Dwight L. Chapin Papers, White House Special Files, 1969-1973
1969-1973
Title: Dwight L. Chapin Papers, White House Special Files, 1969-1973
Dates: 1969-1973
Collection Number: 6217697
Creator/Collector:
Chapin, Dwight L. (Dwight Lee), 1940-
Extent: 17 linear feet, 6 linear inches; 40 boxes
Repository:
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Abstract: Dwight Chapin was the President's Appointments Secretary. In addition to scheduling, Chapin was responsible for supervising
Presidential advance men and acting as liaison between the White House and media consultants. The Chapin files reflect all
aspects of Chapin's job.
Language of Material: English
Collection is open for research. Some materials may be unavailable based upon categories of materials exempt from public release
established in the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974.
Most government records are in the public domain, however, this series includes commercial materials, such as newspaper clippings,
that may be subject to copyright restrictions. Researchers should contact the copyright holder for information.
Dwight L. Chapin Papers, White House Special Files, 1969-1973. Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
These materials are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration under the provisions of Title I of
the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-526, 88 Stat. 1695) and implementing regulations.
Biography/Administrative History
Dwight Lee Chapin was born in Wichita, Kansas on December 2, 1940. He was a field worker on Richard Nixon’s 1962 gubernatorial
campaign while he was still in college. In 1963, Chapin graduated from the University of Southern California. He was then
hired as an Advertising Assistant at the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency in Los Angeles, which also employed future
Nixon White House Chief of Staff, H. R. Haldeman.
In 1967-68, Chapin worked as a Personal Aide to Richard Nixon during his presidential campaign. After Nixon’s election victory,
Chapin became Special Assistant to the President in charge of appointments and travel. He held that position from 1968 until
he became Deputy Assistant to the President, serving as appointments secretary, in 1971. Chapin was named one of the year’s
ten Outstanding Young Men by the United States Junior Chamber or Jaycees organization for his contribution to President Nixon’s
visit to China. Chapin remained in his role as Deputy Assistant until he left the White House Staff in March 1973. He then
worked as Director of market planning at United Air Lines but was convicted in 1974 of two counts of making “false material
declarations” before the grand jury that investigated Richard Nixon’s 1972 presidential campaign and given a federal prison
sentence. Chapin served his time at Lompoc Federal Corrections Institute from August 10, 1975 to April 2, 1976.
From the time of his 1974 conviction, Chapin was in the employ of W. Clement Stone Enterprises of Chicago, Illinois. After
his 1976 release from prison, Chapin became Vice President of the same company but left in 1977 to become publisher and President
of Success Unlimited Magazine. He ran the magazine for two years before going to work for the international public relations
firm Hill & Knowlton in 1979.
In 1986, he created a new business endeavor named Chapin Enterprises. He also remained active in politics and worked on George
H. W. Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign. Chapin later went on to work in East Hampton, New York as a business consultant,
mentor and public speaker.
Scope and Content of Collection
Dwight L. Chapin served as appointments secretary to President Richard M. Nixon from 1969 to 1973. The responsibilities of
this position included scheduling the daily appointments of the President, maintaining the long-range planning calendar, supervising
Presidential advance men for both foreign and domestic travel, preparing the daily schedule for foreign trips, and acting
as liaison between the White House and media consultants. The materials in this file group reflect all aspects of Chapin's
job and are arranged in six series: Notes, Chronological File, Memoranda, Subject Files, China Trip Files, and Telephone Logs.
During the years 1969-73, H. R. Haldeman, President Nixon's chief of staff, conducted daily early morning staff meetings,
which Chapin regularly attended. The handwritten notes, which he took at these meetings, comprise the Notes series. These
notes pertain to the full range of topics discussed at the meetings. Major topics include Viet Nam, Honor America Day, and
reactions to protesters, as well as scheduling considerations. In addition, there are occasional references to Donald Segretti,
Herbert Kalmbach, and to the Watergate scandals. Many of the subjects covered in the Notes are developed more fully in memoranda
and letters in the chronological files.
The Chronological File parallels the Notes series and is composed primarily of memoranda from Chapin to other White House
staff members. Principal recipients include H. R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, John W. Dean, III, Ronald H. Walker, Ronald
Ziegler, and Lawrence M. Higby. Although the memoranda deal primarily with scheduling problems, they also pertain to such
subjects as political strategy, use of television and the press in political campaigning, public opinion polls, details of
advance trips, and White House staffing patterns and procedures.
The Memoranda series includes memoranda originated by H. R. Haldeman and sent to Chapin during the period 1969-71. These
memoranda concern primarily scheduling problems. Many contain annotations indicating decisions reached or suggestions for
further study.
The Subject Files, like the chronological files, reflect the major areas of Chapin's responsibilities. Within the series
are file folders pertaining to members of Chapin's staff and topics of recurring interest, such as advance man resumes and
schedule planning. The material includes background information compiled to help Chapin prepare outgoing memoranda, or related
to incoming memoranda. There is extensive material relating to the 1972 Republican National Convention and public opinion
polls.
During 1971 and 1972, in addition to his scheduling duties, Chapin served as chief advance man for President Nixon's trip
to the People's Republic of China. The materials found in the China Trip Files detail the arrangements for this trip. Included
are memoranda on the gifts presented to Chinese officials by the President, the establishment of a ground satellite communications
system between China and the United States, itineraries for President and Mrs. Nixon, descriptions of cultural events and
historical sites which the official party visited, arrangements of support personnel and the press corps, and plans for the
reciprocal banquet hosted by President Nixon.
The Telephone Logs provide a record of all calls to or from Chapin's office that were made through the White House switchboard.
Occasionally there is a typed or handwritten note in the log indicating the subject or purpose of a particular telephone call.
Chapin's telephone logs for the period October 1971 through October 1972 are located among the files of John W. Dean III.
Two photographs of gifts which President Nixon presented to Chinese officials on his State visit to China, and a composite
photograph of 55 Presidential advance men have been removed to the audiovisual collection and replaced with electrostatic
copies. Three copies of blue prints for Duplex Villa at the Key Biscayne Hotel in Florida have been transferred to an oversize
container at the end of the file group. The Staff Member and Office Files of the White House Central Files contain an additional
22 cubic feet of Chapin material.
Dwight Chapin