Evening star., 1953-01-11

Office had. He was told there
were more than 100000.
Bigger than General Motors, "
he said with satisfaction.
What he seemed proudest of
at the moment was an illumi-
mated scroll which stood in a
frame on his desk. 1t read in
part:
"His neighbors pay him warm
tribute for his distinguished, un-
selfish and effective public serv-
ice. Good citizen. thorough pa
triot. he has brought high honor
to his community. Along with
these hearty congratulations. go
the best wishes of his fellow
townsmen."
Gives Details of Career.
He filled in details of his early
life and business career; gave
the interviewer all the time he
Wanted-more than an hour al
though long distance calls that
had to be put off seemed to
threaten to take the rest of his
day. He's the right sort in the
reporters book.
Outside. his son Bud (Arthur
E. Summerfield jr), a big, dark
young man over six feet tall,
was directing the re-decorating
of the ultra-modern sales room.
Bud was on Okinawa during
World War H.. The salesroom
will have panels of pastel yellow
and white. They seem to be get
ting ready for Inauguration in
Flint also.
The agency does a business of
more than SO million a year.
Mr.. Summerfield also has Chew
rolet agencies at Clio and Grand
Rapids. Mich. The Summer
fields live in a big Colonial house
with a pillared portico on a rise
of ground at the west end of
the city.
He has been a success in a city
where the word has special
meaning. WnIiam C. Durant,
Charles w. Nash and Walter
Chrysler lived in Flint for
long periods of the careers
that took them to the top
of the automotive industry.
Harlow H. Red) Curtice, the
new president of General Mo-
tors. is a resident of Flint and a
man named Charles Stewart
Mott. who lives in an early Goth
century mansion on the east side
of the city. has 500 million. He
made axles for Buick and when
General Motors bought him out
years ago they paid him with
stock. He kept 1t.
Biggest Success of Kind.
The new Postmaster General
has been the first Flint man to
score political success on the ma
tional level. The headline of the
Flint Journal reporting the testi-
monial dinner attended by 5000
read: Flint Salutes It's First
Cabinet Member"
The diners had occasion to
realize that their guest of honor
had come a long way when his
eighth grade school teacher at
Doyle Public School, Miss Eva
M. Curtis, was introduced. He
said in response:
How you ever had the pa
tience to put up with me, I'll
never understand. You were
wonderful to me. You were the
last teacher I was privileged to
have. Thank you
1t was the biggest dinner in
Flint's history. An heroic portrait
Of Mr.. Summerfleld. seven by IL
feet in dimension, behind the
speakers table dominated the
scene. Michael A. German,
editor of the Flint Journal, was
toastmaster. The Rev. David E.
Molyneaux, pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church of which
Mr.. Summerfleld is a member,
gave the invocation.
Pat Cleary (Owen j. Cleary) !,
the Republican State chairman,
said:
Never has Michigan had so
many men in the Presidents
Cabinet as have been designed
by President-elect Eisenhower.
We have had no other Michigan
man as National Committee
chairman. No other chairman
has led us to such a victory.
I'VE thank God for the Sum-
merfield family. and all they
have meant to Flint and all they
will mean to the Nation"
When 1t came Mr.. Summer
fields turn he was nearly over
come with emotion but he did
manage to say:
Il hope with the help Of Al
mighty God to make some con-
tribution. Thank you for all the
nice things you have done for
me. Thank you for all the nice
things you have said. the pray
ers you made for me. / want to
publicly thank my wife. my
family and my friends. for the
understanding they have had.
Lets get on with the work
we have started. We have the
ball on the five-yard line. We
have, % yards to 60. The lcal-