Remembering D. Cameron ‘Cam’ Findlay, dedicated trustee, distinguished lawyer and corporate leader

Cameron “Cam” Findlay ’82, a devoted Northwestern alumnus, longtime University trustee and generous supporter of undergraduate research and public service, died Friday, July 11. He was 65.

Findlay was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1997, becoming an Alumni Trustee before serving as a National Trustee and, ultimately, a Charter Trustee. Through more than two decades of service, he played a central role in guiding Northwestern’s governance and strategic direction. Most recently, he chaired the Board’s Governance and Nominations Committee and served on the Audit, Risk, and Compliance and Executive Committees.

“Cam’s service to Northwestern was always guided by a profound sense of duty, a sharp legal mind and an unwavering commitment to our mission. We are stunned that he is gone, and his steady counsel, sharp wit and generous spirit will be sorely missed,” said Board Chair Peter Barris.

Findlay earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Northwestern in 1982, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. As a student, he was deeply engaged in campus life, serving as vice president of the Associated Student Government, participating in the Deru senior honor society and helping lead the Senior Class Gift campaign. He was also a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and a runner-up for the prestigious Walter B. Jones Award for Scholastic Achievement.

After graduating from Northwestern, Findlay attended Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar and received a master’s degree in philosophy, politics and economics in 1984. He went on to receive his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1987, where he served on the Board of Student Advisers.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Findlay held leadership roles at some of the world’s most prominent corporations. He served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at Archer Daniels Midland Company; held the same roles at Medtronic; and served as executive vice president and general counsel at Aon Corporation. Earlier in his career, he was a partner at Sidley Austin LLP and served in senior roles in the U.S. Departments of Labor and Transportation. He also worked in the White House under President George H. W. Bush and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Findlay brought his deep understanding of the law, government and corporate governance to his civic work. In addition to his service to Northwestern, he served on the boards of Equal Justice Works, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, among others.

He and his wife, Amy Scalera Findlay, have been steadfast philanthropic supporters of the University. Their gifts have advanced several institutional priorities, including undergraduate research, international fellowships and athletics. Together, they established the Cameron and Amy Findlay Undergraduate Research Fund and the Cameron and Amy Findlay Fellowship to support students pursuing graduate studies in the United Kingdom. Their contributions also supported the Wildcat Excellence Fund and a range of academic and cultural initiatives across the University.

“Northwestern University and the Association of Marshall Scholars lost a pillar of our communities in Cam. He supported Northwestern students who followed in his footsteps to the United Kingdom as a trusted mentor long before he endowed the Findlay Fellowship, and his generosity of all kinds leaves a remarkable legacy from which we all benefit,” Northwestern Office of Fellowships Director Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe said.

Findlay was a trusted voice as a steward of Northwestern and played a key role in shaping institutional policy. He served on the University’s 2008 presidential search committee, chaired the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors and was an adjunct professor at Weinberg in the mid-1990s, teaching a senior seminar on the separation of powers.

“I relied heavily on Cam’s wisdom and advice in leading this great University, which Cam so loved. Equally at home in the board room and at Ryan Field, Cam bled purple through and through, and he will be remembered at Northwestern,” said President Michael Schill.

He is survived by his wife, Amy, their sons, Alexander “Alex” Findlay ’14 and James “Mac” Findlay, Mac’s wife, Rachel Eastwood Findlay, his mother, Judith Lilly Findlay, his sister, Anne Findlay Vail ’86, his brother, David Findlay, and beloved nieces and nephews.