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Congressional Daily Record
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May 18, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMs. 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.
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.
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.
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.