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Conversation 011-155

TapeTape 11StartTuesday, October 19, 1971 at 8:19 PMEndTuesday, October 19, 1971 at 8:24 PMTape start time04:46:05Tape end time04:50:48ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Mitchell, John N.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and John Mitchell discuss efforts to secure Lewis F. Powell, Jr. as a Supreme Court nominee, with the President instructing Mitchell to press Powell aggressively to accept. They also coordinate their strategy regarding the American Bar Association and potential opposition to other candidates like Mildred L. Lillie. Additionally, Mitchell reports difficulty in contacting Howard H. Baker, Jr. and outlines efforts to manage the political fallout and appointment timeline.

Supreme Court nominationLewis F. Powell, Jr.American Bar AssociationJohn N. MitchellJudicial appointments
AudioNARA Description

On October 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 8:19 pm to 8:24 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-155 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 11-155

Date: October 19, 1971
Time: 8:19 pm - 8:24 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John N. Mitchell.


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 6s ]


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     Supreme Court appointment
          -Conversation with Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
              -Possibility of his accepting Supreme Court nomination


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Privacy]
[Duration: 3s ]


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               -Possible tenure on the Supreme Court
               -The President's and Mitchell's approaches to Powell
           -American Bar Association [ABA]
               -Lawrence E. Walsh
                                             96

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)



               -Mildred L. Lillie
          -Howard H. Baker, Jr.
               -George W. Romney
          -Walsh


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 6s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I talked to Powell and, well, as you know, he is a great fellow and he said that he would, well, I don't know, he said he would talk to his partners in the morning and so forth and
and would call you before noon.
Now, I think it's sort of an approach.
Well, there's a chance.
There's a chance.
I said, well, I just want him to know that we feel very strongly he should do it for the good of the court and so forth in the country, and he ought to weigh that.
all that sort of thing.
But he said, well, I just think you can get somebody better, you know, who can serve longer, et cetera, et cetera.
So that's the way it is, okay?
So lean on him hard, whatever he says tomorrow.
All right, I will.
Now, this is a little different point of view because I talked to him three times today.
He had talked to his wife and his oldest daughter, who's a big friend of hers, and so forth.
And maybe the situation isn't as bad as we might think it is.
He may be in a little state of shock like a lot of these people are when you talk to them and go on the Supreme Court.
Oh, yes, yes.
And he said, well, they thought it would take...
He said that maybe he could go eight or ten years.
Well, so that I didn't.
Oh, Lord.
If we get that, boy, we'll settle for half of it.
Yeah, but he wasn't that optimistic.
No, I know.
He has both ends of the spectrum.
Right.
But I leaned very hard on him.
I just said that you ought to do it, this and that.
And his reaction was he would.
Well, he said that.
He talked to his partners, and he said whatever he did, he wanted to know that he appreciated my calling him.
So that worries me when he says that.
Well, I heard that twice, three times today.
Yeah.
But the point is that he's still talking to people about it.
He is.
The door is still open.
It's still open.
I don't know how far, but he's still open.
You must not have leaned on him pretty hard, because...
I started off with him on the basis, and I got the rapport back that he would do whatever you wanted him to.
Why did you know him very hard?
I said, we had decided that we felt he should take this into consideration, that he should weigh this as he made his decision.
And he's still talking to his partners and this one and that one.
Yeah.
Well, he's probably conscientious.
In the morning, when he gets to you, you just say, well, after you've talked to your partners, we want you to do it.
How about it?
Okay?
Yes, sir, I will do that now.
There are two other factors involved.
Things are not going well with the bar, as you might expect, but I've been talking to Walsh, and he is going to keep that session open until we program the way that we want it to go.
Right.
The second thing is...
They're going to turn Lilly down, aren't they?
Well, I would believe so.
Right.
How about Howard?
I can't find him.
You know, he promised to call me back by 5 o'clock, and I can't even find him.
Now, whether he's conferring with George Romney and the Lord or what he's doing, I don't know.
But I'll stay after him, so we'll have an answer on it all and try and put the pieces together before late tomorrow afternoon when the fire gets through up there.
Good.
And the...
The fact that I can't get Howard and can't find out what he's doing gives me the thought that maybe he is a lot more interested in the circumstances that might have indicated.
But I'll stay after him.
You lean on him and lean very hard on the other fellow.
Yes, sir.
And through the day, hopefully we can put it out and get a scenario that we can make the bar play out.
Right.
Walsh, as you know, is a thousand percent for you.
He's got problems.
Right, I know.
And I told him tonight that he and his tribe was probably going to come up the losers on this, and he's at the point where he's not worried about that at all, and we'll help us work it out.
Okay.
We need you.
Right.
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