[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 84 (Monday, May 18, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING DR. WILLIAM FINLAYSON

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the exceptional 
career and life of Dr. William Finlayson, who passed away on May 11, 
2026, at the age of 101. Dr. Finlayson was a pillar of the Milwaukee 
community and has left an indelible mark on so many families in 
Wisconsin's largest city.
  Dr. Finlayson was born in 1924 in Manatee, FL. From a young age, he 
studied and excelled at school, and at age 16, he started his 
collegiate career at Florida A&M. At age 19, he entered the U.S. Army 
and served as a first lieutenant from 1943 through 1946. During his 
time in the U.S. Army, he taught illiterate Black soldiers how to read. 
He then served in the Army Reserves from 1946 to 1953.
  While serving in the reserves, Dr. Finlayson moved to Atlanta to 
attend Morehouse College. It was during this time that he became 
classmates and fraternity brothers with the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther 
King, Jr. Dr. Finlayson graduated from Morehouse in 1948 with his B.S. 
and then attended Meharry Medical College in 1953. Dr. Finlayson 
completed his residency at the University of Minnesota in 1958 before 
moving to Milwaukee in that same year with his wife Edith.
  Upon arriving in Milwaukee, segregation made it difficult for Black 
physicians to get hired by the city's leading hospitals. Ever 
determined, Dr. Finlayson founded his own private practice, along with 
Dr. Walter White, Dr. Randall Pollard, Dr. George Hillard, and Dr. 
Gerald Poindexter. He was eventually admitted as the first Black doctor 
at St. Joseph's Hospital. He built a successful practice, with people 
often sitting on the steps outside of his office just to see him.
  However, his passion for helping the Black community did not stop 
there. Dr. Finlayson participated in fair housing marches led by the 
late Alderwoman Vel Phillips and Father James Groppi. During the civil 
rights era, it was Dr. Finlayson who was instrumental in bringing the 
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to the city of Milwaukee to speak.
  Dr. Finlayson was a champion for financial literacy, cofounding the 
first Black-owned bank in the city, North Milwaukee State Bank, with 
the goal of offering full-service banking to underserved communities. 
He also founded the W.E.B. Du Bois Club, educating high school students 
with the financial skills they needed to succeed while preserving Black 
history.
  Dr. Finlayson, affectionately known as ``the baby doctor,'' practiced 
obstetrics and gynecology for nearly 40 years, delivering what is 
estimated to be nearly 10,000 children in the city of Milwaukee. He 
became one of the city's first Black physicians with admitting 
privileges at major hospitals such as St. Joseph's Hospital and 
Advocate Aurora Sinai Medical Center. His compassion and commitment to 
equitable healthcare touched countless families throughout Milwaukee 
and beyond.
  Outside of medicine, his civic contributions included serving as 
president of the Cream City Medical Society, the Milwaukee 
Gynecological Society, and his local YMCA. He was a house delegate to 
the Wisconsin Medical Society, teaching at both the Medical College of 
Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin Medical School. He served as 
vice president of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha 
County and was a member of the Urban League, as well as a lifetime 
member of the NAACP.
  Dr. Finlayson was truly a Milwaukee trailblazer who consistently 
fought for equality in the State of Wisconsin. In 2022, the Milwaukee 
roadway formerly known as North 5th Street was renamed Dr. William 
Finlayson Street in his honor. Dr. Finlayson's life's work will 
continue to have a tremendous impact on so many families across the 
Milwaukee community. His legacy and advice will live on due to the 
long-standing barriers that he set out to shatter. He often advised 
younger generations with the saying, ``I think the key is learning. 
Learn as much as you can, do as much as you can.'' He certainly 
embodied those values throughout his life and his work. I extend my 
deepest condolences to his sons Tony and Reggie; his daughter Sheila; 
his entire family; his colleagues, and the thousands of lives he 
touched. I am pleased to join others in honoring Dr. Finlayson's 
success and contributions to the people of Milwaukee, the State of 
Wisconsin, and our Nation.

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