Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-093

Kissinger & Smith on Security clearance and Personnel policy

Thursday, October 14, 1971 · 9:14 AM–6:06 PM ET · White House Telephone · 36 sec

ParticipantsKissinger, Henry A.; Smith, Gerard C.Conversation011-093 on Tape 11 (tape position 02:26:31–02:27:10)StartThursday, October 14, 1971 at 9:14 AMEndThursday, October 14, 1971 at 6:06 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 011-093 ↗

AI Summary

Henry A. Kissinger and Gerard C. Smith conferred to establish clearance protocols for an individual under review. Kissinger instructed Smith to adhere to standard vetting criteria, specifically directing that a single negative evaluation should not be weighted heavily when the vast majority of findings are favorable. Smith agreed to follow these instructions and proceed with the clearance accordingly.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Ambassador Smith on the line, sir.
Hello, Jerry.
I didn't have a chance to get back to you earlier about the matters matter.
Yes.
And I've had a chance to check with our people.
Our people feel you ought to apply your normal criteria, which, as I understand it, is that
When 54 are favorable and one is not, that you would then clear him.
Okay, will do.
And that you shouldn't weight that one negative.
All right, will do.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On October 14, 1971, Henry A. Kissinger and Gerard C. Smith talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-093 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 011-093

 Date: October 14, 1971
 Time: Unknown between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm
 Location: White House Telephone

 Henry A. Kissinger talked with Gerard C. Smith.

 [See Conversation No. 289-18H]

        George A. Smathers
             -Application of criteria for clearance

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

Also recorded on October 14, 1971

  • 011-088 9:14 AM · 6 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-089 9:14 AM · 23 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-090 9:14 AM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-091 9:14 AM · 5 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-092 9:14 AM · 14 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-094 9:14 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-095 9:14 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 592-003 9:14 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:32 am.

All 42 conversations from October 14, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 011-093, October 14, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-093 (accessed October 12, 2026).