‘He empowered men to be fathers’: Milwaukee remembers Dr. William Finlayson, trailblazing physician and civil rights figure
Updated: May 18, 2026
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A funeral service for Dr. William Finlayson will take place on Saturday, May 23, at Abundant Faith Church of Integrity in Milwaukee.
We're told a visitation and wake will be held at 9 a.m., with the service beginning at 11 a.m.
Visitation will also be held Friday, May 22, from 5-8 p.m.
Posted: May 12, 2026
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Dr. William Finlayson, a pioneering Milwaukee physician who spent decades breaking barriers and caring for families across the city, has died at the age of 101.
Finlayson was one of the first Black physicians to practice in Milwaukee hospitals and delivered more than 10,000 babies during his more than 40-year medical career.
For many families, he became a trusted and familiar name during some of life’s most important moments.
Clayborn Benson, executive director of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, said he still remembers the day Finlayson delivered his daughter.
“I thought she was a miracle from God. I thought she was the most special thing that ever was,” Benson said.
Benson said Finlayson’s care went beyond medicine.
“Dr. Finlayson pulled my baby out and said, 'cut the umbilical cord,' and he empowered me to be a father,” he said.
“He didn't just give life to children. He empowered men to be fathers,” Benson added.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Finlayson built trust in a time when healthcare access for Black families was limited.
“It was thousands of babies, at a time where it was difficult to come across the healthcare needed for Black families in Milwaukee, but Dr. Finlayson was there and he worked hard and he built a practice and people respected him,” Johnson said.
Finlayson’s impact also stretched beyond healthcare. He helped establish North Milwaukee State Bank to help Black families build financial stability and access loans and savings opportunities.
“They made it possible for people to be able to make loans and to save their money. Those are very important ingredients, we never had a bank here before,” Benson said.
In 2023, the city honored Finlayson by renaming a street near 5th St. and North Avenue after him.
Benson also credited Finlayson and his wife for supporting the dream of creating the Wisconsin Black Historical Society.
“Every time I walk in this building, I remember Mr. and Mrs. Finlayson, because it was their dream to encourage me to follow my dream to start a museum and historical society,” Benson said.
Alderwoman Milele Coggs said Finlayson’s legacy changed Milwaukee in many ways.
“The impact he had on banking, and a bunch of other things, on the lives of so many, really tells you what one man can do to help change the way society is,” Coggs said.
“It’s a tremendous loss for the city, but the 101 years that he loved was a tremendous gain,” she added.
For many in Milwaukee, Finlayson’s legacy lives on through the generations of families he helped shape.
“We’re talking about the most important ingredient in our life, is our children, and Dr. Finlayson made that a reality for us,” Benson said.
