Two new tetradentate symmetrical Schiff bases derived from 2,2’-diamino-4,4’-dimethyl-1,1’-biphenyl or its dibromo substituted analog and 3,5-diiodosalicylaldehyde were synthesized. The reactions of these Schiff bases with zinc acetate generated the corresponding Zn(II)-complexes in which the zinc atom is bonded through the two azoimine nitrogen atoms in addition to the two oxygen atoms of the deprotonated hydroxyl groups. The Schiff bases and their Zn(II) complexes were characterized using UV-Vis, 1H- and 13C-NMR, IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The structures of the two Schiff bases as well as the two zinc(II) complexes were further approved by single crystal X-ray analysis.