6 . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Republican ▁National ▁Committee ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁Republican ▁National ▁Convention ▁he ▁played ▁a ▁key ▁role ▁in ▁winning ▁the ▁G OP ▁president ial ▁nom ination ▁for ▁General ▁D w ight ▁Eisen h ower . ▁As ▁Michigan ' s ▁delegate ▁chairman ▁Summer field ▁convinced ▁the ▁large , ▁un comm itted ▁Michigan ▁deleg ation ▁to ▁support ▁Eisen h ower , ▁thus ▁providing ▁" I ke " ▁with ▁a ▁major ▁boost ▁before ▁the ▁voting . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁President - E lect ▁Eisen h ower ▁chose ▁Summer field ▁as ▁the ▁federal ▁Post master ▁General ; ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁that ▁post ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁His ▁assistant ▁post master ▁was ▁former ▁U . S . ▁Represent ative ▁Ben ▁H . ▁Gu ill ▁of ▁Texas . ▁ ▁As ▁post master ▁general , ▁Summer field ▁o vers aw ▁attempts ▁to ▁reform ▁and ▁modern ize ▁the ▁Post ▁Office ▁and ▁the ▁U . S . ▁mail ▁system , ▁which ▁was ▁still ▁conduct ing ▁many ▁sorting ▁and ▁processing ▁operations ▁by ▁hand . ▁ ▁Summer field ▁called ▁for ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁post age ▁rates ▁to ▁subs id ize ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁new ▁mechan ized ▁mail ▁processing ▁and ▁sorting ▁equipment . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁this ▁equipment ▁was ▁adopted , ▁including ▁the ▁Ham per - D um per ▁internal ▁mail ▁sorting / transport ▁system ▁and ▁the