With the advent of the Nazis in Germany, Zuckermann's family had to flee the country; they settled in New York in 1938, where Zuckermann's father ran a leather factory.Alexander Zuckermann obituary In the same year, Zuckermann became an American citizen and henceforth went by the name "Wallace" (or, in suitable contexts, "Wally").See Zuckermann (1968), as well as , in which an acquaintance writes "When he came to the United States, he told me he changed his name from Wolfgang Joachim Zuckermann to Wallace to Americanize it. Friends further Americanized it by calling him Wally." Zuckermann later published primarily under the name Wolfgang; only his column for Harpsichord (see below) is signed Wallace. He saw front line action as a private with the U.S. ArmySource for rank: personal communication from Zuckermann to Eric Britton in 2006, used by the latter for a Wikipedia edit; and followed this by obtaining a B.A. in English and psychology (1949)Schott (1986) from Queens College, New York, winning the title of Queens College Scholar, the highest honor conferred upon graduates at that institution. He continued for a time studying psychology at the graduate level.New Grove
