On Monday, May 11, Dr. William “Bill” Finlayson, the pioneering Milwaukee physician who spent a lifetime delivering babies, opening doors and marching for justice, passed away. He was 101 years old.
For many people in Milwaukee, he was more than a doctor. He was a trusted civic leader with quiet dignity. He was a man who believed deeply in the promise of his city, even when at times that promise was denied to many Black residents.
Dr. Finlayson became the first Black OB-GYN to practice at St. Joseph’s and Mount Sinai hospitals, delivering nearly 10,000 babies during a medical career that lasted almost four decades. Patients remembered his calm manner and reassuring voice. “He was so full of joy and love,” one former patient recalled years later.
Yet, his work reached far beyond medicine.
MLK’s Classmate
A graduate of Morehouse College and a classmate and fraternity brother of Martin Luther King Jr., Finlayson became a leading figure in Milwaukee’s civil rights movement. He helped bring Dr. King to Milwaukee during the city’s open housing marches, and he stood publicly against segregation in housing, education and economic life. He also co-founded North Milwaukee State Bank, the city’s first Black-owned bank, believing financial opportunity was essential to equality.
In 2023, Finlayson said, “I’ve been in the community for a number of years, and I've participated in every imaginable way.” Even in his later years, he spoke with optimism about Milwaukee and its future. “Milwaukee is a great community,” he once stated. “We shall make it greater.”
Milwaukee Alderwoman Milele Coggs commented, “To impact so many lives in various ways, not just in being a doctor, but financially with the banking stuff that he did, he really showed you how to live. How to have great impact with the time that you are given.”
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
In recent years, the city renamed a stretch of North Fifth Street as Dr. William Finlayson Street, a tribute to a man whose life touched generations. “Dr. Finlayson's legacy is a powerful reminder that diverse voices in medicine and in leadership are essential to the overall health of our community,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
After news of his death, Mayor Cavalier Johnson reflected on Finlayson’s impact. “He led an impressive and impactful life, professionally and as a community leader,” Johnson said. “Milwaukee is healthier and stronger because of Dr. Finlayson’s work.”
Those words may prove to be the simplest measure of the man. He healed people, fought for dignity,
