Cheraw Spokesman

In 1934, Henry Westbrook Finlayson, then a bright handsome, popular Cheraw High senior, now a prominent attorney in Gadsden, AL, wrote the CHS Alma Mater, "With Loyal Hearts".
Sports reporter for the CHRONICLE, fabulous singer at dances, assemblies, and impromptu affairs, a good guy with a merry heart, Westbrook could always be found where exciting things are happening.
In spite of the fact that he had polio as an infant and had always had to wear braces and use crutches, no one ever seemed to consider him "handicapped", even Westbrook himself.  He seemed "challenged'.
The year 1934 was in depression days and most people had to walk to get where they were going.
Westbrook was no exception.  Whether the crowd was going to Caston Field for a ball game or meeting at the church for a hayride, Westbrook would set out for the meeting, as one old classmate expressed it, "with that beautiful voice of his."  He always know all the latest popular songs as well as the old sentimental ones.

You might think starting off the college with only $1.65 spending money to be impractical but Westbrook Finlayson disproved this.  After graduation from Cheraw High in 1934, he entered the University of South Carolina.  Once there, the "big band" business was too strong a temptation to resist, and in his sophomore year, Westbrook put together an eleven-piece band.  As the group bettered and became quite famous, he gave up another j ob and went into the music business to pay for his education.  The band became well known, playing "society jobs" as far away as New York.
In 1941, just before WWII, many of the and members were called into the army.  Fortunately, arrangements were made so that army personal at Ft. Jackson could play in the band and continue performances at military installations.
During his college days, Westbrook was featured with Bert Loren and His Orchestra.  He composed both words and music to several songs, among them "All This,"  "Waltz in the Sky," "Goodnight," and "Roll Down the Field".  Westbrook also is the author of  A LIFE OF PLENTY, written around his spiritual experiences and containing original poems.
After the surrender of Japan, Westbrook began setting up a new band.  Having been advised by Jimmy Dorsey, to drop the name Finlayson the band was called, "Henry Westbrook and His Orchestra."
For two years, Westbrook overlooked the rule that no law student could engage in any activity or work other then the study of law.  When the deal of law school discovered that "Henry Westbrook" and "Westbrook Finlayson:" were one and the same, Westbrook was face with the decision of leaving school or quitting the band.  Not wanting to leave school, and deciding that the temptation to be in the same area of the band too great, he transferred his studies to the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
After graduation, he went to a position as associate to the Council of General Newspapers, Inc with offices in Gadsden, Alabama.  There he met and married Esther Davidson.  They are parents of six children, all musical or artistic, ranging in age from eight to eighteen.
The Finlayson family is deeply spiritual.  Westbrook is a certified lay leader in the Methodist Church and occupies as country church pulpit once a month.
Having given up all musical activities since entering the practice of law, he has built up a successful practice of law, dealing largely with corporations, estates, wills, trusts, and management..

For years SPOKESMAN staff members have planned to run a feature on Westbrook Finlayson, author of CHS Alma Mater, when he was a senior at CHS.  Now he has composed a brand new fight song that the staff has turned over to band direction Rayvon Lee.

Cheraw (S.C.) Spokesman
Thursday, December 3, 1970