instability "fragile families" are often limited in resources such as human capital and financial resources, the kids that come from these families are more likely to be hindered within school and don't succeed as well as kids who have strictly single parents or two parent homes.[76] Usually within these families the father plans to stick around and help raise the child but once the child is born the fathers do not stay for much longer and only one third stay after five years of the child's birth.[77] Most of these fragile families come from low economic status to begin with and the cycle appears to continue; once the child grows up they are just as likely to still be poor and live in poverty as well.[78] Most fragile families end with the mother becoming a single parent, leaving it even more difficult to come out of the poverty cycle. The gender of the baby seems to have no effect if the father is not living with the mother at the time of the birth meaning they are still likely to leave after one year of the child's birth. Yet there is some evidence that suggests that if the father is living with the mother at the time of the birth he is more likely to stay after one year if the child is a son rather than a daughter.[79]

text: Choice[edit]

text: Some individuals choose to become pregnant and parent on their own. Others choose to adopt. Typically referred to in the West as "Single Mothers by Choice" or "Choice Moms" though, fathers also (less commonly) may choose to become single parents through adoption or surrogacy. Many turn to single parenthood by choice after not finding the right person to raise children with, and for women, it often comes out of a desire to have biological children before it is too late to do so. Previous generations typically did not have this option and were coerced by social pressure to marry someone less than ideal or undergo a shotgun wedding in order to experience parenthood in a socially-acceptable way.

text: Xin con[edit]

text: Xin con or "asking for a child" was practiced in Vietnam by women veterans of the Vietnam War who had passed the customary age of marriage while engaged in the war. They asked men to help them conceive a child. In 1986 legitimacy of children of single mothers in Vietnam was recognized by the Marriage and Family Law.[80]

text: Single parent adoption[edit]

text: History of single parent adoptions[edit]

text: Single parent adoptions have existed since the mid 19th century. Men were rarely considered as adoptive parents, and were considered far less desired. Often, children adopted by a single person were raised in pairs rather than alone, and many adoptions by lesbians and gay men were arranged as single parent adoptions. During the mid 19th century many state welfare officials made it difficult if not impossible for single persons to adopt, as agencies searched for "normal" families with married men and women. In 1965, the Los Angeles Bureau of Adoptions sought single African-Americans for African-American orphans for whom married families could not be found. In 1968, the Child Welfare League of America stated that married couples were preferred, but there were "exceptional circumstances" where single parent adoptions were permissible.[81]

text: Not much has changed with the adoption process since the 1960s. However, today, many countries only allow women to adopt as a single parent, and many others only allow men to adopt boys.[82]

text: Considerations[edit]

text: Single parent adoptions are controversial. They are, however, still preferred over divorcees, as divorced parents are considered an unnecessary stress on the child.[83] In one study, the interviewers asked children questions about their new lifestyle in a single-parent home. The interviewer found that when asked about fears, a high proportion of children feared illness or injury to the parent. When asked about happiness, half of the children talked about outings with their single adoptive parent.[84] A single person wanting to adopt a child has to be mindful of the challenges they may face, and there are certain agencies that will not work with single adoptive parents at all. Single parents will typically only have their own income to live off of, and thus might not have a backup plan for potential children in case something happens to them.[85] Traveling is also made more complex, as the child must either be left in someone else's care, or taken along.[86]

text: Single parent adoption in the United States[edit]

text: Single parent adoption is legal in all 50 states, a relatively recent occurrence as California's State Department of Social Welfare was the first to permit it in the 1960s. Still, the process is arduous, and even next to impossible through some agencies.[83] Adoption agencies have strict rules about what kinds of people they allow, and most are thorough in checking the adopter's background.[87] An estimated 5-10% of all adoptions in the U.S. are by single persons.[85]

text: Single parents in Australia[edit]

text: Statistics[edit]

text: In Australia 2011, out of all families 15.9% were single parent families. Out of these families 17.6% of the single parents were males, whilst 82.4% were females.[88] During the 1960-2016 period, the percentage of children living with only their mother nearly tripled from 8 to 23 percent and the percentage of children living with only their father increased from 1 to 4 percent. The percentage of children not living with any parent increased slightly from 3 to 4 percent.[89]

text: Single parent adoption[edit]

text: Single people are eligible to apply for adoption in all states of Australia, except for Queensland and South Australia. They are able to apply for adoption both to Australian born and international born children, although not many other countries allow single parent adoptions.[90]

text: Payments[edit]

text: Single parents in Australia are eligible for support payments from the government, but only if they are caring for at least one child under the age of eight.[91]

text: Living arrangements for single parents[edit]

text: Many single parents co-residence with their parents, more commonly single mothers do this. Studies show that in the US it is more likely that a single mother will co-residence with the Grandparents. It is more likely that single parents struggling financially with young children, will live with the Grandparents.[92]


document_title: List of Boy Meets World characters

question_text: who plays angela's father on boy meets world

question_tokens: who plays angela 's father on boy meets world

root

text: List of Boy Meets World characters

text: Main characters[edit]

text:
Character

Actor

Seasons

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Cory Matthews

Ben Savage

Main

Mr. Feeny

William Daniels

Main

Amy Matthews

Betsy Randle

Main

Eric Matthews

Will Friedle

Main

Shawn Hunter

Rider Strong

Main

Stuart Minkus

Lee Norris

Main

Does not appear

Guest

Does not appear

Morgan Matthews

Lily Nicksay (s. 1–2)Lindsay Ridgeway (s. 3–7)

Main

Recurring

Main

Alan Matthews

William Russ

Main

Topanga Lawrence

Danielle Fishel

Recurring

Main

Mr. Turner

Anthony Tyler Quinn

Does not appear

Main

Does not appear

Eli Williams

Alex Desert

Does not appear

Main

Does not appear

Jack Hunter

Matthew Lawrence

Does not appear

Main

Angela Moore

Trina McGee-Davis

Does not appear

Recurring

Main

Rachel McGuire

Maitland Ward

Does not appear

Main

tag: table

text: Cory Matthews[edit]

text: Cornelius A. "Cory" Matthews (Ben Savage) is the main character of the series. His best friend is Shawn Hunter, and his mother and father are Amy and Alan Matthews. By the end of the series, he has three siblings: Eric, Morgan, and Joshua. Cory is friends with Topanga Lawrence, his "first true love", whom, he eventually marries late in the series. Sometimes, Cory does not get along with Topanga, when Cory is not doing the right thing, or not doing things the right way (humorously), complete with deadpan humor and puns. Mr. George Feeny is Cory's teacher/principal, mentor, and neighbour. He goes to him for advice on his problems. Cory always works his problems out. In the last episode, it is revealed that Cory is actually short for 'Cornelius'. He is not fond of this fact, yet he ends up forgetting about it and going on with his life.

tag: p

text: Cory struggled in high school, where he often had trouble with bullies and has less-than-stellar study habits. Cory's personality changes somewhat as he gets older. For the first few years, he's a slacker and just barely a better student than Shawn. One major difference between Cory and Shawn is that Cory seems to get more worked up or neurotic about random things, whereas Shawn is more laid back. If Cory does not want to do something school-related, he will make a big production about the fact that he does not want to do it, and how unnecessary he finds it; whereas Shawn will just not do it, preferring to fall asleep or make paper airplanes. During the junior and senior years in high school, Cory becomes a hard working student, able to raise his GPA in addition earning an adequate SAT score to get accepted into colleges. As the series progresses, Cory's "slacker" tendencies diminish, and his neuroses increase, along with his pessimism and paranoia. This leads Cory to occasionally develop an inferiority complex; such as Shawn gets better ideas than him when participating their high school's work study program, meeting art prodigy Alexandra Nechita, and Topanga gets a better job than this after they got married.

text: When Cory and Topanga begin their relationship, many women seem to be attracted to Cory, which Shawn explains as girls being attracted to men who are off the market. In the past, Cory has kissed other women while with Topanga; Lauren (Linda Cardellini), whom Cory develops an affectionate bond with at a ski resort, led to him being suffered indecision between the two women and break up with Topanga for a while until they reconcile, and a college girl almost had sex with him once.

text: By the end of the series, Cory, Topanga, and their friends eventually left Philadelphia for an internship that Topanga got with a law firm in New York City, and by the time of the events of Girl Meets World, Cory has had two children with Topanga, a daughter named Riley plus a son named Auggie. Cory is, at this point in his life, a seventh-grade history teacher and his daughter is also in his class. In this spin-off series, Cory, who is now matured and experienced, plays the similar role as his father Alan and George Feeny had; mentoring his children and their friends about life, while still learning his craft as a young teacher (akin to Jonathan Turner).

text: Mr. Feeny[edit]

text: George Feeny (William Daniels) Throughout the series, Feeny 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 becomes 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, Mr. Feeny becomes the mentor and idol of Eric Matthews. 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."

text: Mr. Feeny was once married to a woman named Lillian, who died before the series began. Although Feeny had dated another teacher named Elizabeth from Boston off-screen for 15 years, a conversation with Eric made him to realize that, despite that he and his romantic partner each believed that they are not married 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), 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.

text: 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 made two appearances in the second season, and appeared again in the third and final season.[2]

text: Amy Matthews[edit]

text: Amy Matthews (Betsy Randle) is the wife of Alan Matthews and the mother of Eric, Cory, Morgan, and Joshua Matthews. During the earlier years of the show, Amy was a real estate agent and eventually became an art gallery worker toward the end of the show.

text: Amy often plays counterpoint to Alan in giving their children discipline and guidance. In dealing with Eric, she always discourages "babying" him, whereas several episodes involving Cory see a much more gentle and motherly Amy.

text: Eric Matthews[edit]

text: Eric Randall Matthews (Will Friedle) is the elder brother of Cory, Morgan, and Joshua Matthews. He began the show as a suave, popular young man, who constantly went out on dates. He was originally portrayed as the stereotypical elder brother. Eric's character changed mid-series from preppy elder brother to "crazy, moronic brother". During the fourth season, Eric takes a year off from school when he doesn't get into a college of his choice.

text: Eric often plays off his hero and mentor, Mr. Feeny. Though Eric and Feeny are not originally seen as having a close relationship, the two develop a bond, that—at least in Eric's mind—is one of love. It was even implied once that Eric likes to tell people (such as Rachel) that Feeny is his grandfather. This culminates at the end of the fifth season when Eric sings a rousing of "To Sir, With Love" at Cory's high school graduation. Eric is also the creator of the "Feeny call", and even makes a talking doll for Feeny to "make the call", so Feeny will not miss him when he moves to New York with the others.

text: Eric is actually highly intelligent, and Feeny mentions that Eric can get passing grades in his sleep (in fact, he once did).  He compares this to Cory who, though lacking Eric's natural intelligence, makes up for it by being hard-working when he wants to be, and thus succeeds. Eric, on the other hand, is too lazy and immature to be anything but a ridiculous "goof-off", to the annoyance of his family and Mr. Feeny, in addition lacking confidence to his own capability to succeed academically. In Girl Meets World, Cory mentions that Eric is the only person he knows who can do the impossible, and later Jack Hunter asks if he's still an "idiot genius".

text: During the later years, storylines involving Eric became stranger and wackier, often bending the rules of reality itself, such as an episode where Eric continually tries to sneak up on Topanga by using many disguises and crazy situations. The change from a girl-crazy cool-conscious teenager (the first half of the series) to a scatter-brained odd-ball (the second half of the series) was a drastic change. Eric often provides comic relief in tough situations throughout the series. It is hinted that he is a fan of the raunchy animated comedy South Park, as he has made references to the program, by doing voice impressions of Cartman and other South Park characters on different occasions.

text: On the contrary, Eric has appeared sensitive when it comes to matters of family and friends, as in the episode "Brotherly Shove", where Eric feels rejected by Cory when he was not asked to help clean out the garage, which was filled with memories from their childhood. Also, in the episodes "The War" and "Seven the Hard Way", the audience realizes that Eric finds friendship a serious matter and values it more than anything, apparent in his quote, "Lose one friend, lose all friends. Lose yourself." At one point be befriends a young orphaned boy named Tommy and wants to adopt him, but ultimately decides against it, so Tommy can live with a family that can better support him. Upon graduating college in the series finale, Eric decides to get a new lease on life, and in doing so: he moves to New York City with his brother, sister-in law, and Shawn.

text: During the interim between the events of Boy Meets World and the sequel series Girl Meets World, Eric moves upstate, and is elected mayor of [the fictional] St. Upidtown, on the Quebec border. By his own admission, he has no understanding whatsoever of the town's political problems, but the electorate trust him because of his handling of their personal issues. Topanga intentionally mispronounces the municipality's name by disregarding the period and space, thus rendering it "Stupidtown".[3]

text: Initially, Friedle declined to reprise his role in the sequel series Girl Meets World, but later became a recurring character; Eric made his initial appearance in the season 2 episode "Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels"; when Cory's daughter Riley and her best friend Maya have a major argument that threatens to destroy their friendship, Eric is called in by Cory to mediate and he successfully reconciles the girls.  The episode title is a reference to the Boy Meets World Season 7 episode "Seven the Hard Way"; and he again administers his "Lose one friend…" mantra.  Early plans for the sequel had Eric's son, Troy, being a prominent part of the cast; the role of the teenage relative is instead filled by Cory and Eric's youngest brother, Joshua (now portrayed by Uriah Shelton).

text: At the end of "Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels", a TV news anchor reports a major political blunder by Jefferson Davis Graham, a six-term Senator from New York, wrecking his chances of re-election, unless he can find someone even more incompetent to run against him, and the anchor hints at the prospective opponent by showing a picture of Eric (in his guru garb).  In the later episode "Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels Goes To Washington", Eric is chosen to run in the upcoming senatorial election against the incumbent Graham, but when it is revealed that Eric was recruited by Graham's own political advisor in an attempt to get Graham back in good graces with the electorate, Eric is crushed, but Riley and Maya, using a giant bowl of Cocoa Puffs, encourage him to get back in the race.  During the televised senatorial debate, the public gets a first-hand opportunity to compare Eric's innate goodness against Graham's incompetence, and Eric goes on to win the election.  He gets strong praise and recommendation from a blogger named T.J. who turns to be a now-grown up Tommy.[4]

text: Shawn Hunter[edit]

text: Shawn Patrick Hunter (Rider Strong) was born in Ohio and lived in Oklahoma for a while as a child. He had been in five different schools before the age of 12. Shawn has been the best friend of Cory Matthews for nearly their whole lives, since the two met when Cory fell into an animal pen at a zoo and Shawn came to his rescue. Shawn has a personality almost opposite Cory's; Shawn takes more risks and has more of a bad boy image. Their personality differences do cause problems between the two a few times, but these problems never destroy their friendship. Later seasons depict the relationship between Cory and Shawn as being so intimate that it causes Topanga to be jealous, and several innuendos are made referencing the subconscious homoerotic nature of their friendship.

text: In the first season of Boy Meets World, not much is known about Shawn except that he is Cory's best friend. In season two and thereafter, the show begins to focus on Shawn's life as well. In the beginning, Shawn lives with both his parents, Chet and Virna Hunter. One day, Virna runs off with the trailer and Shawn is left under the care of the Matthews family while Chet chases after his wife. When the Matthews find out that Chet will not be returning for a while, Jonathan Turner, a teacher at John Adams High School, offers to take care of Shawn and eventually to become his legal guardian. About a year later, Chet comes back and Virna temporarily rejoins her family before eventually taking off again. Shawn goes through several ups and downs throughout the show, including briefly joining a cult and nearly succumbing to alcoholism, similar to his father. In a later season, Shawn's half-brother Jack arrives in town for college. Shawn moves in with Jack and Eric Matthews, Cory's older brother, leaving Chet free to take off again. However, on a trip back to town, during which Chet attempts to reconcile with Shawn and promises to finally stay, Chet dies of a heart attack. In later seasons, Shawn is able to talk to Chet as a ghost. During the final episodes of the series, Shawn discovers that Virna is not his biological mother when she sends him a letter after Chet's death. Apparently, Chet was left to take care of Shawn after his biological mother, who was actually a stripper, left shortly after his birth. Despite the Matthews family's offer to legally adopt Shawn after he discovers this, Shawn declines, declaring that he still has Jack as family and he still needs to take care of the Hunter clan.

text: Shawn is a ladies' man, a trait which Cory is constantly envious of. However, Shawn is jealous of Cory's close, long-term relationship with Topanga. Later in the series, Shawn falls in love with a girl named Angela. They have a tempestuous relationship, but genuinely care for each other. Angela eventually leaves as well, to travel with her military father.

text: In the episode "Fraternity Row" it is revealed that during high school Shawn was challenged in writing, but "Poetic License: An Ode to Holden Caulfield", reveals that during college he has improved significantly and additionally has had a lifelong affinity for poetry. He is also a skilled photographer, and nearly chooses a job at a glamour magazine company over college.

text: At the end of the series, Shawn moves to New York with Cory, Topanga, and Eric. Revealed during Girl Meets World, however, Shawn left New York the day of the birth of Cory and Topanga's daughter Riley, ultimately making a name for himself as a world-traveling writer and photographer. When he returns to the city, he forms a bond with Riley's best friend Maya, sharing a similar childhood upbringing and both coming from broken homes. He also forms a bond with Maya's mother Katy, who shares a similar feeling of abandonment due to her husband and Maya's father's leaving. By the second season, Riley is hopeful that Shawn will become Katy's husband and Maya's father, although Shawn still has unresolved feelings for Angela. Angela returns with news that she has since married a military man, like her now-deceased father, and wants advice on whether she'd be a good mother or not, which she insists can only come from Shawn. Shawn encourages her to be a mother, and Angela encourages Shawn to pursue a relationship with Katy. Shawn and Katy eventually date and get married, and Shawn becomes a father figure to Maya.[5]

text: After directing two first-season episodes of Girl Meets World, Rider Strong has become a fixture behind the scenes, while also making appearances in a recurring role.

text: Stuart Minkus[edit]

text: Stuart Minkus or simply just Minkus (Lee Norris) was the resident genius and nerd in Cory's sixth grade class. During his time on the show, he was shown as being in love with Topanga, and was often made fun of by Cory and Shawn. Everyone referred to him as simply "Minkus", except Topanga and Mr. Feeny. Before Topanga's character changes, he was the one constantly obsessed with grades and academic achievements. Minkus was on the show from 1993–1994, reappearing in the "Graduation" episode in 1998, with Minkus and Topanga now portrayed as bitter rivals. The reason given for his absence was that his classes were on the other side of the school all along.

text: He is never seen or mentioned again afterwards in Boy Meets World.

text: Despite his brief tenure on Boy Meets World, Stuart appears as a major recurring character in the sequel Girl Meets World, with Norris reprising his role. He makes his first appearance the episode "Girl Meets Maya's Mother" where he is revealed to be the doppelganger father of Farkle, one of Riley Matthews' best friends. He brags to Cory and Topanga that he has become a wealthy businessman who owns a helicopter. Despite being a married man, Stuart still longs for Topanga. His wife and Farkle's mother, Jennifer (Kristanna Loken) an ex-girlfriend of Shawn Hunter makes her first appearance in the second season. Jennifer appeared as the main antagonist in two episodes of Boy Meets World. In the updated series she is shown to be a much nicer, doting parent.

text: Morgan Matthews[edit]

text: Morgan Matthews (Lily Nicksay; seasons 1-2/Lindsay Ridgeway; recurring season 3, main seasons 4–7) is the only daughter of Alan and Amy Matthews, the younger sister of Eric and Cory and the older sister of Joshua. She inexplicably disappeared after the show's second season and reappeared midway through the following season played by a different actress. In the episode of her return, a joke is made about her long absence. Upon her reappearance, she says, "That was the longest timeout I ever had!" With the introduction of a new actress in the role came a shift, not just in age, but also in personality as Morgan went from being the cute and innocent girly girl little sister interested in dolls and pretty dresses and perfume to being a more sassy, rude and sarcastic and more tomboyish character who delights in making fun of her brothers, especially Cory. In the series finale she, along with Amy and Alan, say goodbye to Cory, Eric, Shawn and Topanga when they depart for New York.

text: Both Nicksay and Ridgeway appear as Morgan in the series finale of Girl Meets World. A joke is even made about the two, with Cory and Topanga's son, Auggie being frightened when he is comforted by both.

text: Alan Matthews[edit]

text: Alan Matthews (William Russ) is the husband of Amy Matthews, and the father of Eric, Cory, Morgan, and Joshua. Alan, as the father of the Matthews children, provides guidance to his children. He has a quick temper, though when it shows up, usually through consultation with his wife, he often apologizes afterwards for words spoken in anger. In some later episodes, Alan does not support Eric in all of his ventures, and Amy, in turn, tells Alan that his coddling of Eric is the reason Eric has turned out the way he is.

text: Alan was also somewhat of a "father figure" for Shawn Hunter. He explained to Cory in the first season that he saw a lot of his younger self in Shawn, and encouraged Cory to be there to help Shawn through his tough life. While there were times when he thought that Shawn was too much of a negative influence, such as when Cory and Shawn were arrested for underage drinking, he always cared about Shawn's well-being, even stating in the fourth season that he would "kill to protect Shawn from con men like you" to a cult leader who was trying to take advantage of Shawn's feelings of isolation.

text: He began his career as the manager of the Market Giant supermarket, eventually winning a prized "Grocie" Award. Prior his marriage, Alan joined the United States Navy instead of enrolling in college after high school, a decision he is regretting and glad that his children did not made the same choice. In the episode "Better Than the Average Cory", reveals that after Alan's father's health deteriorated, he took over his job as a janitor for a factory before working at Market Giant. Eventually, he becomes disillusioned with his standard "9-5" job that he had worked for so many years, and quits without discussing it with his family first. A brief period of family distress follows, with Amy proclaiming that she will, in turn, "make a major decision that affects the entire family without consulting with him first". Accordingly, she purchases a sporting goods and outdoor supply store that is up for sale, which Alan happily takes over, and renames Matthews & Son.

text: Topanga Lawrence[edit]

text: Topanga Lawrence-Matthews (Danielle Fishel) is Cory's main love interest. Her character underwent dramatic changes during the course of the series. When she was initially introduced in the first season, first as a guest character and later recurring, she was a hippie vegetarian and somewhat of an outcast, sitting at the table with the other "weird kids". Even her name was taken from a hippie hangout, Topanga. California. However, once the characters entered high school (and Danielle Fishel became a main character), she became more of a "regular teenage girl", and her beliefs about the environment and other topics were less emphasized. Much was now made of the fact that Topanga was the most attractive and the most popular girl at school, and academically successful. She also cut her trademark long hair in an episode in season 4 while trying to show Cory that true beauty is on the inside. She grows distant from her parents, whom she once was very close to; by the fourth season. In A Long Walk To Pittsburgh Part 1, her parents force her to move to Pittsburgh; but in part 2, she runs away from them back to Philadelphia to be with Cory. Her relationship with her parents became further apart after their divorce.

text: Also starting in high school, her on-again/off-again relationship with Cory became one of the major elements of the show. Their relationship seems to mirror traditional high school sweethearts, dealing with normal boyfriend/girlfriend problems; such as Cory suffers indecision between Topanga and another girl named Lauren (Linda Cardellini) which causes them to break up until reuniting in "Starry Night". The series tries to justify this by saying that Cory and Topanga first met as toddlers and became best friends, only to be driven apart as they grew older and Eric pressured Cory to think of girls as "icky". By the time of the first-season episodes, Cory has apparently completely forgotten about Topanga and knows almost nothing about her.

text: Although Topanga was accepted to Yale University, she decided to attend Pennbrook College with Cory and their friends. She proposed to Cory at their high school graduation. They married during their sophomore year (during the final season), after which the show attempted to put them in stereotypical marriage problem situations. At the end of the series, she and Cory, along with Eric and Shawn, moved to New York City where Topanga pursued a law internship.

text: Shortly after the Boy Meets World finale, Topanga became pregnant and later gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Riley. Several years later, she had a second child, a son named August "Auggie" Matthews. In addition to raising the family, Topanga continues her pursuit of a career in law and eventually passes the bar exam. Cory and Topanga's marriage continued in Girl Meets World, by which point Topanga has become a successful attorney and soon the owner of a local Ukrainian bakery, and Riley is thirteen years old.

text: It is strongly implied that Topanga's name is the result of a journal entry by her maternal grandmother, Rosie McGee, concerning a chance encounter with a young artist in 1961.[6]

text: She has, in her own words, a middle name even more embarrassing than "Topanga".

text: Mr. Turner[edit]

text: Jonathan Turner (Anthony Tyler Quinn) was the teacher of Cory, Shawn, and Topanga starting in the second season. His more laidback approach to teaching often clashed with Mr. Feeny's more traditional methods, and the students found that they could more easily identify with the hip, Harley-riding Mr. Turner. In the second season, Shawn found residence with Mr. Turner (when his dad went on a cross-country search for Shawn's mother Verna), and found in him a friend and mentor. Mr. Turner remained on the show until midway through the fourth season, when he was put in the hospital after being involved in an accident. When Chet Hunter got back, Shawn again lives with his father briefly, until Chet had him live with his half-brother, Jack, as his roommate; thus Jack taking over the guardianship for Shawn from Chet. As homage to the character, the show made a references to him in the last episode of Season 5; when Stuart Minkus returns for a cameo and calls out to an unseen Mr. Turner, indicating that he has recovered from his accident and returned to work. Mr. Turner is also best friends with Eli Williams.

text: Mr. Turner later returns as a recurring character in Girl Meets World beginning with the episode "Girl Meets the New Teacher" where it is revealed that after his accident he fell in love with his nurse and married her. He has also gone on to become the superintendent of New York's public school system. Cory's daughter, Riley, sees him as an uncle figure as he has formed an even closer affinity with the Matthews family than before, visiting their home often. Though thankful for him being a good educator, Topanga holds a grudge against Turner because he gave her an A- in high school. He made another appearance in the episode "Girl Meets Creativity".

text: Eli Williams[edit]

text: Eli Williams (Alex Désert) was another teacher to Cory, Shawn, and Topanga. He joined the show in season three when his best friend and former college roommate Jonathan Turner got him a job at the school, teaching media arts. Like Turner, Williams is considered "hip and cool", and can relate easily to the young students. However, being a former journalist at a television station in Philadelphia, he sometimes finds teaching and reaching out to students to be a difficult chore, something that Turner helps him out with. Stories in the third season were written to focus on the friendship between Turner and Williams and the single bachelor life of dating, partying, and socializing that they experience outside of their teaching, showing the life of young adults post-college. Williams had a starring role throughout the third season, and is last seen in the episode "Brother, Brother".

text: Although he is never mentioned again after season three, he is featured in flashbacks via archive footage in the series finale "Brave New World", and as a result, Alex Désert (who by this time was co-starring on Becker) is credited as a special guest star despite never making an actual appearance.

text: In the DVD commentaries, Michael Jacobs and some of the actors discuss the network pressure during seasons 2 and 3 to bring more young adult characters to the cast. Eli Williams strongly reflects this trend.

text: Despite Michael Jacobs' intention to include every Boy Meets World cast member on Girl Meets World, Eli Williams never made an appearance.

text: Jack Hunter[edit]

text: Jack Hunter (Matthew Lawrence) is Shawn's paternal half-brother, and very different from him. Growing up in a wealthy stepfamily at New York City, Jack has money, works out, and has experienced relatively little difficulty in his life. Besides Shawn, Jack has at least one maternal half-sister at home.

text: Jack's mother left Chet Hunter with her son due to not being able to cope with her former husband's alcoholism, and eventually she and Chet both remarried after their divorce. Shawn learned about Jack's existence from his father when he was seven years old, he was happily written to his half-brother in hopes of getting acquainted as brothers. Jack's mother, however, hid Shawn's letters from her son, leaving Shawn to believe that his half-brother turned his back on his paternal family with his mother for years until Jack finds out. Despite of it, Jack and Shawn did meet before the former enrolled to Pennbrook College at some point, but they weren't yet aware of Jack's mother's deception at the time.

text: Despite Jack resenting his father for his past alcoholism, he also wants to have relationships with him and Shawn, which leads him to choose Pennbrook in hopes of becoming close to them. Dialogues imply that though Jack has a good relationship with his stepfather, but never as close as Jack would like with his father. Jack's aversion to his family's alcoholism makes him vow never to drink, and tries to save Shawn from it in one episode. However, despite having been raised by his stepfather, Jack had a gambling problem—a trait he shares with his father, but falls into brief relapse when placing a school bet. When Chet visiting his sons at Pennbrook, he is beginning to reconcile with them before his death, leaving both Jack and Shawn devastated.

text: Chet had Shawn to live with Jack during the latter's senior year in high school, effectively having Jack taking over the guardianship for Shawn from his father and Jonathan Turner until his half-brother's graduation, though Shawn eventually move back in with him later. Like Eric and Cory Matthews, Jack and Shawn share a comical and somewhat hostile sibling rivalry which ultimately ends with reconciliation; they have acknowledged each other brothers with Jack entering Shawn's life.

text: He became Eric's roommate, and the pair developed a friendship parallel to their siblings'. Jack, along with Eric, pined for Rachel after she moved in with the two, eventually winning this battle once Eric realizes he was competing more for the sake of competing, rather than due to any genuine feelings for Rachel. The relationship between Jack and Rachel ultimately doesn't work out. Jack's personality was often adapted to the episodic storyline, rather than having his own distinct character.

text: He once mentions having six percent body fat, though he confides that in high school he was referred to as "Jumbo Jack", much to Eric's amusement.

text: In the Girl Meets World season two episode "Girl Meets Semi-Formal", it is revealed that Jack left the Peace Corps and ended his relationship with Rachel. He has joined a corporation looking to buy Eric's vote for a pipeline which would harm the environment. Jack ultimately decides not to go through with the pipeline after Eric reminds him about how simple life was when they were younger, by taking him to a middle school semi-formal dance. Jack happens to meet Cory's daughter Riley at the dance.

text: Angela Moore[edit]

text: Angela Moore (Trina McGee-Davis) was the sweetheart of Shawn Hunter in Seasons 5–7. Her first appearance, uncredited, was in Season 5, and she became a regular cast member later that season but was only billed in the closing credits with a special "And Starring" credit. Angela is witty and passionate about causes and people. She enjoys things for their artistic value. Although she broke up with Shawn during one or two episodes, and once for a longer period in the show's Pennbrook stage, eventually revealing that, like Shawn, Angela also comes from a broken family as her mother left her and her father. Angela fears that she would hurt Shawn as her mother did to her father. They resolved their issues and became very close, declaring their love for each other. Angela left for Europe with her father to be close to him in the series' second to last episode, therefore she is the only main character absent in the series finale. There was never a mention of Angela's race over the course of her relationship with Shawn, except for her mentioning a paper she did about "maintaining black identity when you have three very white friends", and commenting that she "has to get some black friends".

text: Angela later returns in the sequel series Girl Meets World in a guest appearance. Prior to her debut, she is mentioned in the program's season one episode "Girl Meets Master Plan" when Cory and Topanga explain to their daughter Riley, and her friend Maya, how Shawn and Angela met. It's also revealed that Angela and Shawn never spoke again after she left (unwittingly fulfilling her prediction that she would leave Shawn after all). She is similarly referenced in season two's "Girl Meets Pluto". Angela finally makes an appearance in the episode "Girl Meets Hurricane" where she not only reveals to Shawn the tragic news that her father Sgt. Maj. Moore (Julius Carry) died in a fishing accident, but she has also gotten married to a man in the military much like her father was. Her reason for meeting up with Shawn is to get some advice and council about her fears of becoming a mother out of fear that she may end up like her own. Shawn encourages Angela to start a family with her husband, and experience the joy of being a parent (subtly implying how he feels about being a father figure for Maya in the process). After this, Angela encourages Shawn to pursue a relationship with Katy – Maya's mother – and leaves to go back home.

text: Rachel McGuire[edit]

text: Rachel Kimberly McGuire (Maitland Ward) is the final addition to the main cast, appearing in the sixth and seventh seasons of the series. Rachel is a very sweet, and mature young woman who forms a bond with Jack and Eric almost instantly. She and Jack date for a relatively short period of time, before deciding on being just friends. Still, it's strongly implied that the two harbor feelings for one another. Prior to moving in with Jack and Eric, she lived down the hall with her Texan boyfriend. She also roomed with Topanga and Angela for a few episodes until she got an on-campus job as a resident assistant, allowing Jack, Eric, and Shawn to get the apartment back. Rachel was the focus of a two episode story-arc in season seven when a prank war goes wrong, leaving Rachel (as well as Angela and Jack) feeling like the outcast of the gang. After Eric and Feeny intervene in an effort to save their friendships, the gang realizes the whole thing was petty and make up. In the series finale, she joins the Peace Corps with Jack.

text: Despite Michael Jacobs' intention to include every Boy Meets World cast member on Girl Meets World, Rachel never made an appearance. However, she is mentioned in the season 2 episode "Girl Meets Semi-Formal" in which Matthew Lawrence reprises his role as Jack. Eric reveals that he and Rachel are still close, whereas Jack and Rachel no longer speak.

text: Recurring characters[edit]

text: Lauren[edit]

text: Lauren (Linda Cardellini), is Cory Matthews' potential love interest and archenemy of Topanga Lawrence during Season 5; Cory meets Lauren when he sprained his ankle getting off a bus for a ski trip. She appeared on two episodes in Season 5 and one episode in Season 6. Cory develops an affectionate bond with Lauren and they had kissed, causing Cory and Topanga to break up for a while. Cory ultimately chooses Topanga after realizing his love for her and ended his potential relationship with Lauren off-screen. Topanga herself also kissed another guy during her separation with Cory, making her realizes that sometimes she and Cory need to endure trials in their relationship to prove whether their love for each other is strong; Cory and Topanga ultimately got back together.

text: Despite Cory being happy in his relationship with Topanga, one episode reveals that Cory occasionally thinks about Lauren, and she later appears in Cory's dream in a Season 6 episode after he and Topanga got engaged, implying Cory is wondering in his subconscious what life could have been like if he chose Lauren instead.

text: Lauren is later mentioned in the sequel Girl Meets World and it is revealed in the two-part episode "Girl Meets Ski Lodge" that she too has become a parent. Her teenage son, Evan, appears in the episode as a friendly employee at the Mount Ski Lodge. However, Evan's relation to Lauren isn't shown until the ending moments of the second part where he innocently tells Cory that his mother says hello. Cory freaks out and runs out of the ski lodge, much to Evan's confusion.

text: Chet Hunter[edit]

text: Shawn's father, Chet Hunter (Blake Clark), is an on-again, off-again father figure, frequently leaving town for months or even years at a time. He is a jack-of-all-trades, holding a wide variety of (usually low-paying) jobs over the course of the series. Shawn originally idolizes his father and thinks himself responsible for his father's frequent departures. In time, though, he grows angry and resentful at the way his father treats him. Chet's eldest son, Jack, also resents his father for his past alcoholism and subsequent divorce from his mother, but he is looking for an opportunity to reconcile with him, out of hope they can be a family with Shawn.

text: During his first major departure, Chet leaves Shawn in the care of Alan and Amy Matthews, but this ends quickly and Shawn goes to live with Jonathan Turner instead. He moves back in with his father when Chet returns to town, but at Chet's insistence, moves in with his half-brother Jack and Eric Matthews. When Shawn goes to Pennbrook, Chet goes to Jack's stepfather to ask for money to pay for Shawn's tuition. Chet returns to Philadelphia briefly, prompting a conflict with Shawn, who finally loses patience with his father's inability to stay around. Chet tells Shawn he always wanted the best for him, and stayed away because he didn't think he was good enough for him. Chet has a heart attack soon after; while in the hospital he and Shawn begin to take steps toward reconciliation when Chet dies from a second heart attack.

text: Chet appears as a ghost in four episodes, "Road Trip" in Season 6, as well as "Family Trees", "Brave New World (Part 2 – Series Finale)" in Season 7, and "Girl Meets Hurricane" in Girl Meets World’s Season 2. He acts as a spirit guide for Shawn in the hard times portrayed in the first two episodes, giving him counsel and advice. His appearance in the series finale is a comical one; in a moment played for laughs as he otherwise proudly watches over his sons, Chet is outraged when he hears Jack deciding to give up his wealth for happiness, but is later proud after knowing that he is joining the Peace Corps. Unlike his other ghost appearances, no one can see or hear him in this scene, so Jack is unaware of Chet's reactions.

text: Chet's only appearance in Girl Meets World is in the season 2 episode "Girl Meets Hurricane"; he encourages Shawn to pursue a romantic relationship with Katy, and implies that Shawn would be a good father-figure for Katy's daughter Maya.

text: Two episodes involving Chet ("We'll Have A Good Time Then..." and "I'm Gonna Be Like You, Dad") are named for lines from the Harry Chapin song "Cat's in the Cradle", which is about a broken father-son relationship.

text: Joshua Matthews[edit]

text: Joshua Matthews, (Daniel Jacobs) is the youngest of the Matthews siblings. He is born in the episode "My Baby Valentine" but only weighs 5 lbs and is very ill. He soon gets better in the episode "Resurrection". He makes his final appearance in the last episode where Cory gives him a speech about all of things that he has learned over the past seven years.

text: He later returns as a teenager in the sequel series Girl Meets World, this time playing a larger role and being portrayed by Uriah Shelton. Joshua has grown up to be a handsome young man who has a great relationship with Cory and Alan. He also seems to have a charming yet silly personality, akin to Eric. Maya has a small schoolgirls crush on him for a brief episode. In the episode Girl Meets Game Night, Joshua talks to Maya about her crush on him. He says that he is too old for her and asks if she understands that. Maya sadly confirms it but says she will still fight for him. Later though in the episode Girl Meets the Tell Tale Tot, Josh says that she's not so little anymore and that he guesses he should stop looking at her like that.

text: Frankie Stechino[edit]

text: Francis Albert "Frankie the Enforcer" Stechino (Ethan Suplee) is one of Harley Keiner's "lackeys" at John Adams High, and an eventual close friend of Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter. Surviving much longer than his counterparts, Harley and Joey, Frankie's character began his tenure on the show's second season as the "enforcer", torturing the other students, especially the seventh graders, including Cory and Shawn Hunter. Having realized the error of his ways along with longing for true friends, Frankie reforms into a much kinder person in season 3 and begins his friendship with Cory and Shawn. Afterwards, Frankie held Cory (and to a lesser extent, Shawn) with very high esteem, often turning to them for help and advice.

text: He enjoys writing poetry. His father is the professional wrestler Vader (whose real name is stated on the show as both Francis Albert "Frankie" Stechino, Sr., and Leslie). He has a younger brother named Herman, who develops a crush on Morgan Matthews. Oddly, he lives in the same trailer park as Shawn despite his father's high-profile career.

text: His last appearances as a recurring character were in the fourth season, and he returned once more, along with Joey, for the graduation episode in season 5.

text: Joey Epstein[edit]

text: During the series' second and third seasons, Joey "The Rat" Epstein (Blake Sennett) is Harley Keiner's other "lackey", also antagonizing both Shawn and Cory. Joey's exact purpose in the bully entourage is never really explained. Sennett left the show in season three to pursue music with his band Rilo Kiley, but he made one last appearance in season five's graduation episode.

text: Harley Keiner[edit]

text: First appearing as the bane of Cory's existence at the start of season two, Harvey "Harley" Keiner (Danny McNulty/Kenny Johnston) was a major antagonist and recurring character for about a year of the show's run. One of the gags surrounding his character was the oddball sophistication he added to the bullying trade, often referring to the harassment of underclassmen as if it were a career and to his gang as if it were a corporation. He has a younger sister, Theresa "TK" Keiner (Danielle Harris), of whom he is overprotective.

text: When McNulty left the cast toward the end of the second season, Harley made one more appearance (played by Kenny Johnston), only to be subsequently written out under the pretense of going to "juvenile boot camp". The original actor made one last token cameo appearance in the third season.

text: Harley was later a recurring character on the sequel series Girl Meets World.  In the interim, Harley has become much more friendly; he cares a great deal about the students' well-being and is not proud of his past.  Unlike their own school days, Harley now holds Cory in high esteem, mainly because it was Cory's influence that got him hired as custodian at John Quincy Adams Middle School, earning him the affectionate nickname "Janitor Harley" by the students.  He is now good friends with Cory, and also with the four main kids (Cory's daughter Riley, Maya Hart, Lucas Friar, and Farkle Minkus).  In the season 1 episode "Girl Meets Flaws", when Farkle is bullied by another student, Harley sympathizes with him and even confronts the bully about his actions.

text: In all, Harley appeared in six episodes of the sequel, including the series finale, "Girl Meets Goodbye".

text: Griff Hawkins[edit]

text: When Danny McNulty left the show at the end of season 2, Griffin "Griff" Hawkins (Adam Scott) stepped in briefly as his replacement. A far different sort of bully than Harley. While much friendlier, Griff was a smooth-talking freeloader who used his wits and charm to weasel his way out of many an obligation and punishment. He was on the show from 1995–1996.

text: In an episode of the sequel series Girl Meets World, there's an easter egg that alludes to Griff. When Cory is presenting his class with awards, he gives Maya Hart the "Griff Hawkins Totally Cool" Award.

text: Jedidiah and Rhiannon Lawrence[edit]

text: Jedidiah (Peter Tork, Michael McKean, and Mark Harelik) and Rhiannon Lawrence (Annette O'Toole and Marcia Cross) are Topanga's estranged parents. Dialogue suggests they were married at the same age as Cory Matthews and their daughter, Topanga, however their relationship is not as strong due to Jedidiah's (off-screen) extramarital affair with a woman named Marie.

text: For Topanga's sake and without her knowledge, Jedidiah and Rhiannon spend years in counseling in an effort to salvage their marriage. Topanga stays with her aunt, Prudence Curtis (Olivia Hussey), in Philadelphia during the attempt. After their reconciliation failed, they eventually divorced. Rhiannon kept their house in Pittsburgh, while Jedidiah moved into an apartment. Their separation caused Topanga to doubt whether her relationship with Cory would last, which led to her breaking their engagement. However, touched by Cory's perseverance, Topanga ultimately gives their love another chance. By the time of the events of Girl Meets World, Topanga and Cory are shown happily married with two children.

text: Rhiannon is obliquely referred to by her granddaughter Riley at the end of "Girl Meets 1961", an episode centering on Rihannon's mother, Rosie McGee.

text: Jason Marsden[edit]

text: Jason Marsden (Jason Marsden), Eric's best friend from the age of three. He is often more calm than Eric, and can either be his voice of reason or the one who gets him into trouble. He is quite fond of girls, as is Eric. He was on the show from 1993–1995; he left the show after graduating and going to college, leaving Eric at home to be a "townie", and was never referenced again. He was the only character on the series to have the same exact name of the actor portraying him.

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2008)

text: Janitor Bud[edit]

text: Janitor Bud (Bob Larkin), the high school janitor, who later becomes Mr. Feeny's secretary due to Cory's getting him fired from his janitorial duties. After the change is made, he never appears on the show again, though he is referred to in an episode in a later season. He was on the show from 1994–1997.

text: Lila Bolander[edit]

text: Lila Bolander-Feeny (Bonnie Bartlett, William Daniels' real-life wife), Dean of Pennbrook, who later begins a romantic relationship with Mr. Feeny. She was on the show from 1997–1999.

text: In the show, she is stereotypically portrayed as a strict, disciplinarian college administrator who is romantically attracted to George Feeny, who initially did not reciprocate her affection for years until he is under her employ.

text: In her first appearance in the episode "Learning to Fly", she was having doubt of whether Eric Matthews of being serious of enrolling into colleges because of his less-than-stellar grades and history as a slacker, but Eric persuasively convinced her after an interview.

text: George Feeny eventually sees the Dean's reasonable side when she is willing to trust his judgment over Cory Matthews after he started a fight with a corrupted young professor named Stuart (portrayed by Ben Savage's real-life brother Fred) who made an advance towards Topanga Lawrence. Dean Bolander had Cory under a probationary period of one day for starting physical violence on campus instead of expelling him, and the professor under an investigation for his misconduct. Bolander and Feeny fall in love afterward and eventually they are married. After marrying Feeny in the last episode of season six, she isn't seen again and is mentioned only a few times during the seventh and final season.

text: Bolander was previously married to archeologist Dr. Curtis Kincaid (Francis X. McCarthy). In contrast with Feeny, Kincaid cares more about his personal success than the well being of others, which ultimately leads Dean Bolander to choose Feeny over Kincaid during the latter's attempt at salvaging their past marriage.

text: Tommy[edit]

text: Tommy (J. B. Gaynor) was an orphan that Eric, Jack, and Rachel met while Eric was playing Santa at the mall one Christmas. After Eric gave Tommy a toy for Christmas, Tommy became convinced that Eric was really Santa and asked Eric for parents for Christmas. Eric, touched by the boy's request, decided to volunteer as Tommy's Big Brother.

text: Eric and Tommy became very close after this, to the point where Tommy refused to be adopted by anyone other than Eric. Eric found this out when he was informed that a couple in California wanted to adopt Tommy. At first, Eric tried to adopt Tommy himself, before being convinced that Tommy would have a better future with a real family. Eric finally told Tommy that he would not adopt him, though doing so left him saddened. Heartbroken, Tommy decided to go to California, but not before giving Eric one last goodbye.

text: Tommy, now known as Thomas Jonathan "T. J." Murphy, was next seen on Girl Meets World in "Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels Goes to Washington" as a political activist and founder of a website called Thorn in Your Side, that reports on political scandals. He volunteers to help when Eric is nominated to run for Senator from New York, though the others are unaware of his identity. Later, at a debate against Eric's opponent, Tommy reveals his identity and speaks of Eric's compassion and how Eric had sacrificed himself for Tommy's future. Eric joyfully reunites with Tommy, who expresses his desire to continue working with Eric's campaign.