Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 723 › Conversation 723-015

Nixon, Woods & Bull on Vietnam War and Soviet Summit

Thursday, May 11, 1972 · 3:45 PM–3:51 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose Mary; Bull, Stephen B.Conversation723-015 on Tape 723 (tape position 02:01:38–02:09:23)StartThursday, May 11, 1972 at 3:45 PMEndThursday, May 11, 1972 at 3:51 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 723-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Rose Mary Woods and Stephen B. Bull to discuss administrative arrangements for his upcoming schedule and receive updates on staff matters, including the recovery of Manolo Sanchez. The discussion included a review of positive public and personal feedback regarding the President's recent television address concerning the Vietnam blockade. Additionally, the President addressed potential implications for the Soviet Summit and coordinated logistics for an upcoming meeting with Secretary of State William P. Rogers.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 83.6 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:01:38 into the tape and ends around 02:09:23.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
2:03:25That's all right.
2:03:26I just wanted to tell you that I think we may be ready to go there.
2:03:29We're in support of the team, so from that time on, you should be on standby.
2:03:40Okay, I'm sorry.
2:04:26I must tell you, Manolo was so thrilled.
2:04:28He called me.
2:04:33His voice just bubbled over.
2:04:36He just was so proud and so thrilled.
2:04:38It was just fun to listen to him.
2:04:40He loves you just great out there.
2:04:43Apparently he's doing everything.
2:04:45The doctors, I think, were very pleased with all the exercises.
2:04:49They didn't think he could do them as quickly as he could.
2:04:52But they told me he'd be...
2:04:57March is four weeks.
2:05:02Well, we'll make it comfortable for you to come around here.
2:05:08You don't need to give it to anybody.
2:05:12I've been trying to arrange to get in Florida to go with you that period, too.
2:05:25Especially the
2:05:26If we go in the off direction, you might see that.
2:05:28Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
2:05:37That comes off.
2:05:38I was finding that anyway.
2:05:39You can go there.
2:05:40You know, there are some beautiful letters.
2:05:42Like, Ellen Golds wrote a letter, you know, how solidly he is behind you, and how much things you're doing, just what you should.
2:05:49You know, pour it off.
2:05:51Exactly what you're doing.
2:05:52He's a smart man, you know.
2:05:54He is smart.
2:05:56and he's real he's a great peace guy oh he's a great peace guy he thinks this is just right and his letter is really very good and it's well thought out walter williams wrote just please tell the boss i think he did one whale of a job on tv last evening
2:06:20Some of these soft-headed punks must surely get their eyes open one of these days.
2:06:26Meantime, pat our generalissimo on the back and tell him we are proud of him, mighty undenied proud of him.
2:06:33He is right, and thinking people know he's right.
2:06:36I think that's so, he's a good one.
2:06:40Those old Walter and Rothkate are two good old men.
2:06:44Aren't they, though?
2:06:45Yeah.
2:06:48But they just say things for the thousands of thousands, all the letters and things that are coming in.
2:07:41You see, uh, all of them.
2:07:43Yes, sir.
2:07:45Whether the committee can pass.
2:07:46No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

NARA Description

On May 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:45 pm to 3:51 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 723-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 723-15

Date: May 11, 1972
Time: 3:45-3:51 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.

     Woods's location
         -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo

     President's schedule
          -Camp David
                 -Departure time

**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 42s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

**********************************************************************

          -Manolo Sanchez
              -President's previous visit
                    -Sanchez's response
              -Sanchez's health
                    -Knee operation
                    -Recovery time
                    -Possible trip to Florida

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Elmer H. Bobst's letter
                    -Support for the President
                    -Support for peace
               -Walter Williams
                    -President's speech
                          -Message to the President

                           -Public support
                -Public support for the President

**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal-Returnable]
[Duration: 41s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

**********************************************************************

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:45 pm.

     The President’s schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting with William P. Rogers
                -Rogers’s arrival
                -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s attendance
                -Arrival

Bull left at an unknown time before 3:51 pm.

**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 7s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

**********************************************************************

     Soviet Summit
          -President's attitude
                -Possible cancellation

     President's meeting with Rogers
          -Instructions to Woods
                 -Bull

Woods left at 3:51 pm.

Also recorded on May 11, 1972

  • 723-011 3:24 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:24 pm and 3:25 pm.
  • 723-012 3:25 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:25 pm to 3:39 pm.
  • 024-079 3:39 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:39 pm.
  • 024-080 3:39 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 3:39 pm to 3:40 pm.
  • 723-013 3:39 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:39 pm and 3:40 pm.
  • 723-017 3:39 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 3:39 pm.
  • 723-014 3:40 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:40 pm and 3:45 pm.
  • 723-016 3:51 PM · 51 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:51 pm to 4:44 pm.

All 35 conversations from May 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 723-015, May 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/723-015 (accessed October 12, 2026).