Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-057

Nixon phone call with Connally on Ambassadorship to West Germany

Monday, January 24, 1972 · 7:08 PM–7:14 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.Conversation019-057 on Tape 19StartMonday, January 24, 1972 at 7:08 PMEndMonday, January 24, 1972 at 7:14 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-057 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted John B. Connally regarding the search for a new U.S. Ambassador to West Germany after William P. Clements, Jr. declined the position. Nixon inquired about Richard M. Paget, seeking Connally's assessment of his temperament, professional background, and suitability for the diplomatic post. Connally expressed confidence in Paget's abilities and agreed to contact him to gauge his interest in the appointment.

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.4 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Hello.
Hello.
Yes, sir.
John, I didn't want to bother you at home, but I was talking to Pete Flanagan about that ambassadorship to Germany.
Yes, sir.
As you know, Clement has said no.
Yes, sir.
But he was mentioning Paget.
Do you think there's a possibility we could get him?
Yes, sir.
Well, the only reason I say that is simply that he sold his company, as I understand it, to the First National Committee.
I don't know why they couldn't draw him loose.
But, you know, I have no indication of others.
What is your impression of him?
As far as he is a very able fellow, smart, works, efficient.
uh level-headed never loses his equilibrium or his toys never is not too talkative yet it's uh friendly uh not uh not a gregarious or uh obnoxiously uh gregarious fellow but meets people well handles himself well uh i've never seen a week since verifying good good but he'd be the kind of a fellow that fit the germans very well oh i would think so uh
He has a wooden leg.
Oh, that's no problem.
But he moves around, you'd never know it, or a wooden foot, and I guess he lost it.
I'm not sure whether he lost it in the war or in the wreck.
I believe it was in the wreck, but I'm not sure.
But in any event, he moves well, and apparently there's no disability to him at all.
Let me ask you, do you think you could mention it to him?
Would you mind asking if he would consider it?
I don't mind at all.
Because you see, you were quite close to him.
I've known him since World War II days.
Oh.
Very young fellow in the Navy Department.
Before the Ash Council.
Oh, he was doing cost accounting work.
Is that right?
He helped organize the Navy Procurement Office in 1942.
Well, I'll tell you.
If you could, you give him a call.
Just say that we'd like to have him consider it.
See if he might.
Well, I'll just sign him out.
Sure.
Well, no, if he's willing, we'll offer it.
That's what we'll do.
Right, right.
That's right.
Oh, sure, sure.
Fine.
Good.
Okay, John.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On January 24, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 7:08 pm to 7:14 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-057 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 19-57

Date: January 24, 1972
Time: 7:08 pm - 7:14 pm
Location: White House Telephone

John B. Connally talked with the President.

     Ambassadorship to West Germany
         -The President's conversation with Peter M. Flanigan

           -William P. Clements, Jr.
           -Richard M. Paget of the First National City Bank
                 -Walter B. Wriston
                 -Personality
                 -Possible reaction by West Germany
                 -Health
                 -Possible conversation with Connally
                 -Experience
                      -World War II
                             -Navy
                                  -Procurement office
                      -Ash Council

Also recorded on January 25, 1972

  • 019-058 7:55 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:55 pm to 7:58 pm.
  • 655-001 9:18 AM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:18 am to 9:19 am.
  • 655-002 9:19 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:19 am and 9:53 am.
  • 655-003 9:55 AM · 2 hr 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), Robert H. Finch, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:55 am and 12:32 pm.
  • 316-001 12:32 PM · 1 hr 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Robert H. Finch, Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, Rose Mary Woods, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:32 pm to 2:15 pm.
  • 655-004 12:32 PM · 12 sec — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:32 pm and 8:19 pm.
  • 316-002 2:15 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 2:25 pm.
  • 316-003 2:15 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 2:25 pm.

All 29 conversations from January 25, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 019-057, January 25, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-057 (accessed October 12, 2026).