Conversation: 702-009
Prev:  702-008 Next: 702-010Start Date: 4-Apr-1972 5:08 PM
End Date: 4-Apr-1972 6:01 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kirk, Russell A.; Butterfield, Alexander P.; White House photographer; Sanchez, Manolo; Bull, Stephen B.; Kirk, Annette; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:21:04
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:12:34
NARA Description:
On April 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Russell A. Kirk, Alexander P. Butterfield, White House photographer, Manolo Sanchez, Stephen B. Bull, and Annette Kirk met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:08 pm to 6:01 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 702-009 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 702-9 Date: April 4, 1972 Time: 5:08 pm - 6:01 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with Russell A. Kirk; Alexander P. Butterfield and the White House photographer were present at the beginning of the meeting. Introduction and greetings [Photograph session] -Arrangements -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins -Saturday Evening Post Seating Kirk's residence -New York -Last meeting with the President 22 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 5:08 pm. Refreshment Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:57 pm. Meeting -Purpose -Discussion of Kirk's book, A Program for Conservatives Kirk's book -distribution -Relevance -Date of writing -1950's -Dwight D. Eisenhower administration -Korean War -Recession -Republican Congress -Predictions of problems -Education Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 5:08 pm. Refreshment Kirk's career -Journalism -Conservative views Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:57 pm. Education -Conservative critique -Trend away from excellence -Busing -New policies -Compensatory education -George P. Shultz -Elliot L. Richardson -Future in US education -Campus unrest 23 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Tricia Nixon Cox -Edward R. F. Cox ***************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 [Personal returnable] [Duration: 8s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 ***************************************************************** -Students for a Democratic Society [SDS] -Convention -Handling of various issues -Racism, Vietnam, environment -Current problems -Vocational education -Increased interest -Liberal education -Overemphasis -Vocational education -Necessity -Danger of overemphasis -National Education Association [NEA] -Establishment views -Dependence on money -School principals -Moderate views -Search for alternatives -Vocational training -Increased opportunities -Current programs -Failures -Vietnam protests -Military draft -Guilt complex ` -World War II -Higher education 24 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Hard sciences -Associate and assistant professors -Greed -Radicalism -Emotionalism -Improvements -Undergraduates -Faculties -Power hunger -Impersonality of large universities -Undergraduates -University of California at Berkeley -New York -Ohio State University -Young instructors -Insecurity -Large universities -Michigan State University -Conservatism -Radicalization -Dormitory life Future of US -Vietnam, People’s Republic of China [PRC], Soviet Union -Escalating demands -Labor leaders, Frank E. Fitzsimmons, George Meany and Peter J. Brennan -Support for national defense and morality -Law and order -James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa -Business leaders -Weaknesses -Lack of character -Events since 1954 -Great Society -Civil rights movement -Mishandling of race relations -Daniel P. Moynihan -Washington DC illegitimacy rate -New York City -Patriotism and idealism -The President’s November 3, 1969 speech -March on White House -Cambodia 25 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Demonstrations -Lack of support from media, intellectuals and businessmen -Labor leaders -Religious leaders -Conservative Catholics -Liberalism -Catholics compared to protestants -Fundamentalists -Character -Norman Vincent Peale -William F. (“Billy”) Graham -Southern Baptists -Leader class -Weakness -People of US -Support for national honor -Heartland -Leader class -Weakness -Businessmen, educators, opinion leaders, politicians -Congress -Decline -Strength -Southern conservatives -Richard B. Russell and John C. Stennis -Decline of family -Reasons -T. S. Eliot -[Frank Nixon] -Church -Schools -Education -Decline -Money -Culture -Influence of television -Television -Impact on children ***************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 [Personal returnable] 26 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) [Duration: 9s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 ***************************************************************** -PRC trip, moonshots, sports -Compared to newspapers -Poor quality of programs -Changes Education -Non-public schools -Tax relief -The President's forthcoming speech in Philadelphia -Future -Kirk's children -School -Influence of television Future of US -Moral leadership of president -Impact -Theodore Roosevelt -Influence of television and media -Decadence -The President’s speech in Kansas City -Extent -Reversal -Cycles -Byzantine Empire -Family assistance -Work requirement -Integration -Forced integration -Community decision -Urban renewal -Problems -Martin C. Anderson 27 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Environmental issues -Importance -Costs of clean-up -Utilities -Public support Future of US -Leader class -Decline -Businessmen -Main Street leaders -Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs -Strength -Lack of belief -Lack of imagination -Andrew Salvatore [sp?] -Foundations -Subversion of establishment -Ford Foundation -Kirk's early career -Original purpose -Decline of nations -The masses -Children -Radicalism -Decadence -Replacement -Ethnics -Revitalization -Compared with European nations -Decline -Reversal -Parochial schools -Lack of will Social systems of the world -Observations -Soviet Union, Rumania, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Poland, East Germany and PRC Other nations -PRC, Soviet Union, West Germany and Japan -Contrast with US -Leader class 28 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Willingness to sacrifice -Sense of destiny ***************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 [Personal returnable] [Duration: 51s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 ***************************************************************** Kirk's columns A Program for Conservatives -The President’s reading -The Commonweal Literature -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan and Henry A. Kissinger -Kirk's favorite book -Eliot's Notes Towards the Definition of Culture -Patrick J. Buchanan Kirk's wife [Annette Y. (Courtemanche) Kirk] -Meeting with the President -Home state Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:08 pm. Ronald L. Ziegler Annette Kirk Bull left at an unknown time before 5:57 pm. Presidential gifts -Cuff links -Gold button 29 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Rose Garden -Flowers -Blossoming -Weather AnnetteKirk entered at 5:57 pm. Bull and the White House photographer were present at the beginning of the meeting. Photographs The Kirks' first meeting Presidential gifts -Compact and ash tray Annette Kirk -Political activities -College -Political activities -Religion -Russell Kirk -Liberals Presidential gifts -Ash tray -Presidential seal -Compact The Kirks' children A Program for Conservatives The President’s reading habits -TV -Eliot -Annette Kirk's review of proofs Annette Kirk -College career -Columbia University -Linguistics 30 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Education courses Eliot The Kirks' children -Greetings The Kirks left at 6:01 pm.