From his exile in the United States, the writer and art historian Alfred Neumeyer offered other emigrants such as Oskar Kokoschka, Josef Albers and Lyonel Feininger advice and advocacy. Neumeyer himself owed his own position at Mills College in California to the helpful intervention of a friend. Prior to that, he had himself sounded out possible employment in various cities but had been unable to find anything. Neumeyer described his search and discovery of a new home in 1935 in the final chapter of his autobiography, which he first wrote by hand.

This passage, taken from the manuscript of his autobiography, takes place in 1934 as the Nazis were increasing their harassment of Alfred Neumeyer. The Jewish writer and art scholar began to contemplate going abroad. He visited Brussels, Paris and London to find new employment. His trips proved to be disappointing however. Neumeyer had his friend, the art historian Walter Heil, to thank for finally gaining a foothold overseas. Heil, who had already emigrated to the United States, heard that the director of Mills College in California was looking for an art historian for her institution and suggested Alfred Neumeyer. Despite having many uncertainties, he accepted.

Alfred Neumeyer organised his departure at the end of July 1935 from the University of Berlin. He pretended his trip was a holiday. He and his wife left Germany at the beginning of August 1935, when the manuscript of autobiography Neumeyer's ends.