Edward E. David Jr.
Dr. Edward E. David Jr. served as the Science Advisor to President Richard M. Nixon and the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology from August 1970 until January 1973. His entire tenure occurred during the White House taping period, where he was the primary scientific voice in the administration. He also held the positions of Chairman of the President's Science Advisory Committee and Chairman of the Federal Council for Science and Technology during this time.
When David is on the tapes
What David talks about on the tapes
US-Soviet Relations 4Vietnam War 3Unemployment 3Legislative strategy 2International Relations 2Inflation 2Economic policy 2Diplomacy 21972 election 2Wage and price controls 1US Foreign Policy 1Swearing-in ceremony 1
Conversations (23)
President Nixon and his Cabinet met to discuss the ongoing military operations in Indochina and the development of the administration's national health reform agenda. Regarding the war, officials reviewed the progress of South Vietnamese incursions into Laos and Cambodia, noting that the strategy was successfully disrupting enemy supply lines while shifting the burden of ground operations away from American forces. The conversation then transitioned to a detailed proposal from Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Elliot Richardson regarding healthcare reform, with the group debating the costs, tax implications, and administrative feasibility of implementing Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and national health insurance standards.
President Nixon met with Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Peter M. Flanigan, H. R. Haldeman, and John D. Ehrlichman to coordinate the upcoming Science Advisory Committee meeting and address the political challenge of unemployed scientists and engineers. Nixon emphasized the need to show administration concern for these displaced professionals without necessarily relying on federal bailouts for universities or costly retraining programs. The group further discussed shifting to international cooperation in space and science—including potential collaboration with the Soviet Union—and evaluated strategic applications for technology in areas like energy and agriculture.
President Nixon met with the President's Science Advisory Committee to discuss a range of national priorities, most notably the administration's proposed initiative to combat cancer. The committee advised against creating a separate, standalone agency for cancer research, instead recommending a centralized leadership structure within the National Institutes of Health to maintain scientific integration. The discussion also covered the ethical and public policy challenges of future technologies like hurricane cloud seeding, as well as strategies to address economic challenges, including the unemployment of scientists and engineers and the need for improved national productivity.
President Nixon met with his Cabinet and key staff to discuss the status of the administration's revenue sharing legislative agenda and receive briefings on various international developments. Administration officials reported on their outreach efforts to build public and Congressional support for revenue sharing while addressing opposition from labor and minority groups. Additionally, Cabinet members provided updates on their recent foreign travels, emphasizing the geopolitical successes of the Nixon Doctrine in Southeast Asia and the strengthening of international cooperation on transportation and environmental safety.
President Nixon and his Cabinet met to discuss the ongoing challenge of inflation and rising construction costs, focusing on the administration's strategic options for economic stabilization. Dr. Paul McCracken reviewed current inflationary trends and labor market data, outlining a spectrum of potential responses ranging from maintaining current fiscal policies and targeted interventions to implementing more aggressive measures like wage and price controls. The meeting served as a forum to evaluate the efficacy of various regulatory mechanisms, such as the National Commission on Productivity and the suspension of the Davis-Bacon Act, while weighing the political and practical risks of further government intervention in the economy.
On April 13, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, and members of the Cabinet, including John N. Irwin, II, Paul A. Volcker, Melvin R. Laird, Richard G. Kleindeinst, Winton M. ("Red") Blount, Hollis M. Dole, Clifford M. Hardin, Maurice H. Stans, James D. Hodgson, John G. Veneman, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, David M. Kennedy, George P. Shultz, Robert H. Finch, Donald H. Rumsfeld, George H. W. Bush, John D. Ehrlichman, Clark MacGregor, Ronald L. Ziegler, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Peter M. Flanigan, John C. Whitaker, William E. Kriegsman, Arthur J. Sohmer, Robert J. Brown, Paul W. McCracken, Gen. George A. Lincoln, S. David Freeman, Milton Shaw, Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Chet Holifield, John O. Pastore, Howard H. Baker, Jr., and John B. Anderson, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 8:04 am to 9:07 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 053-001 of the White House Tapes.
On April 27, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, and members of the Cabinet, including John N. Irwin, II, John B. Connally, Melvin R. Laird, John N. Mitchell, Winton M. ("Red") Blount, Jr., Rogers C. B. Morton, Clifford M. Hardin, James T. Lynn, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, George P. Shultz, George H. W. Bush, John D. Ehrlichman, Clark MacGregor, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Raymond K. Price, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, Robert J. Brown, Robert J. Dole, Arthur J. Sohmer, Donald E. Johnson, and Malcolm R. Lovell, Jr., met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 8:04 am to 9:43 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 055-003 of the White House Tapes.
President Nixon hosted a ceremonial event in the Oval Office for the swearing-in of James C. Fletcher as the new Administrator of NASA, attended by Fletcher's family, members of Congress, and administration officials. Following the photo session and official proceedings, the President discussed the importance of space exploration and future policy ideas with attendees. The meeting concluded with a private discussion regarding Representative James G. Fulton’s congressional career and potential future scheduling.
President Nixon and his Cabinet met to receive a briefing on international affairs and domestic policy, with a focus on Secretary of State William P. Rogers' recent diplomatic travels to the Middle East and the feasibility of desalinization technology. Rogers reported on his efforts to stabilize the Middle East through ceasefire maintenance and discussed the geopolitical concerns of various regional leaders. Dr. Edward E. David Jr. and other experts presented a detailed plan to advance domestic water desalinization and nuclear power capabilities, with the President calling for a major, accelerated federal effort to ensure American technological leadership. The meeting concluded with a brief status report from Treasury Secretary David M. Kennedy regarding the current international monetary situation and the fluctuations of the dollar.
President Nixon convened a meeting with Vice President Agnew and his Cabinet to discuss the upcoming joint announcement with the Soviet Union regarding strategic arms limitation talks (SALT). The core issue was breaking the deadlock, with the US seeking limitations on both offensive and defensive weapons, while the Soviets initially focused only on defensive ones. A breakthrough was achieved through a high-level communication in January, leading to an agreement to jointly announce that both sides would concentrate on limiting Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) systems this year, while also agreeing on certain measures for offensive weapon limitations. The announcement aims to create favorable conditions for further negotiations, with the understanding that the hard work of negotiation will continue in Vienna and Helsinki.
President Nixon, Vice President Agnew, and a large group of Cabinet members and senior staff met to establish a strategic framework for domestic policy, budget planning for the 1973 fiscal year, and the development of the 1972 Republican legislative and election platform. Participants reviewed polling data regarding national, community, and family concerns, noting that the economy, inflation, and unemployment are primary public priorities while other issues like pollution and consumerism are often driven by media visibility. The President and attendees emphasized the need for better communication to receive credit for administration accomplishments, focusing on a limited number of 'gut issues' rather than overextending on too many programs. Ultimately, the group discussed the necessity of coordinating policy initiatives and messaging to ensure visible progress on key economic and social concerns ahead of the 1972 election.
On June 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Commission on Productivity, including Jerome M. Rosow, Harllee Branch, Jr., Edward W. Carter, James M. Roche, John O'Connell, J. Warren Shaver, W. L. Lohrentz, Robert Atkinson, Oscar A. Lundin, I[lorwith] W. Abel, Joseph A. Beirne, George Meany, Floyd E. ("Red") Smith, Leonard Woodcock, Nat Weinberg, Nathaniel Goldfinger, Reginald Newell, William T. Coleman, John T. Dunlop, Howard W. Johnson, Arjay Miller, W. Allen Wallis, John B. Connally, James D. Hodgson, Paul W. McCracken, Maurice H. Stans, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Leon Greenberg, Dr. Hubert Heffner, William H. Kohlberg, Harold C. Passer, Harold Wool, Carl Savit, Murray L. Weidenbaum, George P. Shultz, and White House photographer, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:07 am and 2:50 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 063-004 of the White House Tapes.
On June 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Commission on Productivity, including George P. Shultz, Jerome M. Rosow, Harllee Branch, Jr., Edward W. Carter, James M. Roche, Walter B. Wriston, John O'Connell, J. Warren, Shaver, W. L. Lohrentz, Robert Atkinson, Oscar A. Lundin, I[lorwith] W. Abel, Joseph A. Beirne, George Meany, Floyd E. ("Red") Smith, Leonard Woodcock, Nat Weinberg, Nathaniel Goldfinger, Reginald Newell, William T. Coleman, Jr., John T. Dunlop, Howard W. Johnson, Arjay Miller, W. Allen Wallis, John B. Connally, James D. Hodgson, Paul W. McCracken, Maurice H. Stans, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Leon Greenberg, Dr. Hubert Heffner, William H. Kohlberg, Harold C. Passer, Harold Wool, Murray L. Weidenbaum, and Carl Savit, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 2:50 pm and 11:59 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 063-005 of the White House Tapes.
On August 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro Agnew, and Cabinet officers, including William P. Rogers, John B. Connally, David Packard, John N. Mitchell, William T. Pecora, Clifford M. Hardin, Maurice H. Stans, James D. Hodgson, John G. Veneman, George W. Romney, David M. Kennedy, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, George P. Shultz, George H. W. Bush, John N. Irwin, II, Charls E. Walker, J. Philip Campbell, James M. Beggs, James T. Lynn, Laurence H. Silberman, Richard C. Van Dusen, Peter G. Peterson, Herbert G. Klein, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Raymond K. Price, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, Robert J. Brown, Paul W. McCracken, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Arthur F. Burns, General George A. Lincoln, Herbert Stein, General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Frank J. Shakespeare, and Stephen B. Bull, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 10:10 am to 11:27 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 069-002 of the White House Tapes.
On February 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Cabinet officers and staffers, including William P. Rogers, John B. Connally, Melvin R. Laird, John N. Mitchell, Rogers C. B. Morton, J. Philip Campbell, Peter G. Peterson, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, David M. Kennedy, George P. Shultz, George H. W. Bush, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, Clark MacGregor, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Herbert G. Klein, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, John A. Scali, Harry S. Dent, Frederic V. Malek, William L. Safire, Charles W. Colson, General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Robert J. Brown, Dwight L. Chapin, Virginia H. Knauer, Rose Mary Woods, John A. Hannah, Richard M. Helms, Frank J. Shakespeare, Herbert Stein, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Maurice H. Stans, Arthur J. Sohmer, and the White House photographer, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 12:02 pm to 1:20 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 093-001 of the White House Tapes.
On May 5, 1972, Richard M. Nixon and the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, including Adm. George W. Anderson, Dr. William O. Baker, Gordon Gray, Franklin B. Lincoln, Jr., Dr. Franklin D. Murphy, Frank Pace, Jr., Nelson A. Rockefeller, Dr. Edward Teller, Gerard P. Burke, Thomas Latimer, and Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 11:59 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 100-001 of the White House Tapes.
On May 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Cabinet officers and staffers, including John N. Irwin, II, John B. Connally, [David] Kenneth Rush, Richard G. Kleindienst, Rogers C. B. Morton, Earl L. Butz, Peter G. Peterson, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, George P. Shultz, Donald H. Rumsfeld, George H. W. Bush, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, Clark MacGregor, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., John A. Scali, Herbert G. Klein, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, Charles W. Colson, Frederic V. Malek, Robert J. Brown, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Ezra Solomon, and Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 11:03 am and 11:59 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 101-009 of the White House Tapes.
President Nixon met with his Cabinet and senior staff to discuss strategies for achieving a balanced federal budget by 1975, emphasizing the necessity of immediate spending cuts and potential vetoes of congressional legislation to curb inflation. Budget Director George Shultz outlined the administration’s plan to issue "ceiling letters" to agency heads to enforce strict fiscal guidelines and reduce government deficits. The participants also reviewed recent positive economic indicators, including growth in the Gross National Product and declining unemployment, while noting that the public generally views government spending as a primary driver of inflation.
President Nixon hosted a signing ceremony in the Oval Office for the U.S.-Soviet Union Joint Commission on Science and Technology, formalizing a "Record of Discussions" to implement bilateral cooperation. Attendees, including Dr. Edward E. David, Jr. and Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy F. Dobrynin, highlighted the shift in diplomatic relations from confrontation to negotiation and cooperation. The participants emphasized that this agreement, which establishes six primary areas for research collaboration, serves the interests of both nations and the broader international community.
President Nixon hosted a meeting and swearing-in ceremony for Dixy Lee Ray, who was appointed as a commissioner to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). The event included the participation of several AEC officials, presidential aides, and members of the press to highlight the administration's commitment to appointing qualified women to high-level government positions. During the session, the President emphasized the importance of developing atomic energy for peaceful purposes and formally concluded the proceedings by distributing presidential gifts to the attendees.
President Nixon met with a delegation of medical professionals from the People's Republic of China to discuss ongoing scientific and medical exchanges, a topic previously addressed during his trip to Beijing. Following the delegation's departure, Nixon and Henry Kissinger transitioned to a private discussion regarding sensitive geopolitical negotiations. They reviewed the status of U.S.-Soviet trade and maritime agreements and engaged in a detailed, strategic planning session concerning the impending Vietnam War settlement. Kissinger outlined a high-stakes itinerary involving visits to Saigon and Hanoi, aimed at finalizing a ceasefire agreement before the 1972 election while maintaining operational secrecy and managing the potential political fallout.
President Nixon met with Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy Dobrynin and Soviet scientist Mstislav Keldysh to discuss the expansion of U.S.-Soviet cooperation in non-military sectors, including science, health, space, and trade. The participants emphasized that fostering these positive collaborative ties was essential for building a lasting peace beyond mere arms control agreements like SALT I. Nixon also highlighted his intent to further develop these relationships and pursue productive diplomatic engagements, including a potential visit to the Soviet Union, during his anticipated second term.
President Nixon met with Dr. Edward E. David, Jr. to discuss David’s upcoming departure from government service to join Gould, Incorporated in the Chicago area. The President expressed his appreciation for David's work and proposed that David remain available for future advisory assignments, particularly concerning national energy policy and organizational strategy. They also discussed their mutual concerns regarding Senator Edward M. Kennedy's influence on science policy and the potential legislative overreach of the Office of Technology Assessment.