Thomas Hale Boggs
Thomas Hale Boggs, a Democratic Congressman from Louisiana, served as the House Majority Leader for the entirety of the White House taping period until his death. He began this role in January 1971, transitioning from his previous position as House Majority Whip. A prominent opposition figure to the Nixon administration, Boggs famously attacked FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover on the House floor in April 1971. His career ended abruptly when his airplane disappeared over Alaska on October 16, 1972; he was officially declared dead in early 1973.
![Boggs, [Thomas] Hale](/images/persons/thomas-hale-boggs.jpg)
When Boggs is on the tapes
What Boggs talks about on the tapes
Congressional relations 4US-Soviet Relations 3Arms Control 3Wage and price controls 1State of the Union 1SALT 1Presidential communication 1People's Republic of China 1Moscow Summit 1Legislative agenda 1Law enforcement 1Labor relations 1
Conversations (10)
President Nixon met with Vice President Agnew and a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders to announce a significant diplomatic breakthrough in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). Nixon informed the attendees of a forthcoming joint statement with the Soviet Union pledging to focus on limiting anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems and certain offensive strategic weapons. While some lawmakers advocated for immediate unilateral U.S. defense cuts to demonstrate good faith, the President and his advisors successfully urged the leaders to maintain existing defense programs during the negotiations to avoid losing vital bargaining leverage.
President Nixon met with a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders and administration officials to propose a centralized federal office for coordinating drug abuse prevention and treatment strategies. The discussion highlighted the urgency of addressing drug addiction, particularly among servicemen in Vietnam and youth in the United States, by shifting from a fragmented, multi-agency approach to a unified, performance-based model. Participants debated the integration of law enforcement, research, and treatment programs, with an emphasis on establishing flexible, community-based solutions and securing Congressional support for new enabling legislation.
On July 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and bipartisan Congressional leaders, including Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, Hugh Scott, John C. Stennis, Margaret Chase Smith, J. William Fulbright, George D. Aiken, Allen J. Ellender, Milton R. Young, Carl B. Albert, [Thomas] Hale Boggs, Gerald R. Ford, Edward Hébert, Leslie C. Arends, Dr. Thomas E. ("Doc") Morgan, William S. Mailliard, George H. Mahon, Frank T. Bow, Henry A. Kissinger, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Kenneth E. BeLieu, Ronald L. Ziegler, and John A. Scali, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 8:36 am and 10:11 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 064-005 of the White House Tapes.
On September 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and bipartisan Congressional leaders, including John G. Tower, Wallace F. Bennett, William Proxmire, Allen J. Ellender, Milton R. Young, John J. Sparkman, Norris Cotton, Harrison A. Williams, Jr., Jacob K. Javits, Herman E. Talmadge, Jack R. Miller, Robert C. Byrd, Hugh Scott, Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, Wright Patman, George H. Mahon, Frank T. Bow, William L. Springer, Albert H. Quie, William R. Poage, Page Belcher, [Thomas] Hale Boggs, Gerald R. Ford, Carl B. Albert, George P. Shultz, Herbert Stein, Charls E. Walker, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, and John B. Connally [?], met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 2:30 pm and 4:24 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 076-001 of the White House Tapes.
President Nixon met with bipartisan Congressional leadership to outline his post-freeze economic program and announce plans for an upcoming summit in Moscow. He detailed the formation of a tripartite Pay Board, a Price Commission, and a committee on interest and dividends to maintain economic stability through a mix of voluntary cooperation and necessary sanctions. Additionally, the President briefed the leaders on the status of international monetary negotiations and his strategic approach to the May 1972 summit with Soviet leadership regarding arms control and trade.
President Nixon met with a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders and key administration officials to discuss his upcoming summit in Moscow and broader U.S. strategy regarding the Soviet Union and China. The President emphasized that his administration sought to maintain a delicate balance between the two powers without appearing to collude with one against the other. The discussion underscored the importance of bipartisan support for national defense funding and the need for diplomatic engagement to prevent escalation in volatile regions like the Middle East.
President Nixon met with a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders to brief them on his recent diplomatic discussions with French President Georges Pompidou and the status of U.S. international economic policy. The conversation focused on efforts to address the global monetary crisis, the necessity of realigning exchange rates to restore the competitive position of American goods, and the importance of burden-sharing among trade partners. Nixon highlighted the recent breakthrough in negotiations with France as a critical step toward stabilizing the international monetary system and advancing domestic economic goals like job creation and inflation control.
President Nixon met with John Ehrlichman and George Shultz to discuss strategies for addressing the persistent West Coast dock strike and the administration's public posture toward labor unions. They evaluated the political necessity of firm rhetoric and potential legislative action, including an arbitration bill, while managing the logistical challenges of upcoming budget messaging and the appointment of Peter Peterson to the Commerce Department. The discussion also addressed the administration's broader concerns regarding the State Department's performance, foreign policy negotiations, and the need to mount a more aggressive political defense against Democratic challengers like Edward Kennedy.
President Nixon held a brief, informal call with House leaders Hale Boggs, Gerald Ford, and Tip O'Neill to coordinate the logistics of his upcoming State of the Union address. The participants discussed the President's plan to deliver a live address on Thursday combined with a supplementary written message to keep the presentation concise. The conversation also included lighthearted banter regarding the recent Super Bowl and a joking remark about the lack of presidential candidates within the House compared to the Senate.
On February 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and bipartisan Congressional leaders, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, Robert C. Byrd, J. William Fulbright, John C. Stennis, Gale W. McGee, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Margaret Chase Smith, George D. Aiken, Milton R. Young, Barry M. Goldwater, Carl B. Albert, [Thomas] Hale Boggs, F. Edward Hébert; Dr. Thomas E. ("Doc") Morgan, George H. Mahon, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, William S. Mailliard, Henry A. Kissinger, William E. Timmons, Richard K. Cook, Thomas C. Korologos, John A. Scali, Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., John D. Ehrlichman, the White House photographer, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 9:22 am to 10:00 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 091-001 of the White House Tapes.