Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 21 › Conversation 021-042

Nixon phone call with Fulbright on US-Soviet Relations

Friday, March 10, 1972 · 1:00 PM–1:02 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Fulbright, J. WilliamConversation021-042 on Tape 21 (tape position 01:24:12–01:26:10)StartFriday, March 10, 1972 at 1:00 PMEndFriday, March 10, 1972 at 1:02 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 021-042 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon called Senator J. William Fulbright to coordinate a brief delay for a scheduled lunch with Henry Kissinger and to discuss domestic and foreign policy concerns. Nixon briefly noted the difficulty of managing the busing issue before pivoting to the administration's even-handed diplomatic approach regarding the Soviet Union following his recent trip to China. Nixon directed Kissinger to consult with Fulbright on Soviet relations and to arrange future informal meetings with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Senator Fulbright, Mr. President.
Hello.
Hello.
Hi, Bill.
Good morning, Mr. President.
I just want to tell you, I was just going over a couple things with Henry, and he told me that he was having lunch with you, so he'll be ten minutes late, but don't blame him.
Blame me, will you?
Okay.
Yeah, and because I just had a couple things I had to get signed, I have to go to Camp David to work on this busing thing this afternoon, so.
That's a tough one.
Oh.
Oh, boy.
If you've got any answers, let me know.
Oh, dear.
I wish I did have them.
There isn't.
It just tears the country apart.
But I think I'll come up with something that's reasonable.
I hope.
And decent.
And decent.
But anyway, Henry will be down about ten minutes late, if that's all right with you.
Well, that's fine.
Let me say, I think you did a great job on your trip.
Well, I appreciate that.
We've got some things started.
And incidentally, I would like for Henry to talk a little to you.
And he's sitting here right now.
about the soviet thing because that's very important you see that's the other side it is and uh some people bill have have incorrectly thought by doing the china thing that this would blow the soviet thing well it's not doing that at all not doing that at all because we're playing both in an even-handed way good that's what we all want good that's exactly right and we've also i've talked to henry about arranging this business of the
you know, the informal meetings, you know, with the committee and so forth.
Good.
So he'll chat with you about it.
Okay.
That's fine.
How are you playing any golf these days?
No, I haven't.
I haven't had a chance.
I quit the game.
I just got over the flu and it's laid up, but I'm going to take it up again.
I don't think I'm quite ready to give it up, Paul.
No, you're too good to give it up.
That's my point.
I'm getting so bad I don't enjoy it like I used to.
Well, you've got a lot of other things to occupy you and also to interest you.
I think you've been doing real well.
Well, you're very kind to say that, and we'll try to keep in close touch.
Good.
Okay.
Thank you very much.

NARA Description

On March 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and J. William Fulbright talked on the telephone from 1:00 pm to 1:02 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 021-042 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 21-42

Date: March 10, 1972
Time: 1:00 pm - 1:02 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with J. William Fulbright.

[See Conversation No. 682-8B]

     Henry A. Kissinger’s schedule
         -Forthcoming lunch with Fulbright

     The President’s schedule
          -Camp David
               -Busing

     The President’s trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
          -Fulbright’s view

     The President’s forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union
          -US-PRC relations
               -US-Soviet relations
          -Senate Foreign Relations Committee

     Golf
            -Fulbright’s health

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

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

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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

     Fulbright’s support

Also recorded on March 10, 1972

  • 682-004 12:33 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 12:38 pm.
  • 682-005 12:38 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, William Brock, Carol Hanson, Evelyn Grubb, Janice Ray, Olive Hunt, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, Frank A. Sievers, Roger E. Shields, John E. Nidecker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 12:45 pm.
  • 682-006 12:40 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:40 pm and 12:45 pm.
  • 682-007 12:40 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:40 pm and 12:45 pm.
  • 682-011 12:40 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:40 pm and 12:45 pm.
  • 094-004 12:45 PM · 33 sec — during the signing of contributions to International American Development Bank [S. 748], Asian Development Bank [S. 749], and International Development Association [S. 2010], President Richard M. Nixon, George D. Aiken, Wright Patman, William B. Widnall, William P. Rogers, John B. Connally, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Peter M. Flanigan, Galo Plaza, Carlos Sanz de Santamaria, Ortiz Mena, Henry J. Costanzo, Artemis Weatherby, Robert S. McNamara, J. Burke Knapp, John M. Hennessy, James E. Smith, Robert D. Hormats, John E. Nidecker, and the White House photographer met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 12:45 pm to 12:50 pm.
  • 682-008 12:50 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, White House photographer, Dianne C. Matthews, United States Secret Service agents, Stephen B. Bull, Arthur K. Watson, White House operator, and J. William Fulbright met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:50 pm to 1:10 pm.
  • 682-009 1:11 PM · 2 hr 41 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Alexander P. Butterfield, Charles W. Colson, unknown person(s), Ronald L. Ziegler, White House operator, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, John D. Ehrlichman, and Edward L. Morgan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:11 pm to 3:53 pm.

All 17 conversations from March 10, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 021-042, March 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/021-042 (accessed October 3, 2026).