Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-082

Nixon phone call with Acheson on Condolences and White House military aide

Wednesday, October 13, 1971 · 12:41 PM–12:45 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Acheson, Dean G. (Mrs.)Conversation011-082 on Tape 11 (tape position 02:02:54–02:06:36)StartWednesday, October 13, 1971 at 12:41 PMEndWednesday, October 13, 1971 at 12:45 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 011-082 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon calls Mrs. Dean G. Acheson to offer personal condolences following the death of her husband, the former Secretary of State. During the call, Nixon offers to assign White House military aide General James D. Hughes to assist the family with funeral logistics and transportation. Although Nixon expresses his desire to attend the memorial service, he informs Mrs. Acheson that a prior commitment in North Carolina will prevent him from attending, and they exchange contact information to coordinate the aide's assistance.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Mrs. Atchison, Mr. President.
Yes.
Hello.
Yes.
Mrs. Atchison.
Well, I wanted you to know that I expressed my concern about the Secretary and my sympathy in a public statement, but I wanted you to know personally that the country suffered a great loss.
As you're well aware, and as the Secretary and I have often reminisced, I mean, over the years ago we've had some differences, but I must say in the time we've been here,
been here he's just been like a like a rock he's just been enormously helpful and i'm i'm missing i know all of you well but uh at least you can be thankful for the fact that he uh
that he was real sharp to the last.
I saw him at the NATO meeting, you know.
And he was just in fine spirits.
Yes, he was in fine spirits.
Yes.
All day yesterday.
Was he?
Yes.
Well, I was so surprised.
And just one of those things.
Well, we know what a great loss it is, and I wanted you to know that we felt it.
Let me say this, that...
that I would like, because I think it might be of some assistance to you, unless you would not want it, but I would like to assign one of our White House military aides to be of any assistance to you during this period when you have the memorial service and so forth.
And General Hughes will make the arrangements.
what he will of course uh will furnish transportation a car and see that the you know the proper things are the escorts i realize you have many friends that will but i i i like to we we can do this for people of you know a high rank and i and you will find him very thoughtful and uh and so very kind so i'll have it i'll have the general
service is to be at two o'clock on friday at six people yes i know that you know that i know that it incidentally i was i i had already determined to come and i found unfortunately that i am scheduled to be in north carolina that day i i can't go well it isn't more important but i would i would like to come but i can't do it that particular day but we i'm i will of course i'm going to send a representative and i would like
This man, Ms. Edgerton, this General Hughes will arrange it with you.
He will be available immediately because, you know, there are things you'll have to do, you know, going around and so forth.
And it's just as well to have, apart from your family, he'll have to take care of the car and he'll see that you're escorted properly in and all that sort of thing.
Very kind.
Right over the next three days.
Thank you so much.
Well, anyway, we're going to miss this.
Incidentally, we are moving into town.
this afternoon, so that this telephone will not ring after about 2.30.
And our phone in town is 337-2805.
Hold on.
Just a minute.
I'll get that.
What's the number?
337-2805.
337-2805.
He was going to call me.
Well, I may have him call you before you even leave here.
I'll have him maybe call you in the next 10 or 15 minutes.
Thank you.
You shouldn't be kind to us.
Well, it's just the least we can do.
I know my husband would.
And the Secretary, believe me, deserves the best.
Okay.
Thank you, Everett.
Thank you.
Very kind.
All right.

NARA Description

On October 13, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Mrs. Dean G. Acheson talked on the telephone from 12:41 pm to 12:45 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-082 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 011-082

 Date: October 13, 1971
 Time: 12:41 pm - 12:45 pm
 Location: White House Telephone

 The President talked with Mrs. Dean G. Acheson.

 [See Conversation No. 590-7D]

        Condolescences
            -Former Secretary of State Dean G. Acheson
            -Assignment of White House military aide
                  -Gen. James D. ("Don") Hughes
            -Funeral service
                  -The President's schedule
                       -North Carolina

        Mrs. Acheson's residence
             -Telephone number

Also recorded on October 13, 1971

  • 590-006 12:16 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John H. Buchanan, Jr., Philip M. Crane, Charles R. Jonas, William J. Scherle, Floyd D. Spence, Daniel J. Flood, John J. Ryan, Robert L. F. Sikes, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., Clement J. Zablocki, William E. Timmons, Richard K. Cook, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:16 pm to 12:31 pm.
  • 590-007 12:31 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Kenneth Dyer, and Mrs. Dean G. Acheson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:31 pm and 1:15 pm.
  • 590-008 12:32 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:32 pm and 1:15 pm.
  • 590-009 12:32 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:32 pm and 1:15 pm.
  • 590-010 12:32 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:32 pm and 1:15 pm.
  • 011-081 12:37 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Kenneth Dyer talked on the telephone from 12:37 pm to 12:38 pm.
  • 011-083 12:45 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:45 pm and 1:09 pm.
  • 590-011 1:00 PM · 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:00 pm to 1:43 pm.

All 46 conversations from October 13, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 011-082, October 13, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-082 (accessed September 28, 2026).