Existing comment:
John Wesley Dean, III, 1938-
John Dean became counsel to President Richard Nixon in July 1970. He began cooperating with federal investigators in March or early April of 1973, and Nixon fired him on April 30. As one of the first government officials to accuse the president of conspiracy, Dean testified before the Senate Watergate Committee that Nixon attended thirty-five meetings during which the break-in was discussed. His testimony eventually led to Nixon’s resignation.
Dean claimed that Nixon knew of the White House cover-up as early as September 15, 1972, the same day the Watergate indictments were announced. At Nixon’s request, Dean helped to orchestrate a cover-up of the Watergate scandal by speaking with the director of the FBI, Patrick Gray, and influencing FBI reports. On October 19, 1973, Dean pleaded guilty to a single felony, the charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice, in exchange for becoming a key witness for the prosecution.
Stanislaw Zagorski, 1973
Time magazine cover, July 2, 1973
Collection Description
In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection -- featuring prominent international figures and events -- enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context. |