Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-070

Nixon phone call with Scheel on Condolences and Willis Smith Jr.

Thursday, December 9, 1971 · 11:53 AM–11:55 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Scheel, WalterConversation016-070 on Tape 16 (tape position 02:27:32–02:29:45)StartThursday, December 9, 1971 at 11:53 AMEndThursday, December 9, 1971 at 11:55 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-070 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417191389 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon placed a telephone call to Anna Lee Smith to offer his and the First Lady's condolences following the tragic death of her son, Willis Smith, Jr., in a private airplane accident. During the brief conversation, Nixon reminisced about the younger Smith’s contributions to his 1968 presidential campaign and his character. The President concluded the call by offering encouragement to Mrs. Smith as she navigated the sudden loss.

Condolences
Willis Smith Jr.
1968 Presidential Campaign
Personal Correspondence
Aviation Accident

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.0 MB

NARA Description

On December 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Walter Scheel talked on the telephone from 11:53 am to 11:55 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-070 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-70

Date: December 9, 1971
Time: 11:53 am - 11:55 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Mrs. Willis Smith, Sr. [Anna Lee Smith].

[See Conversation No. 633-11C]

     Charles R. Jonas
          -Willis Smith, Jr.
                -Airplane accident
                      -Eastern Airlines

     Willis Smith, Jr.
          -Death
                -Sympathy
                       -President and Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                             -Willis Smith, Sr.
                             -1968 Presidential campaign
                             -William F. (“Billy”) Graham

*****************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 06/17/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[016-070-w002]
[Duration: 16s]

     Anna Lee Smith
         -Invitation for the President and Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon to visit

*****************************************************************

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.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Hello?

Mr. President, I have Mrs. Willis-Smith Sr. for you, and when I checked back with Congressman Jones, he said, would you please tell the President that young Willis-Smith was piloting his own private plane when he hit the Eastern Airlines plane last Saturday.

Fine.

There you are.

Hello?

Hello, Mr. President.

Well, Ms. Smith, I just wanted you to know that Pat and I have been thinking a lot about you after that tragic accident on Saturday.

And we felt so close to you, of course, to Willis, and your son.

who was so wonderful for us in 1968 in that campaign.

Well, I thank you, Mr. President.

I was so proud that he took the stand he did.

That's the way I feel.

It took a lot of courage.

The last time I saw him, as a matter of fact, was down at the Billy Graham Fair in Charlotte, and we were talking a little about reminiscing about the campaign, and he was looking so fine.

Well, it's hard to understand how some of these things happen, but...

We just want you to know that we think so much of you, and we thought so much of him.

Oh, I appreciate it so much.

This is a great event in my life.

And the president called me.

Well, let me tell you, the Smiths are our kind of folks.

That's true, and you all are.

I love you all, and I just think Pat is just the finest.

Well, I didn't learn this until I got back from, I was in Florida, and I didn't learn it, and I just couldn't believe it.

I said, my goodness.

Well, it's unbelievable, and it's so tragic.

Just one of those freak accidents, yeah.

Yes, it's tragic.

I can't think of anything else.

I'm trying so hard.

All right.

But you'll see it through.

You're a strong woman.

You will.

I hope I am.

And that's what he'd want you to do, and that's what Willis would want you to do.

I'm sure they would.

They're all strong people.

They are.

Bye.

Also recorded on December 9, 1971

633-009 11:22 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Christine Wilde, Jon M. Huntsman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:22 am to 11:23 am.
633-010 11:23 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:23 am and 11:25 am.
633-011 11:25 AM · 2 hr — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles R. Jonas, White House operator, Anna Lee Smith, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:25 am to 1:27 pm.
016-068 11:33 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles R. Jonas talked on the telephone from 11:33 am to 11:35 am.
016-069 11:35 AM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:35 am and 11:53 am.
016-071 11:55 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 2:38 pm.
634-001 11:55 AM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 2:38 pm.
634-002 11:55 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 2:38 pm.

All 44 conversations from December 9, 1971 →

Nixon phone call with Lauer on Christmas and Condolences December 25, 1971 · 3 min
Kaplow, Woods & Sanchez on White House Social Affairs and Condolences November 23, 1971 · 17 min
Nixon, Schedler & Bull on 1968 presidential campaign and government service March 2, 1973 · 2 min
Nixon phone call with Kiernan on Law enforcement May 26, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon, Kissinger & Dobrynin on Soviet Cosmonaut Program June 30, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Dobrynin on Soviet Union and Diplomacy July 1, 1971 · 2 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-070, December 9, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417191389). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-070 (accessed November 2, 2026).