Born in the town of Shatz, Romania in 1913, Rabbi Schachter learned in the Viznitz Yeshiva. He came to America at the age of 15. He then learned in RIETS under Rav Moshe Soloveitchik, where he earned semikha, while simultaneously earning his bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva College. He later received a PhD from Dropsie College in Philadelphia. His doctoral dissertation on the variant readings between the Bavli and the Yerushalmi was later published by Mossad Harav Kook. Rabbi Schachter served in the rabbinate first in Pennsylvania and several other communities, before finally serving as rabbi of a prominent shul in the Bronx. Reflecting his expertise in halacha, Rabbi Schachter served as coordinator of the RCA Beth Din for gittin and chalitzot. Rabbi Schachter joined YU’s faculty in 1951, and over the years taught in the semikhah program, as well as Stern College for Women and the Wurzweiler Graduate School of Social Work. His son, Rabbi Hershel Schachter, has been a prominent RIETS Rosh Yeshiva since 1967. Rabbi Melech Schachter continued to teach at RIETS through 2005 and passed away in Adar 2007.