Oscar Schachter (1915-2003) was UN legal advisor (1946-53) and director of the General Legal Division (1953-66). From 1966 to 1975 he was director of research at UNITAR. During much of this period, he held appointments at the Yale Law School and Columbia Law School; and in 1966 joined the Columbia faculty where he taught until shortly before he died. He served as the president of the American Society of International Law (1968-70), and served in numerous consultant capacities: to the UN Commission on Transnational Corporations; a presidential appointment to the panel of arbitrators of the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes; at the College de France; at the U.S. State Department; and attorney for several U.S. government agencies. He was born in the United States and was educated at City College and Columbia University Law School. His publications include Who Owns the Universe? and UN Legal Order.

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