Marshall Field is a fifth-generation member of a prominent Chicago family with a legacy in business and civic affairs. He is a Harvard graduate and former publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Daily News. He served on the boards of the Art Institute of Chicago, Rush University Medical Center, and the Field Museum.

Field is a dedicated conservationist and active in organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund, Everglades Foundation, Nature Conservancy, and the Atlantic Salmon Federation. In retirement, he focuses on philanthropy related to the environment, arts, education, and health through the Marshall and Jamee Field Family Fund at the Chicago Community Trust.