Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 21 › Conversation 021-029

Nixon phone call with Cox on Portrait and Cloisonné vases

Wednesday, March 8, 1972 · 12:31 PM–12:34 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Cox, Tricia NixonConversation021-029 on Tape 21 (tape position 01:10:40–01:14:02)StartWednesday, March 8, 1972 at 12:31 PMEndWednesday, March 8, 1972 at 12:34 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 021-029 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, discuss recent media coverage of a presidential portrait and Tricia's proposal to exhibit cloisonné vases acquired during the recent trip to China. They express satisfaction that the portrait received positive attention on the news programs while avoiding political controversy. The President enthusiastically endorses Tricia's plan to loan the vases to a museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, viewing the gesture as a subtle and effective public diplomacy effort.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Patricia.
So it apparently was carried on the Today Show in the evening news, which was good.
Great, great, great.
The portrait was.
The portrait was?
Yeah, that was what people were interested in.
And that's the one we wanted carried.
We don't want the political one carried.
I know, I know.
And Daddy, listen to this.
Tell me what you think of this idea.
I was thinking of giving the cloisonne vases that you and Molly brought from China, lending them to a museum for a month so that the general public could see them in Cambridge.
Yeah, good.
What do you think of that?
Great idea.
Do you think it's bad or good?
No, it's very good.
I was thinking of doing it even in the Harvard community.
Yeah.
Do you think that's a bad idea?
No, I'd do it.
I think it's an excellent idea.
I mean, it's just two things, but I think there's so much interest.
That's right.
I'd do it.
It's a nice group.
I think it's an excellent idea.
Very subtle.
I remember how well it went over with the Annenberg.
Yeah, very subtle.
Do it.
Do it.
Okay.
you

NARA Description

On March 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 12:31 pm to 12:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 021-029 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 21-29

Date: March 9, 1972
Time: 12:31 pm - 12:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Tricia Nixon Cox.

[See Conversation No. 681-2D]

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 17s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

    Portrait
          -Today show
          -Evening news

    Cloisonne vases from the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
         -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
         -Exhibit
              -Cambridge, Massachusetts
                    -Harvard University
         -Walter H. and Leonore (Cohn) Annenberg

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 14s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

Also recorded on March 8, 1972

  • 021-022 11:50 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:50 am and 4:40 pm.
  • 321-018 12:29 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:29 pm to 12:45 pm.
  • 021-030 12:34 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:34 pm and 12:56 pm.
  • 321-019 12:45 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 12:45 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 321-020 12:45 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:45 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 021-031 12:56 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 12:56 pm to 12:57 pm.
  • 021-032 12:58 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 12:58 pm to 12:59 pm.
  • 021-033 12:59 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 1:48 pm.

All 36 conversations from March 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 021-029, March 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/021-029 (accessed October 21, 2026).