Conversation: 763-019
Prev: 763-018 Next: 763-020Start Date: 7-Aug-1972 3:01 PM
End Date: 7-Aug-1972 3:45 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Campbell, Leslie D., Jr.; Davis, Warren; Dudley, William M.; Fidler, Walther B.; Fowler, Calvin W.; Gray, Elmon T.; Gray, Frederick T.; Gunn, Charles W., Jr.; Lane, Edward E.; Manns, Paul W.; McMath, George N.; Middleton, Beverly R.; Parkerson, William F.; Putney, Lacy E.; Reynolds, Randall O.; Sheppard, Eleanor P.; Slaughter, D. French, Jr.; Smith, W. Roy; Willey, Edward E.; Coleman, J. D. Stetson; Marsh, John O., Jr.; Ferebee, J. Smith; Short, Richard T.; Olmstead, James F.; Obenshain, Richard D.; Glass, Thomas R.; Bemiss, Fitzgerald; Godwin, Mills E.; Carneal, Russell M.; Ball, Robert B., Sr.; Bateman, Herbert; Bull, Stephen B.; White House photographer;Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On August 7, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Virginia Democratic leaders, including Leslie D. Campbell, Jr., Warren Davis, William M. Dudley, Walther B. Fidler, Calvin W. Fowler, Elmon T. Gray, Frederick T. Gray, Charles W. Gunn, Jr., Edward E. Lane, Paul W. Manns, George N. McMath, B.R. Middleton, William F. Parkerson, Jr., Lacy E. Putney, Randall O. Reynolds, Eleanor P. Sheppard, D. French Slaughter, Jr., W. Roy Smith, Edward E. Willey, J. D. Stetson Coleman, John O. Marsh, Jr., J. Smith Ferebee, Richard T. Short, James F. Olmsted, Richard D. Obenshain, Thomas R. Glass, Fitzgerald Bemiss, Mills E. Godwin, Russell M. Carneal, Robert B. Ball, Sr., and Herbert Bateman, as well as Stephen B. Bull, Herbert Bateman, as well as the White House photographer, met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:01 pm to 3:45 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 763-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 763-19
Date: August 7, 1972
Time: 3:01 pm – 3:45 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Leslie D. Campbell, Jr., Warren Davis, William M. Dudley, Walther B.
Fidler, Calvin W. Fowler, Elmon T. Gray, Frederick T. Gray, Charles W. Gunn, Jr., Edward E.
Lane, Paul W. Manns, George N. McMath, B.R. Middleton, William F. Parkerson, Jr., Lacy E.
Putney. Randall O. Reynolds, Eleanor P. Sheppard, D. French Slaughter, Jr., W. Roy Smith,
Edward E. Willey, J. D. Stetson Coleman, John O. Marsh, Jr., J. Smith Ferebee, Richard T.
Short, James F. Olmsted, Richard D. Obenshain, Thomas R. Glass, Fitzgerald Bemiss, Mills E.
Godwin, Russell M. Carneal, Robert B. Ball, Sr., Herbert Bateman; the White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.
Arrangements for photographs
Introductions and photographs
-Bemiss
-Chairman
-Manns
-Bowling Green, Virginia
-Putney
47
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
-Bedford, Virginia
-Slaughter
-Fowler
-Danville, Virginia
-Carneal
-Middleton
-Virginia Beach, Virginia
-McMath
-Eastern Shore, Virginia
-Davis
-Fairfax County, Virginia
-Lane
-Richmond, Virginia
-Reynolds
-Bateman
-Newport News, Virginia
-Melvin R. Laird
-Parkerson
-Richmond, Virginia
-Campbell
-Hanover County, Virginia
-Smith
-Petersburg, Virginia
-Appropriations committee
-Fiddler
-Frederick Gray
-Chesterfield, Virginia
-Gunn
-Lexington, Virginia
-Willey
-President Pro Tem
-Ball
-Henrico County, Virginia
-Glass
-Dudley
-Lynchburg, Virginia
-Dudley’s football career
-Obenshain
-Olmsted
-Short
-Virginia Beach, Virginia
48
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
-Marsh
-Winchester, Virginia
-Coleman
-Del Ray Beach, Florida
-The President's previous visit to Coleman's house.
-George A. Smathers
-Claude Pepper
-Helen Gahagan Douglas
-Ferebee
The President's previous meeting with Ollie Matson
-Football from 1969 Pro Bowl
Photograph of group
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 17s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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1960 election
-Candidates
-Issues
-US international role
-US strengths
-Economy
-Law enforcement
-Permissiveness
1972 election
-Foreign policy issues
-George S. McGovern’s proposed cuts in defense spending
-Amount
-Aircraft carriers
49
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
-Aid to Greece
-Impact
-The President’s view
-The President's previous meetings
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Chou En-lai
-Effect of defense cuts on US relations with the Soviet
Union and the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Reduction of waste in defense spending
-International agreements
-Mutual arms reduction
-Domestic policy issues
-McGovern’s spending proposals
-Impact on tax burden
-Welfare
-McGovern’s $1000 per person proposal
-Increase in welfare rolls
-McGovern’s $6500 per year proposal
-Increase in welfare rolls
-The President’s view
-Welfare to work initiatives
-Nature of man
-Need for incentives
-Supreme Court
-The President’s view of appointments
-George H.W. Bush [?]
-Unelected status of Supreme Court appointees
-Interpretation of laws
-Compared with elected status of Congress
-Creation of laws
-Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
-William H. Rehnquist
-Warren E. Burger
-Harry A. Blackmun
-Role of Supreme Court
-William O. Douglas's interpretation
-Role of courts
-Virginia
-The President’s knowledge of Virginia
-The President’s attendance of Duke University Law School
50
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
-Clarence (“Ace”) Parker
-Strict constructionists
-The President’s role in appointing new members to the Supreme Court
-Importance of this role
-The President’s previous conversation with an unknown person
-New York
-The President’s appointment of conservative to the Supreme Court
-Need for balance
-The President’s previous conversation with John B. Connally
-Realignment of political groups along ideological lines
-Future appointees in government
-Unimportance of party lines
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 46s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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Presidential gifts
-Presidential seal
-Oval office
-Flag
-Cuff links
-Gifts to wives
-Bow pins
Groups agreement with the President’s philosophy
Presentation of gifts
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:01 pm.
Forthcoming White House tour
51
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
-Further distribution of gifts in Cabinet Room
-Michael J. Farrell
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 11m 42s ]
Bull et al., except Marsh, left at 3:32 pm.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
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1972 election
-Invitation for the President to speak at [Thomas] Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace
-Dwight D. Eisenhower’s speech in 1960
-Advantage of acceptance
-South
-Internationalism
-Isolationism
-McGovern supporters
-Wilson’s background
-Staunton
-Nearby birthplace of Eisenhower’s mother; Abraham Lincoln’s
father, Thomas Jefferson
-Wilson
-Admiration for Jefferson, Lincoln
-Speech
-Philosophy
-Jefferson, Lincoln, Wilson
-Eisenhower
-Theme
-Isolationism compared to internationalism
-“Cap and gown community”
-Wilson
-World War I
-Mexico
52
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
-Marsh’s paper
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 55s]
Marsh left at 3:45 pm.
[End withdrawn item No. 5]
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