Dwight Chapin

Dwight Lee 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) 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.