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Conversation 697-006

TapeTape 697StartThursday, March 30, 1972 at 11:30 AMEndThursday, March 30, 1972 at 11:32 AMTape start time01:57:41Tape end time02:00:45ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.;  Woods, Rose MaryRecording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler and personal secretary Rose Mary Woods to coordinate upcoming press logistics and limit the duration of presidential photo opportunities. Nixon expressed frustration over previous media encounters, specifically citing meetings with the American Cancer Society and King Hussein of Jordan, and directed Ziegler to keep upcoming sessions brief to avoid unproductive small talk. The group ultimately decided to restrict press coverage to wire services to ensure minimal disruption to the President’s schedule.

Press RelationsPresidential SchedulingMedia ManagementPublic RelationsWhite House Operations
AudioNARA Description

On March 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:30 am to 11:32 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 697-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 697-6

Date: March 30, 1972
Time: 11:30 am - 11:32 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     The President's schedule
          -Press
               -Meeting with American Cancer Society representatives
                      -Compared to Hussein ibn Talal [Hussein, King of Jordan] meeting
                           -Length of availability to press
                      -Retarded child [Kevin Heald]
                      -[Calvin Hill]
               -Wire services
               -Length of availability to press
                      -Hussein meeting
                      -American Cancer Society meeting
                      -Meeting with Heald

Rose Mary Woods entered at an unknown time after 11:30 am.

     Meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Oliver W. Rudd, Jr. ["Julia Meade"]

Ziegler and Woods left.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This 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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

Would you be sure that if there was a chance or somebody else in the picture today, would you be sure to come a little quicker?
And Jordan, they've been here an awful long time.
And when we sit there, they're in our face.
So I don't want to press in for a length of time.
I don't want to take their picture and get out on the street.
Because there's no place in us sitting around trying to make a small talk.
Do you think so?
Well, particularly with the cancer thing, the reason I let you do the thing on the long birds, they didn't use that film to talk under to show you what they did.
Oh, perhaps not.
And they did use it as an exception.
I didn't feel it was an exception.
I mean, maybe this kind of stuff.
Well, particularly.
We'll do this like we did the other day, very quick.
Just the two wires, that's all we need.
We don't need to redo it.
That's it.
That's what we did the other day.
Very quickly.
You know, because they never used it.
But...
Well, they do what they do.
But a thing like what the case is saying, I kind of give them about 40 seconds.
If not, it's just a waste of your time.
No, they, in other words, they do what they do.
But there are a few ones that I didn't, I'm sure you do, that I didn't think of.
I think of it in any way, and I think it's just not very good ability to answer that.
Right.
It's not for our benefit at all.
I mean, yeah, it's not for our benefit.
It's only for the benefit of some promoter here in Congress.
Yes, sir.
Thank you.
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