Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 16 › Conversation 016-027

Nixon phone call with Powell on Supreme Court and William H. Rehnquist

Monday, December 6, 1971 · 6:44 PM–6:47 PM ET · White House Telephone ·3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Powell, Lewis F., Jr.;  Nixon, Richard M. (President);  Powell, Lewis F., Jr.Conversation016-027 onTape 16 (tape position 00:53:14–00:56:18)StartMonday, December 6, 1971 at 6:44 PMEndMonday, December 6, 1971 at 6:47 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-027 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon calls Lewis F. Powell, Jr. to congratulate him on his recent Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court. The two discuss the political opposition faced by Powell and fellow nominee William H. Rehnquist, drawing historical parallels to the controversial nomination of Louis D. Brandeis. Powell outlines his transition plan, noting that he intends to wrap up his private law practice and begin full-time service on the Court by January 1972 after coordinating with Chief Justice Warren E. Burger.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Hello, Mr. President.
Well, you had a very close confirmation
Well, I'd like to have all of my engagements come out that way.
That's right.
That's right.
And incidentally, the one fellow that voted against you isn't going to run.
So next time.
So I think you came through in great style, and I'm delighted.
I think the country is very pleased that you have been confirmed, that you can now serve in the court.
And it's a distinguished appointment, and we're very proud to have you.
I'm very much aware, Mr. President, that I'm the indirect beneficiary of some of the opposition to Mr. Rehnquist.
He'll get confirmed, too, and he's a good man.
Oh, I'm sure he is.
I think we'll have 30, 35 votes against him, but, you know, after it's all over with, years later, they will forget whether Powell was the one that had 30 votes against him or Rehnquist, you know?
I'm sure of that.
I can certainly tell you how many votes were against any sitting judge.
Sure.
Well, you know, years ago, I remember when I was...
in law school.
I recall, you know, reading the famous poem, The Brandeis Descents, and then I once read the whole story about the tremendous fight on Brandeis, you remember, for the court.
Yes, I do.
But most law students today don't even remember there was a fight.
It was way back in the period between 1910 and 1920.
Yes.
Right.
Mr. President, I won't keep you, but the press have been asking me, as you would expect, when I could
I would say this to you, as I have said to the Chief Justice, that it will take me a little while to wind things up.
Sure.
I am hoping and expecting to join the Court on a full-time basis immediately after the new year.
I see.
But I would go there prior to that time
to commence some on-the-job training.
I see, yeah.
The Chief Justice indicated that that would...
He felt that was a good timetable.
Yes, he did.
Right, right.
I thought it might be of interest to you to know that.
I know the court needs help, but they actually aren't sitting in very many cases between now and Christmas.
I see, I see.
But I will be there for the January 10th.
Sure, well, whatever you work out with the Chief, of course, is just fine.
Well, I have a lot of practice of very hard years to
untangled and i felt it would be presumptuous to start on that yeah right i understand i understand i appreciate ever so much for calling me particularly with everything you have on you fine well we uh we think it's a fine victory and uh victory for the country that's the main thing and also for the court well i'm ever so grateful to you i look forward to seeing you thank you

NARA Description

On December 6, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Lewis F. Powell, Jr. talked on the telephone from 6:44 pm to 6:47 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-027 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-27

Date: December 6, 1971
Time: 6:44 pm - 6:47 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Lewis F. Powell, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 630-22B]

     President's congratulations
           -Confirmation
                 -Vote
          -William H. Rehnquist

     President's law school
          -Holmes Brandeis defense
          -Louis D. Brandeis
                 -Nomination for Supreme Court
                      -Date

     Powell’s schedule
         -Beginning of service as justice
                -Press
                -Warren E. Burger
                -January 1972 term
                -Burger
                -January term
                -Law practice

Also recorded on December 6, 1971

  • 630-018 4:01 PM · 2 hr 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John V. Brennan, Pierre E. Trudeau, White House photographer, Henry A. Kissinger, and Ivan Head met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:01 pm to 6:10 pm.
  • 630-019 6:10 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:10 pm and 6:14 pm.
  • 630-020 6:14 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:14 pm to 6:38 pm.
  • 630-021 6:38 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:38 pm and 6:40 pm.
  • 630-022 6:40 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William E. Timmons, Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., and Peter M. Flanigan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:40 pm to 6:51 pm.
  • 016-028 6:47 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:47 pm and 10:56 pm.
  • 630-023 6:51 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 6:51 pm.
  • 630-024 6:52 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:52 pm to 6:55 pm.

All 62 conversations from December 6, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-027, December 6, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-027 (accessed September 18, 2026).