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Conversation 012-058

TapeTape 12StartThursday, October 21, 1971 at 8:03 PMEndThursday, October 21, 1971 at 8:18 PMTape start time01:29:49Tape end time01:45:00ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose Mary;  Sanchez, ManoloRecording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and his personal secretary Rose Mary Woods discussed the positive reception of the President's televised speech regarding his nominations of Lewis F. Powell, Jr. and William H. Rehnquist to the Supreme Court. Woods relayed congratulatory feedback from key administration figures and allies, including John Connally, George Romney, and John Mitchell, who particularly praised the President's historical context regarding the Court. Although Woods relayed a request from Secretary James D. Hodgson for the President to call labor leader George Meany regarding Wage and Price Board issues, Nixon firmly declined to initiate the call.

Supreme Court nominationsLewis F. Powell, Jr.William H. RehnquistGeorge MeanyWage and Price BoardPublic opinion
AudioNARA Description

On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Manolo Sanchez talked on the telephone from 8:03 pm to 8:18 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-058 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 12-58

Date: October 21, 1971
Time: 8:03 pm- 8:18 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Rose Mary Woods.


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[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 54s ]


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     Telephone calls to the President

The President conferred with Manolo Sanchez at an unknown time between 8:03 pm and 8:18
pm.

     Request

[End of conferral]
                                               33

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)



     Telephone calls to the President
          -Supreme Court nominations
          -John B. Connally
                -Speech
                      -Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
          -Tricia Nixon Cox
          -James D. Hodgson, William P. Rogers
                -George Meany
                      -Herschel H. Friday
                      -Woman
                      -William H. Rehnquist
                            -Robert H. Jackson
                -Possible telephone call by the President to Meany
                      -Wage and Price Board
                -Unintelligible
          -Rogers
                -Alexander P. Butterfield
          -Maurice H. Stans
          -George W. Romney
          -Elliot L. Richardson
          -John N. Mitchell
          -Rogers C.B. Morton

The President conferred with Manolo Sanchez.

     Request

[End of conferral]

     Woods’ schedule


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 59s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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                                             34

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)




    Butterfield
         -Rogers, Hodgson, Peter M. Flanigan


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 58s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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    The President's assessment of his speech, October 21, 1971

    Congratulatory telephone calls to the President
        -Connally
              -Texas
        -Mitchell
        -Romney
        -Roger E. Johnson
              -Louise Johnson


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4m 59s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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                                              35

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
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.

you
Do you want me to tell you in a hurry who else called?
Well, if there's anybody worth calling.
Manolo.
Manolo.
Connolly called.
And he said it came through exceedingly well down there, and that, you know, that he didn't know these men.
He knew Powell slightly, but they sound very good.
He thought your delivery, everything was excellent.
Good.
And Trish thought it was terrific, and it was a real surprise to her.
Hodgson said he's over at Blair House, and so is Rogers, and I don't know who else.
Hodgson said that he was sitting next to Meany while they were listening.
And Meany was commenting about every other phrase on who was going to be the nomination.
And he is very happy.
One, because he was afraid Friday was going to get him, and he was terribly against him.
Two, he was glad it was not a woman.
And three, instead of Rehnquist, he said anyone who served with Jackson had to be a good name.
Then he was hoping you could make a call to Meany sometime, because apparently they called up Wade Price's board in a hurry, and meeting for tomorrow, and he's annoyed that they called him about more notice or something.
But I just don't think you can...
I won't do it.
Yeah, that's my feeling, too.
But...
And Hodgson says, you want to talk with him?
And Bill Rogers called, but that call went to Alex.
Alex just needed to call him back later.
Sam thought you really fooled him, and he's getting a big kick out of the commentators trying to figure out whether, you know, whether they'd been cleared or whether you'd had these all the time, you know, that sort of thing.
Romney thought it was superb.
He's disarmed your critics.
The statement you made about the reason for their appointment would be accepted as valid and found by anyone who does.
He just thought it was very excellent, always.
Ray Richardson thought it was, he was very impressed by the speech.
He thought it was a very fine statement.
He thought that it was particularly good that you gave people what they really need, a little bit of a
the background and the support of the court as an institution.
He thought it was superb.
Mitchell thought it was, he thought it was, you know, it was just great delivery and everything, wonderful presentation.
And the important thing was that you gave the country a bit of history, you know, a history lesson, which they need about the court, which they haven't been given.
And Roger Morton called Alex, and said, great delivery, especially wise for Kevin to explain the court and the duties of the justices.
Put them, I think, in the proper perspective of the American people.
And he thought the collections were excellently done.
So, look.
Yeah, go ahead.
Okay, so that's all.
I've been on the phone since that ended.
And Alex just gave me another note just saying that Rogers and Hodson and all of them and playing against groups is what it is.
All saw the group applauded the performance and the selection.
But I know very well that this was a goddamn good speech.
Oh, it was an excellent one.
It was excellent.
It just couldn't have been better.
And everyone, I mean, this is, I've taken a lot of calls everywhere, but this is very, it's spontaneous.
And they were almost all on the line at one time.
They had to, you know, to wait.
Connolly called in from Texas.
John Mitchell waited in his office and called.
He said he'd be home if you wanted to talk to him.
I'll have to talk to him, right.
And, um,
uh as i say romney and all the people roger johnson called he thought you just did a superb superb job and see louise was against a woman anyway it's not you might give louise a call
BEEP
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