A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Finlay Lewis attended St. Paul Academy and graduated from Harvard University with a degree in American political history in 1960. After working for the Army Security Agency (1961-1964) and as a Korean linguist-cryptographer in Seoul (1962-1964), he began his journalism career as a reporter for the Duluth News Tribune in 1964. In 1965 he was hired by the Minneapolis Tribune and subsequently served as its Washington correspondent (1972-1977) and Washington bureau chief (1977-1987). Among his many notable assignments was coverage of Walter Mondale's presidential campaign in 1983-1984, which followed publication of his biography of Mondale in 1980. He then took a post with the Copley News Service, serving as its congressional and national political correspondent (1987-1992), economics and trade correspondent and columnist (1992-1998), and White House and national political correspondent (1998- ).
From the guide to the Papers relating to Walter Mondale, 1922, 1976-1994 (bulk 1977-1994)., (Minnesota Historical Society)
