A native of Savannah, Georgia, he moved with his family to Philadelphia around 1920 and soon became involved in local politics.
Like the majority of African American voters in that era, he was initially loyal to Republican Party, but he soon switched allegiances and became a Democrat.
He worked his way up the party apparatus, culminating in a 1983 stint as acting chair of the city's Democratic committee.
[1] His father, the foreman at a sawmill, lost half of his arm to a workplace accident, and later operated a grocery store.
The couple had two children, who both went on to be active in city politics: Carol Ann and Edgar Jr. (known as "Sonny").