William Madison McDonald (June 22, 1866 – July 5, 1950), nicknamed "Gooseneck Bill", was an American politician, businessman, and banker of great influence in Texas during the late nineteenth century.

[2] His mother was Flora (née Scott) McDonald of Alabama, described by one source as a "free woman of color" before the war,[3] and by another as a "former slave.

[2][4] After graduating from high school in 1884, with the help of Adams and others, McDonald attended Roger Williams University in Nashville, Tennessee.

It had been established by the Baptist Church of the North in 1866 as a black college, and was important for educating generations of African-American leaders in the South.

In order to gain approval, legislators agreed to let local boards determine whether schools would be racially segregated.

[3] He was a power in state politics for more than thirty years, and became a leader of the "Black and Tan" faction, African Americans within the Republican Party.

He teamed up politically with white businessman Ned Green of Fort Worth, the son of the wealthiest woman in America.

[3][4] At the 1896 Republican National Convention, McDonald was given the nickname "Gooseneck Bill" by a Dallas Morning News reporter.

Under his leadership, the Grand Lodge developed several business enterprises: started "a cotton mill, published a magazine, offered insurance to members, and established a bank in Fort Worth.

"[2] Disappointed with Texas Republicans, McDonald increasingly exercised independence in supporting presidential candidates: favoring Progressive Robert M. La Follette, Sr. and Democrats Al Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt.