Conversation: 495-026
Prev: 495-025 Next: 495-027Start Date: 7-May-1971 4:33 PM
End Date: 7-May-1971 5:53 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.; Connally, John B.; Butterfield, Alexander P.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:32:15
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 04:48:04
NARA Description:
On May 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, John B. Connally, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:33 pm to 5:53 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 495-026 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 495-26
Date: May 7, 1971
Time: 4:33 pm - 5:53 pm
Location: Oval Office
42
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
President met with John N. Mitchell.
Weather
-Farmers
-Texas
[Transcript #1: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
“Salute to Agriculture” exhibit on South Lawn
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins' photos
-Weather
Norman E. Borlaug
-Position on demonstrations
-Dr. Carl McIntyre, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Mexico
-US universities
-Administrators and young professors
-"Peaceniks"
-Trotskyites, Maoists
-Nobel Peace Prize
-Work on wheat strains
-Value
[President talked with John B. Connally between 4:39 and 4:47 pm]
[Conversation No. 495-26A]
[See Conversation No. 2-123]
[End of telephone conversation]
[Transcript #2: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
43
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
[End of transcript]
Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-J. Edgar Hoover
-Tenure
-Effect on F.B.I.
-Clyde A. Tolson
-William C. Sullivan Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
-Possible position
-Hoover
-Congress
[Transcript #3: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Subcommittee hearings on wiretapping
-John L. McClellan
-Organized crime wiretaps
-Publicity
-Staff
-Justice Department backgrounds
-Robert F. Kennedy, W. Ramsey Clark
-Wiretapping issue
-Robert Kennedy era compared with current situation
[Transcript #4: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
44
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 56s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
Louis B. Nunn
-Possible Secretary of Agriculture
-Experience
Secretary of Agriculture
-Clifford M. Hardin
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4m 20s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************
Campaign financing
-Herbert W. Kalmbach
-Fundraising
45
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal-Returnable]
[Duration: 18s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11 Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
******************************************************************************
Connally
-Arthur F. Burns
-Financial community
William H. Morton
-President's meeting
-Golf game
-Lunch with Mitchell, May 7, 1971
-Connally as viewed by financial community
Connally
-Revenue sharing appearance before Congressmen
-A congressman[?]
-Statements regarding President, Vietnam
David Packard
-Position on Lockheed
-Position on Vietnam
-Melvin R. Laird, Connally
-Possible resignation
-Possible future position in Cabinet
William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger
-Relations
-Effect
-Rogers’ tenure
46
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Middle East
-Rogers’ role
-Kissinger
State Department, Foreign Service
Rogers
Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
Laird
Rogers
-Compared with Connally
-Rogers’ and President's role in foreign policy
-Middle East
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Middle East
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 10s ]
MIDDLE EAST
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
**********************************************************************
Foreign policy
-Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Kissinger
-President's previous statement
-Negotiations
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Kissinger
-PRC
47
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-PRC
-Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Possible statements by President
-Proposals Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Possible meeting with President on Midway
-Vietnamese role
-Thieu
-President's previous meeting
-President's forthcoming meeting
-PRC
-USSR
-Kissinger
-USSR
-PRC
-SALT
-Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Kissinger
-Proposal
-Senate
-Negotiations
-Rogers, Kissinger, David K.E. Bruce
State Department
-Secretary of State
-Needs
-Relationship with Kissinger and the White House
-Rogers
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Privacy]
[Duration: 1m 10s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
48
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
******************************************************************************
Foreign Policy
-USSR
-PRC
-Vietnam
-US role Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
-Laotian operation
-Casualty levels
-Missing in action [MIAs]
-May 7, 1971 report
-Casualty levels
-Vietnamese holidays
-Weather
-North Vietnam
-Kissinger
-Negotiations
-North Vietnamese
-Negotiations
-North Vietnam
-South Vietnam
-Military forces
-A Shau Valley
-Past US performance
-Military situation
-Negotiations
-Forthcoming announcement
-Casualties
-US role
-Withdrawal
-Date
-POWs
-Effect
-South Vietnam, North Vietnam
Agnew
-Revenue sharing
-Opposition
-Speeches
-Media
49
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 7s ]
Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
**********************************************************************
Wilbur D. Mills
-Administration handling
-George P. Shultz
-Revenue sharing
-Connally
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4m 11s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
**********************************************************************
[Transcript #5: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
Carl B. Albert
50
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[Personal-Returnable]
[Duration: 17s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13 Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
******************************************************************************
Revenue sharing
-Mills
-Administration handling
-Connally
-Shultz
-Special revenue sharing
-Use
-Mills
-John W. Byrnes
-Byrnes' position
-Republican congressional leadership
SST
-Lockheed
-Upcoming House vote
-George Meany
-Position, role
-Andrew Biemiller
-Upcoming Senate vote
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson and Warren W. (“Maggie”) Magnuson
-Lockheed
-John V. Tunney, Alan Cranston, David H. Gambrell
-Meany
-Humphrey's previous vote
Meany
-Labor's relations with Republicans
51
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 29s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9 Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
Congressional leadership
-Senate
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Privacy]
[Duration: 4s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
**********************************************************************
-Byrd
-Robert A. Taft, Jr.
-Robert P. Griffin
-1972 reelection possibilities
-Hugh Scott
-Taft
-Wife
52
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 43s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11 Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
Congressional leadership
-Gerald R. Ford
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Privacy]
[Duration: 8s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
******************************************************************************
-Work in Congress
-Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, and John J. Rhodes
-Arends
-Future
-Work with Southern members
-William M. Colmer
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Robert C. Byrd
-Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
-Possible party switch
-Other southerners
-Considerations
President's schedule
53
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-"Salute to Agriculture"
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Personal-Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 51s ]
Conv. No. 495-26 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
******************************************************************************
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 4:33 pm.
Mitchell's schedule
-Social events
-Law and order briefing
Mitchell and Butterfield left at 5:53 pm.