This book introduces a systematic new approach to the construction and analysis of semi simple $p$-adic groups. The basic construction presented here provides an analogue in certain cases of the Harish-Chandra homomorphism, which has played an essential role in the theory of semi simple Lie groups. The book begins with an overview of the representation theory of GL$_n$ over finite groups.The author then explicitly establishes isomorphisms between certain convolution algebras of functions on two different groups. Because of the form of the isomorphisms, basic properties of representations are preserved, thus giving a concrete example to the correspondences predicted by the general philosphy of Langlands. The first chapter, suitable as an introduction for graduate students, requires only a basic knowledge of representation theory of finite groups and some familiarity with the general linear group and the symmetric group. The later chapters introduce researchers in the field to a new method for the explicit construction and analysis of representations of $p$-adic groups, a powerful method clearly capable of extensive further development.