Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 24 › Conversation 024-085
Nixon phone call with Haldeman on George C. Wallace and Assassination attempts
Monday, May 15, 1972 · 5:21 PM–5:23 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon consult on whether the President should attend a scheduled Blue Room reception following the shooting of presidential candidate George C. Wallace. Concerned that a jovial appearance would be inappropriate given the somber political climate and historical parallels to the Kennedy assassinations, the couple discusses alternative options, including having a surrogate read remarks or making a brief, solemn appearance. The President concludes the call without a final decision, opting to confer with H. R. Haldeman before committing to a course of action.
- George C. Wallace
- Assassination attempts
- White House social events
- Public relations
- Political optics
- Pat Nixon
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On May 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 5:21 pm to 5:23 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-085 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 24-85
Date: May 15, 1972
Time: 5:21 pm - 5:23 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon.
[See also Conversation No. 724-8B]
Blue Room reception
-The President's appearance
-Mrs. Nixon’s view
-The President’s view
-Effect of George C. Wallace shooting
-Connection with Kennedy shootings
-Remarks
-The President
-Clement Conger
-Mrs. Nixon
The President conferred with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at 5:23 pm.
[See Conversation No. 724-8]
[End of conferral]
Return callAlso recorded on May 15, 1972
- 024-082 5:06 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:06 pm and 5:10 pm.
- 024-083 5:10 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 5:10 pm to 5:13 pm.
- 724-007 5:14 PM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:14 pm and 5:16 pm.
- 024-084 5:16 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:16 pm and 5:21 pm.
- 724-008 5:16 PM · 51 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, John B. Connally, Ronald L. Ziegler, Cornelia Wallace, Edward M. Kennedy, Eugene T. Rossides, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:16 pm to 6:06 pm.
- 024-086 5:24 PM · 10 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:24 pm and 5:30 pm.
- 024-087 5:24 PM · 2 min — the White House operator, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John B. Connally, Eugene T. Rossides, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:24 pm and 5:30 pm.
- 024-088 5:30 PM · 7 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:30 pm and 5:38 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 024-085, May 15, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-085 (accessed September 24, 2026).