Laurence H. Silberman
During the Nixon administration, Laurence H. Silberman served as Solicitor of the Department of Labor before becoming Under Secretary of Labor in 1970. In his role as Undersecretary, which he held throughout the entirety of the White House taping period, he clashed with Charles Colson and tendered his resignation to force the hiring of a Black regional director in New York. He left the position in 1973 and later returned to the administration as Deputy Attorney General in early 1974.
When Silberman is on the tapes
What Silberman talks about on the tapes
Inflation 4Wage and price controls 3Labor relations 2Foreign Policy 2Food prices 2Economic policy 2Cost of Living Council 21972 election 2White House staff 1Wage-price controls 1US-Soviet Relations 1Trade policy 1
Conversations (12)
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.
On June 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the Executive Board of Directors of National Association of Home Builders, including John A. Stastny, George Martin, Louis Cenker, Nathaniel Rogg, Stanley Waranck, Richard C. Van Dusen, James D. Hodgson, Laurence H. Silberman, White House photographer, Linwood Holton, John D. Ehrlichman, and George W. Romney, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:34 am and 10:13 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 059-004 of the White House Tapes.
On July 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Cabinet officers, including William P. Rogers, Paul A. Volcker, Melvin R. Laird, Richard G. Kleindienst, Rogers C. B. Morton, Clifford M. Hardin, Maurice H. Stans, Laurence H. Silberman, John G. Veneman, Richard C. Van Dusen, James M. Beggs, David M. Kennedy, George P. Shultz, Donald H. Rumsfeld, George H. W. Bush, Herbert G. Klein, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Alexander P. Butterfield, Ronald L. Ziegler, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Robert J. Dole, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:00 am and 11:12 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 064-006 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.
President Nixon, Vice President Agnew, and members of his Cabinet met to coordinate a unified administration strategy ahead of critical International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings and ongoing global trade negotiations. The discussion emphasized the necessity of maintaining the recently imposed 10% import surcharge and a firm bargaining stance to address the nation's economic balance of payments and reshape the international monetary system. Nixon and his advisors agreed that while foreign partners would likely criticize U.S. policy, maintaining domestic political support and correcting long-standing trade imbalances remained the administration's primary objective.
President Nixon met with the Cost of Living Council and members of the press to discuss the successful launch of Phase II of his economic program, emphasizing the efforts of the Pay Board and Price Commission in controlling inflation and aiming for a two to three percent inflation rate in 1972. The President highlighted the balance between necessary economic controls and preserving economic freedom, while also noting the Senate's delay on crucial legislation and the potential impact of a continuing resolution lapse.
President Nixon met with the Construction Industry Collective Bargaining Commission to review the progress of labor-management relations and wage stabilization efforts in the construction sector. The discussion focused on the success of the Commission's voluntary approach to curbing inflation, the role of craft boards in fostering industry cooperation, and the broader integration of productivity goals. Nixon commended the participants for their responsible leadership and collaborative efforts, emphasizing the importance of keeping the industry's management in the hands of construction professionals while continuing to modernize labor practices.
President Nixon met with the Cost of Living Council to address surging food and meat prices, emphasizing the need to combat inflation without imposing direct price controls. The discussion focused on managing supply-side pressures, including reduced military food stockpiles and potential adjustments to meat import policies, while coordinating a "jawboning" strategy to encourage price restraint among industry leaders and labor unions. Nixon urged the council to publicly highlight the administration's commitment to fighting inflation while cautioning against speculating on a price freeze, which he warned would destabilize the market.
President Nixon met with the Cost of Living Council to review the performance of his administration's economic stabilization program, including successes in lowering inflation and fostering rapid economic growth. The discussion emphasized the necessity of maintaining fiscal discipline through a proposed $250 billion federal spending ceiling to prevent future inflationary pressure. Participants also addressed specific challenges, particularly rising food prices and the potential impact of government spending on tax rates, while strategizing on how to communicate these economic gains to the public ahead of the election.
President Nixon met with United Paper Makers International Union leader Joseph P. Tonelli and members of his administration, including Secretary of Labor James D. Hodgson, to discuss labor relations and union support for the administration's policies. Tonelli expressed strong approval of Nixon's foreign policy and his approach to economic stabilization, while the group discussed specific legislative concerns regarding pulp and paper industry trade. They also addressed the importance of establishing the National Commission for Industrial Peace to improve labor dispute resolution as an alternative to economic strikes.
President Nixon met with leaders of various building trades unions to discuss their ongoing collaboration with his administration and their formal endorsement of his re-election. The participants addressed labor-management relations, the future of wage and price controls, and the administration’s commitment to providing union representation in high-level government positions. Nixon praised the group for their support of his foreign policy and national security objectives, while the labor leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the President despite the neutrality stance held by the broader AFL-CIO.
President Nixon met with Laurence H. Silberman and his wife to formally bid farewell to Silberman as he departed the administration. During the meeting, which included commemorative photography, Nixon expressed appreciation for Silberman’s service alongside George P. Shultz and James D. Hodgson. The President further offered career advice regarding Silberman’s transition into a private law firm partnership, emphasizing the value of his government experience.