Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-066

Kissinger & Richardson on Nguyen Van Thieu and South Vietnam

Tuesday, October 12, 1971 · 1:59 PM–9:07 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsKissinger, Henry A.; Richardson, Elliot L.Conversation011-066 on Tape 11 (tape position 01:37:31–01:39:25)StartTuesday, October 12, 1971 at 1:59 PMEndTuesday, October 12, 1971 at 9:07 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 011-066 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417190029 ↗

AI Summary

Henry Kissinger contacts Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Elliot Richardson to request that he attend the upcoming inauguration of South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu as the President's personal representative. Kissinger argues that Richardson’s presence would signal a focus on peaceful development and humanitarian aid, intentionally opting for a less hawkish diplomatic profile than Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. Richardson expresses willingness to accept the assignment, pending a brief review of his schedule and congressional commitments.

Audio

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NARA Description

On October 12, 1971, Henry A. Kissinger and Elliot L. Richardson talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:59 pm and 9:07 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-066 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 011-066

 Date: October 12, 1971
 Time: Unknown between 1:59 pm and 9:07 pm
 Location: White House Telephone

 Henry A. Kissinger talked with Elliot L. Richardson.

 [See Conversation No. 589-2B]

        Nguyen Van Thieu's inauguration
            -Richardson's schedule
                 -Melvin R. Laird
                 -Timing

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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?
Yes, I have, Secretary Richardson.
Hello?
Hello, Henry.
Elliot, the President and I were talking about this due inauguration, and he was wondering whether you could agree to go as his representative to it as a former Undersecretary of State, and at the same time, it doesn't give it quite the bellicose tone that Laird would give it.
Go over there and discuss.
how to bolster their health and education systems.
It's a new term in the new era of peace.
Well, you'd go primarily as the...
I'd like to, Henry.
The only problems I foresee are congressional.
How long would it be?
Oh, the inauguration is October 31st, and of course you'd have to be there, you'd want to be there the day before
But I think two days in the country.
May I case the situation and call you back for a while?
Yes.
If he wants me to go, I'll go anyway.
Well, I know he wants you to go.
I know he wants you to go.
And really, because we are not just looking for anybody.
We want somebody who has a clear expertise in foreign policy.
and who is at the same time identified with foreign affairs and has a humane field of interest.
Well, of course, when you narrow the specifications down that precisely, I'm obviously the only possible person.
Okay, Henry.
Okay.
Be glad to.
As a matter of fact, it should be damn interesting.
Good.
Thanks.
Bye.
Bye.

Also recorded on October 12, 1971

  • 588-013 1:43 PM · 23 sec — Rose Mary Woods and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 1:55 pm.
  • 588-014 1:43 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 1:55 pm.
  • 011-064 1:55 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 1:55 pm to 1:59 pm.
  • 588-018 1:55 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Henry A. Kissinger, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:55 pm to 1:59 pm.
  • 011-065 1:59 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:59 pm and 9:07 pm.
  • 011-067 1:59 PM · 11 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:59 pm and 9:07 pm.
  • 011-068 1:59 PM · 21 sec — the White House operator and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:59 pm and 9:07 pm.
  • 011-069 1:59 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:59 pm and 9:07 pm.

All 84 conversations from October 12, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 011-066, October 12, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417190029). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-066 (accessed November 10, 2026).