Finlayson power couple reshaped Black Milwaukee through medicine, money

The Brief

  • Dr. William Finlayson delivered generations of Milwaukee babies and opened a clinic at Teutonia and Nash.
  • After facing lending discrimination, William and Edith Finlayson helped launch North Milwaukee Bank to expand access to credit.
  • Edith Finlayson also pushed school desegregation, supported cultural institutions and became the first Black regent in the University of Wisconsin System.

MILWAUKEE He’s known as Milwaukee’s Black baby doctor – a physician who delivered so many children in the city, it’s nearly impossible to count.

But Dr. William Finlayson wasn’t just focused on bringing new life into the world. He also wanted to help give birth to Black-owned businesses – and for that, he needed a partner he could bank on: his wife, Edith Finlayson.

Local perspective:

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