[3] Upon graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which coincided with the Korean War, Yeutter enlisted as a Basic Airman in the United States Air Force.

During an overlapping six-year period beginning in January 1960, Yeutter worked as a faculty member within the Department of Agricultural Economics at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska.

During the following two years he managed coordination between the governor's office and the Department of Agriculture and the numerous state educational institutions.

After returning from Colombia, Yeutter served as Administrator of Consumer and Marketing Service within the U.S. Department of Agriculture from October 1970 until December 1971.

As Assistant Secretary, Yeutter was in charge of negotiating an end to a trade war between the United States and the European Economic Community over cheese subsidizes.

[6] In June 1975 Yeutter shifted from the Department of Agriculture to the Executive Office of the President, in which he served as Deputy Special Trade Representative.

While serving as president, Yeutter negotiated the use of the Tokyo Stock Exchange index for futures and options trading.

[3] Yeutter was perceived to be an outsider because of his inexperience interacting with Congress to develop legislation and because he was only mildly acquainted with the President.

In June 1985 Yeutter initiated an investigation based on Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act against Japan for unfair barriers to sale of American electronic products.

[13] The statement reflected the Canadian public concern that the free trade agreement would lead to unprecedented American economic and cultural dominance.

In response to the comment Prime Minister Brian Mulroney stated in the Canadian Parliament that "his remarks showed a stunning ignorance of Canada".

[15] Yeutter was slightly reluctant to take this new position after enduring the fast pace of United States trade policy, but his fondness for agricultural issues overcame that sentiment.

During the early 1980s, a high rate of bankruptcy among farmers prompted the federal government to provide unprecedented subsidies through the Food Security Act of 1985.

The development of what was to become the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 was largely influenced by Uruguay Round negotiations, which Yeutter led as USTR.

Yeutter was elected after George H. W. Bush's first choice for chairman, William Bennett, revoked his initial acceptance of the position due to a potential conflict of interest.

The protracted and turbulent process of finding a successor to Atwater was used by Democrats to characterize the Republican party as a fractured organization.

Unlike Meese's post, Yeutter had additional control over the Bush administration's economic and domestic councils, which formed the cabinet's policy-making apparatus.

The additional control was initially opposed by Treasury Secretary Nicholas F. Brady, who led the economic policy council.

[21] Yeutter's first major corporate directorship was with ConAgra Foods while serving as the President and CEO of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

While serving as Chairman of the Republican National Committee Yeutter joined the boards of Caterpillar Inc. and Texas Instruments.

[3][failed verification] Vierk served as the informal Chairman of the Cabinet Wives Group during the President George H. W. Bush administration.

Yeutter's grandson, Andrew Bottimore, worked on the U.S. Trade Representative team covering private sector engagement regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Yeutter was made an Honorary Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2012 New Year Honours, for services to New Zealand–United States relations.

[26] Yeutter received a statue at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in September 2014 for his accomplishment of being Secretary of Agriculture after graduating from the school.