Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 2 › Conversation 002-014

Nixon, Mitchell & Morrison on Presidential appointments

Tuesday, April 20, 1971 · 4:59 PM–5:01 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.; Morrison, SueConversation002-014 on Tape 2 (tape position 00:14:05–00:15:47)StartTuesday, April 20, 1971 at 4:59 PMEndTuesday, April 20, 1971 at 5:01 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 002-014 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417187995 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with Attorney General John Mitchell’s assistant, Sue Morrison, to coordinate a meeting with Mitchell. The President reviewed Mitchell's morning schedule, specifically ensuring he would not miss an HEW staff meeting, before ultimately deciding to schedule the appointment for the afternoon when his own workload with other officials would be lighter. Nixon directed Morrison to clear time in Mitchell’s calendar to accommodate the meeting.

Audio

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NARA Description

On April 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, and Sue Morrison talked on the telephone from 4:59 pm to 5:01 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 002-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 2-14

Date: April 20, 1971
Time: 4:59 pm - 5:01 pm
Location: White House Telephone

John N. Mitchell talked with Sue Morrison

     Call from the President

[See Conversation No. 483-19B]

The President talked with Sue Morrison between 4:59 pm and 5:01 pm .

     Mitchell's schedule
          -Health Education and Welfare [HEW] staff meeting

The President conferred with Mitchell at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 5:01 pm.

     Mitchell's schedule

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
I have Mrs. Morrison on.
Hello.
Hello.
Yes, sir.
This is Sue.
Yes.
It is.
Oh, goodness, they said the president, and I didn't know how I was going to talk.
Yeah, just a minute.
hello yes mr president yeah i wanted to see uh what the attorney general's schedule was tomorrow morning would you check to check it to see uh what is he what you got for him between uh say uh say uh nine and uh nine and eleven how's he look from nine thirty to eleven thirty he's free mr president he's free yes sir nine thirty what's he doing before nine thirty he is to say
staff meeting.
That's a very... ATW staff meeting.
Yes, sir.
He should not cancel that.
And be through at 9.30?
Yes, sir.
He's scheduled to be through at 9.30.
So he could be at your office by quarter of 10.
What is this thing here?
Quarter of 10.
Huh?
Yes, sir.
Well, let's see.
Well, fine.
Why don't you come over after that staff meeting?
After you've done the HEW meeting, would that be a better time or the afternoon?
4-H. What do I do?
The 4-H at 3.30?
How is he?
What's his schedule in the afternoon at 4 o'clock?
4 o'clock he's free, Mr. President.
That's better.
It'll be freer.
Because in the morning I've got Henry and all those other people.
All right.
You mark him off if you can work me in, will you?
I certainly will.
Thank you.
Thank you.

Also recorded on April 20, 1971

  • 002-011 3:55 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 4:04 pm.
  • 002-012 4:04 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George H. Mahon talked on the telephone from 4:04 pm to 4:07 pm.
  • 483-018 4:10 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Ronald L. Ziegler, Fred Maroon, Manolo Sanchez, unknown person(s), and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:10 pm to 4:19 pm.
  • 483-019 4:20 PM · 51 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John N. Mitchell, John W. Dean, III, White House photographer, Ronald L. Ziegler, unknown person(s), White House operator, and Sue Morrison met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:20 pm to 5:14 pm.
  • 002-013 4:42 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:42 pm and 4:59 pm.
  • 483-020 5:14 PM · 2 min — Alexander P. Butterfield and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:14 pm and 5:17 pm.
  • 483-021 5:14 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, John N. Mitchell, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:14 pm and 5:17 pm.
  • 055-001 5:17 PM · 1 hr 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Republican senators, including Barry M. Goldwater, Henry L. Bellmon, John G. Tower, Howard H. Baker, Jr., Robert J. Dole, Edward J. Gurney, J. Caleb Boggs, Carl T. Curtis, Clifford P. Hansen, Jack R. Miller, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Kenneth E. BeLieu, Eugene S. Cowen, Harry S. Dent, and Henry A. Kissinger, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 5:17 pm to 6:21 pm.

All 56 conversations from April 20, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 002-014, April 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417187995). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-014 (accessed November 1, 2026).