 dwight l. chapin (born december 2, 1940) is an american political organizer, businessman, and retired public servant. he was deputy assistant to the president richard m. nixon, during the watergate scandal. chapin was convicted of lying to a grand jury (perjury) during the scandal and served nine months at the federal correctional institution, lompoc. ==early life, education== chapin was born in wichita, kansas. he got his first experience in california politics in 1958 at the american legion's boys state summer program, where he was elected the head of the tory party. his counterpart, the whig party leader, was stacy keach, who went into acting as a career. chapin graduated in 1963 from the university of southern california, where he was a member of sigma chi fraternity. ==early political work for nixon and early career== when nixon ran for california governor in 1962, chapin, then still at usc, was a paid field man (on-the-ground organizational leader for election campaigns)"", political organization (field men), and worked with the volunteer organization. after the 1962 campaign he was hired by h.r. haldeman to work at the j. walter thompson company, an advertising firm, in los angeles. chapin was part of nixon's presidential campaign from 1967 to 1968, serving as the candidate's personal aide. time magazine described him as "young, athletic, religious, handsome, clean-cut, bright, ambitious, and tough." ==joins nixon white house staff== he was special assistant to the president (1969â71), and then deputy assistant (1971â73). he was the appointments secretary, responsible for scheduling presidential activities, appointments, and travel. in addition, chapin was in charge of the white house television office. chapin also oversaw the hiring and supervising of the presidential advance men, and headed that group in 1969 to prepare for nixon's trip to the people's republic of china. in 1973 chapin was named one of the ten outstanding young men of the year by the united states junior chamber (jaycees) for his work on the historic china trip. even chinese premier chou en-lai was impressed with chapin's skill at detail work, singling him out publicly in the beijing meetings: "you are an example of how we should utilize young men in government." ==caught in watergate scandal== it was during this time chapin hired donald segretti, his former colleague from usc, to disrupt the campaigns of democratic presidential hopefuls during the 1972 presidential primary season through acts of political "sabotage" - known as the "dirty tricks" campaign. cha
1940_births American_anti-communists American_businesspeople American_businesspeople_convicted_of_crimes American_perjurers American_political_consultants California_Republicans Living_people New_York_Republicans Nixon_administration_personnel People_associated_with_the_Watergate_scandal People_from_Wichita,_Kansas University_of_Southern_California_alumni