Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-035

Nixon phone call with Mitchell on Supreme Court nomination

Monday, October 11, 1971 · 12:35 PM–12:36 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.Conversation011-035 on Tape 11 (tape position 00:55:40–00:56:45)StartMonday, October 11, 1971 at 12:35 PMEndMonday, October 11, 1971 at 12:36 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 011-035 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Attorney General John Mitchell discuss the pending Supreme Court nomination of Mildred L. Lillie, focusing on the optics of her marital status and religious background. The two men deliberate on the political advantages of emphasizing her marriage to an Italian-American, A.V. Falcone, and explore the potential electoral benefits of identifying her as Catholic. Nixon directs Mitchell to verify her religious and ethnic details to ensure the nomination is presented in the most favorable light.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
Just incidentally, isn't she Catholic?
No, I don't believe so.
Well, she's married to an Italian now, you know.
He's Catholic.
No question about it.
Check her religion and see if it isn't Catholic and ask her if she isn't part Italian.
No, I think she may be.
She is now.
Yeah, all right.
And we're going to make sure that name goes out in the appropriate way.
Yeah.
But what is her name now?
Falcone.
That's what she would be, not Mildred Lilly.
That's correct.
In other words, we'd be appointing Mrs. What?
Mrs. Mildred Lilly Falcone.
That's not bad.
No, I don't think so either.
You could really break that off in John Hart.
After all, we couldn't find them, but...
Married to an Italian, a Falcone is a good name.
That's absolutely correct.
But listen, tell her if she isn't a Catholic to get busy.
Get over there, God damn it, and get confirmed.
Okay?
We'll try.
All right.

NARA Description

On October 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 12:35 pm to 12:36 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-035 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 011-035

 Date: October 11, 1971

Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

 Time: 12:35 pm - 12:36 pm

 Location: White House Telephone

 The President talked with John N. Mitchell.

 [See Conversation No. 588-2D]

        Supreme Court nomination
             -Mildred L. Lillie
                  -Religion
                  -Marital status
                  -Ethnic background
                  -A.V. Falcone

Also recorded on October 11, 1971

  • 011-031 10:45 AM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone at 10:45 am.
  • 287-008 11:25 AM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 11:25 am.
  • 588-001 11:25 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 11:31 am.
  • 588-002 11:31 AM · 2 hr 39 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Aldo Moro, Edgido Ortono, Henry A. Kissinger, Neil A. Seidenman, Stephen B. Bull, Americo Cortese, Peter Gay, Frank Montemuro, Paul Landi, Nicholas Cipriani, William Cercone, John A. Volpe, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, John N. Mitchell, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:31 am to 2:13 pm.
  • 011-033 12:31 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 12:31 pm to 12:34 pm.
  • 011-034 12:35 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:35 pm.
  • 588-003 2:13 PM · 53 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:13 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 287-009 2:14 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:14 pm and 2:25 pm.

All 53 conversations from October 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 011-035, October 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-035 (accessed September 28, 2026).