John McNamara, employed with Metropolitan Life in New York City, along with his colleague, was tasked with being Field Auditors in Hamilton, OH. Departing from New York in April 1938 with an uncertain return date, John and his colleague opted to rent an apartment in the residence of the Rennemeier family in Cincinnati. In his role as a Field Auditor, John extensively traveled, covering regions in West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, and western Pennsylvania.