J. Edgar Rhoads (1883-1981) was a partner and eventually head of J.E. Rhoads & Sons, a commercial tannery that specialized in the manufacturing of leather belts for mechanical applications. In his oral history, Rhoads recalls the major events in his life to about 1950, with considerable background material on his family. Additionally, he discusses his family's company, J.E. Rhoads & Sons, rural childhood, civic and charitable activities, particularly his work in Europe after both world wars and with the United China Relief.

The leather manufacturing firm of J.E. Rhoads & Sons grew out of an eighteenth-century tanning operation on the Rhoads family homestead in Marple, Chester County (now Delaware County), Pa. Records cover the entire history of the firm from the 1720s through the 1960s. There is also substantial information on trade organizations in the leather industry and on members of the Rhoads family.