Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 22 › Conversation 022-088

Nixon phone call with Eisenhower on People's Republic of China and First Lady

Wednesday, April 5, 1972 · 2:54 PM–4:05 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsEisenhower, Julie Nixon; Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan)Conversation022-088 on Tape 22 (tape position 03:24:45–03:26:42)StartWednesday, April 5, 1972 at 2:54 PMEndWednesday, April 5, 1972 at 4:05 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 022-088 ↗

AI Summary

Julie Nixon Eisenhower calls Pat Nixon to discuss President Nixon's proposal for the First Lady to record a half-hour television special reflecting on their recent trip to the People's Republic of China. Due to her demanding schedule, including Arbor Day obligations and an upcoming trip to Canada, Mrs. Nixon expresses initial hesitation regarding the time commitment. Julie suggests minimizing the workload by utilizing scriptwriters such as William Safire and Tex McCrary to prepare remarks and voiceover material. Mrs. Nixon agrees to consider the project if the production can be streamlined to accommodate her limited availability.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello?

Yeah.

Mom, hi.

We're over here in the office, and Daddy wanted to know if you thought you might do that half-hour special on China.

Oh, I don't know anything about that.

I haven't heard any more about it.

I don't think I can add anything more.

I am so rushed, honey.

I've just got so much coming up.

I get back and we have Arbor Day.

But if we had somebody good who reviewed the film and then wrote a script, don't you think it would be possible?

When would you do it, though?

I don't have any time.

Well, if we could get good people assigned to it, like Bill Sapphire or something.

And, you know, Daddy was thinking that Tex McCrary might be a good person to bring in to help work on it.

I don't think there'd be that much to it in the sense it's only a half hour.

And it would just be kind of a wrap-up of what happened.

It wouldn't be anything new.

And there wouldn't be any filming of you.

It just probably would take a day to do the voiceover.

I don't see how it could take more.

If they came up with prepared remarks.

Yeah, well, they'd have to be prepared because I don't have any time left.

When I come back, I have... Would you like the idea of... Yeah.

When I come back.

And then we go to Canada.

Would you like the idea of...

Is Tex McCrary being involved?

Do you think he's good?

I think he's clever.

Well, no, I think that certainly there must have been somebody on the trip that...

Someone on the trip.

Wouldn't you think?

Yeah, that makes sense.

Even, um, well... Well, did Herb Klein go?

Doesn't he write?

Herb didn't go on the trip.

Oh.

Well, I don't know who went who can write.

If we can think of a way to get it to you so that it's not much work for you, then would you do it?

Well, yeah, I'll think of it.

If we can work it out.

NARA Description

On April 5, 1972, Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:54 pm and 4:05 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 022-088 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 22-88

Date: April 5, 1972
Time: Unknown between 2:54 pm and 4:05 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked with Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon.

[See Conversation No. 703-1B]

     Julie Eisenhower’s location

     People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip television special
          -The President’s question
          -Mrs. Nixon’s schedule
                -Arbor Day
          -Script writers
                -William L. Safire
                -John Reagan (“Tex”) McCrary
          -Duration
          -Substance
                -Voice over
                -Prepared remarks
          -Mrs. Nixon’s schedule
                -The President and Mrs. Nixon’s forthcoming trip to Canadian
          -Script writers
                -McCrary
                -Herbert G. Klein
                      -Attendance on trip
          -Arrangements

Also recorded on April 5, 1972

330-018 12:23 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:23 pm and 1:32 pm.
022-087 2:54 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:54 pm and 4:05 pm.
703-001 2:54 PM · 1 hr 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Edward R. F. Cox, Tricia Nixon Cox, [Dwight] David Eisenhower, II, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, David N. Parker, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:54 pm to 4:30 pm.
703-002 4:30 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:30 pm and 4:36 pm.
703-003 4:30 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:30 pm and 4:36 pm.
703-004 4:36 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John K. Andrews, Jr., and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:36 pm to 4:55 pm.
703-005 4:55 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 4:59 pm.
703-006 4:59 PM · 1 hr 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, William P. Rogers, John K. Andrews, Jr., Manolo Sanchez, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:59 pm to 6:19 pm.

All 54 conversations from April 5, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 022-088, April 5, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/022-088 (accessed October 1, 2026).