William Edward Cousins

William Edward Cousins (August 20, 1902 – September 14, 1988) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Milwaukee from 1958 to 1977.

Cousin's reputation was tainted by allegations of his covering up sexual abuse by priests, prompting the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to remove his name from its pastoral center in 2019.

He received his episcopal consecration on March 7, 1949, from Cardinal Samuel Stritch at the Cathedral of the Holy Name in Chicago, with Bishops John Boylan and Albert Zuroweste serving as co-consecrators.

From 1962 to 1965, Cousins attended the Second Vatican Council in Rome, during which he sat on the Commission on Communications Media and on the Lay Apostolate.

[3] In recent years, allegations have surfaced that Cousins was involved in the cover-up of child sexual abuse cases in the Milwaukee diocese.