James Hugh McMenamin was born on 26 May 1910 in Paddington, New South Wales. He lived until 13 August 2000, passing away at the age of 90 in Balgowlah, New South Wales.
Before stepping onto the cricket field as an official, McMenamin studied at the University of Sydney. During those university years, he played rugby league in the NSWRFL. His rugby career included stints playing in the second-row, prop, and hooker positions for University, Balmain, and Newtown.
World War Two took McMenamin away from Australia to serve in Europe with the South African Army. His wartime service in Italy earned him a Military Cross.
Between 1956 and 1960, McMenamin stood as an official in 10 first-class cricket matches. That total included four Test matches played across the 1956 to 1958 period.