Robert D. Van Kampen, general partner and CEO of Nike Securities L.P. of Lisle, Ill., and founder of Van Kampen Mutual Funds of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., died Oct. 29 of a heart condition, according to a statement by Nike Securities. He was 60.
At the beginning of his career, Van Kampen worked at John Nuveen & Co. of Chicago. In 1967, he founded the investment banking firm, Van Kampen, Wauterlek and Brown of Chicago, where he was responsible for the introduction of the first insured unit investment trust, the company said.
In 1974, he founded Van Kampen Merritt, which became one of the nation's largest sponsors of insured unit investment trusts and manager of the Van Kampen Mutual Funds. In January 1984, he sold Van Kampen Merritt to the Xerox Corporation of Stamford, Conn.
In 1991, Van Kampen founded Nike Securities, a leader in the unit investment trust industry.
