President Nixon met with his Cabinet and key staff to discuss the upcoming departure of Secretary of the Treasury John B. Connally and to address broader administration matters. The discussion covered the timing of administrative changes, the transition of economic policy responsibilities to George Shultz, and the status of ongoing federal investigations following the recent shooting of George C. Wallace. Connally reflected on his tenure as Treasury Secretary and his future plans, while the President reaffirmed his commitment to his current economic program and leadership agenda.
On May 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Cabinet officers and staffers, including John N. Irwin, II, John B. Connally, [David] Kenneth Rush, Richard G. Kleindienst, Rogers C. B. Morton, Earl L. Butz, Peter G. Peterson, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, George P. Shultz, Donald H. Rumsfeld, George H. W. Bush, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, Clark MacGregor, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., John A. Scali, Herbert G. Klein, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, Charles W. Colson, Frederic V. Malek, Robert J. Brown, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Ezra Solomon, and Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 11:03 am and 11:59 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 101-009 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 101-9
Date: May 16, 1972
Time: 11:03 am - unknown before 11:59 pm
Location: Cabinet Room
The President met with John N. Irwin, II, John B. Connally, [David] Kenneth Rush, Richard G.
Kleindienst, Rogers C. B. Morton, Earl L. Butz, Peter G. Peterson, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L.
Richardson, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, George P. Shultz, Donald H. Rumsfeld, George
H. W. Bush, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M.
Flanigan, Clark MacGregor, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., John A. Scali, Herbert G. Klein,
Raymond K. Price, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, Charles W. Colson, Frederic
V. Malek, Robert J. Brown, Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger, Ezra Solomon, and Kenneth R.
Cole, Jr.
[General conversation/Unintelligible]
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 1m 52s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Secret Service protection
-Connally
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Airplane hijacking
-Other candidates
George C. Wallace
-Number of agents
-Vulnerability
Secret Service agent
-Wounds
-Hazards of duty
Wallace
-Location
-Hospital
-Alabama
-The President’s offer
-Walter Reed Hospital
-Unknown Alabama hospital
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] investigation
-Secret Service
-Assailant
-Political affiliations
-Young Democrats of Wisconsin
-Black Panthers
-Wallace
-University of Wisconsin
Cabinet
-Changes
-Announcement
-Timing
-Connally
-Date of nomination
-Duration of appointment
-International monetary situation
-The President’s economic program
-Status
-Extension
-Reasons for leaving
-Achievements
-The President’s economic policy
-Inflation
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International economy
[To listen to the segment (1m4s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-595.]
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-Role in administration
-National security
-Advice to the President
-Departure
-Timing
-Soviet summit
-New assignments
-Announcement
Shultz
-Beliefs
Weinberger
-Beliefs
Announcement
Shultz and Weinberger
-Remarks
Connally
-Remarks to Cabinet
-Remarks by Cabinet
-Work with the President
-New assignments
-Circumstances of appointment
-Departure
-The President’s leadership
-Assessed
-Vietnam policies
-Assessed
-Public opinion
-Work as Secretary of Treasury
-Appointment
-Duration
-Original terms
-Speculation of future
-Work with the President
-Described
-Support for the President
-The President’s achievements
-Future plans
-Return to Texas
-Rest
-Assignments for the President
-Political plans
-Texas politics
-Decision
-Wallace
-Consultation with the President
-Date
-Future plans
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 37s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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-Departure
-Relations
-Cabinet
-Volpe
-Romney
-Volpe [?]
-President and Patricia R. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Nellie Connally
-Successor
-Shultz
-Remarks
-Romney
-Volpe
-Ceremony with chair
-Achievements
-As governor
-National Governors’ Conference
-Future work
-Work as governor
-Appointment
-Achievements
-Announcement to press
Shultz
The President and Connally left at 11:30 am
[General conversation/Unintelligible]
Irwin, et al. left at an unknown time before 11:59 pmThis transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.