January 16, 2013
Dean Michael A. Simons and the entire St. John’s School of Law
community mourn the loss of our dear alumnus and friend, Emmett F.
McNamara.
Mr. McNamara graduated from St. John’s Law in 1937. Post
graduation, he embarked on a legal career that included service to
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States
Justice Department, and 50 years of private practice. Among his
many career highlights were establishing the first FBI Office on
Long Island and his involvement in the apprehension and detention
of German saboteurs who entered the United States illegally via
submarine and a beach landing in Amagansett, NY. The saboteurs were
part of a Nazi master plan intended to hamper the United States
involvement in WWII through the launch of terrorist attacks
nationwide.
In a recent interview with the Law School, Mr. McNamara shared:
“The love of my family, a recreational tennis regime and a daily
banana are keys to my longevity.” At age 103, he was the Law
School’s most senior alumnus. “This is a great loss, but also a
time to reflect on a life exceptionally well lived in the law and
outside it,” said Dean Simons. “We will remember Emmett McNamara as
a consummate public servant and a great example of the good work
lawyers can do.”