Eugene M. Zuckert, a founding partner of Zuckert, Scoutt & Rasenberger, was born in New York City in 1911. He received a B.A. (1933) and an L.L.B. (1937)  at Yale University. He attended the first Combined Yale Law-Harvard Business School Course, receiving an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He also received honorary degrees from George Washington University and Clarkson College in New York.

Prior to joining the firm in 1966, Mr. Zuckert was in  public service, principally in the field of administration. He began his government career as an attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He was Assistant Secretary of the Air Force under the first Secretary, Stuart Symington. After serving as Commissioner of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission for two and a half years, Mr. Zuckert was sworn in as Secretary of the Air Force in 1961. His administrative duties covered a wide area and included intensive contact with the Congress, and many segments of the government.

His experience at Harvard Business School was similarly broad-ranging. He was an Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean of the Graduate School of Business Administration where he organized and administered the first Advanced Management Course. He co-authored an authoritative article on indemnification of corporate directors; lectured on corporate reorganization; and taught legal aspects of business and mobilization.

He wrote, taught, and spoke to advocate a more active role for outside directors of American corporations. He sought to carry out this role as a member of the Boards of Directors of Martin-Marietta Corporation and Washington Gas where he served as chairman of their audit committees.