
On Tuesday, November 22, 2002, at City Hall, 200 East Wells Street, the Milwaukee Common Council voted to rename the road between West Capitol Drive and West Walnut Street — formerly North 5th Street to Dr. William Finlayson Street.
Dr. Finlayson, age 97, is a beloved obstetrician and gynecologist who practiced for nearly 40 years, delivering thousands of babies. Finlayson became the first black OB-GYN to work at St. Joseph and Mount Sinai Hospitals.
In addition to delivering thousands of infants, Finlayson was a champion for eliminating housing discrimination, opening this city’s first black-owned bank, North Milwaukee State Bank.
For this historic honor, Dr. Finlayson, was joined by his children, family and community leaders from all over the city.