Earl C. Smith oversaw hundreds of production machines, as well as electrical and plumbing infrastructure, at General Tire & Rubber Co. plants from 1951 until his death. 

In 1929, Henry Baker started working as a calender operator at BF Goodrich. He later became skilled in the mill room, eventually serving as a line inspector. 

And Philip Heupel worked nearly four decades in Akron’s rubber factories. At Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., he was a member of the Silent Squadron, a group of deaf workers who learned how to work in every department.

Their stories, and others, highlight a collection of free film screenings offered across Akron, celebrating and remembering the area’s many contributors to the rubber industry.

Since 2019, the Akron Stories project has conducted more than 135 interviews, collecting thousands of stories from rubber workers and their families. The result? More than 100 mini documentaries. 

(You can RSVP for film screenings here.)

“The films are so much more than local history,” said Mac Love, the co-founder of Art x Love and leader of the project. 

“The people who came to Akron and worked in the rubber industry persevered through war, segregation and poverty to build a strong and resilient community. Their legacy stretches far beyond our city, state and country.”

Where to see the Akron Stories film screenings

Managing Editor (he/him)
Gary is returning to Akron after previously working at the Akron Beacon Journal as a sports reporter from 2003 to 2006. He is committed to delivering authoritative, trustworthy journalism that is accessible to everyone. Gary mostly recently worked as a newsroom leader in Clarksville (Tenn.), Murfreesboro (Tenn.) and Nashville, where he was the business, race and culture editor at The Tennessean. He is a native of New Orleans and a product of Southern University and A&M College. In his free time, you can find him cycling, playing paintball and smoking meats.