Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 35 › Conversation 035-058

Nixon phone call with Timmons on Congressional relations

Tuesday, January 2, 1973 · 2:49 PM–2:51 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Timmons, William E.Conversation035-058 on Tape 35StartTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 2:49 PMEndTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 2:51 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-058 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and William Timmons coordinated the logistics and protocol for an upcoming bipartisan leadership meeting and a reception for freshman Congressmen scheduled for January 5, 1973. They finalized the attendee list—including the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Justice—and established the receiving line order. Additionally, the President directed that reminder cards be sent to invitees despite the late notice and emphasized that the tone of the reception should remain informal.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Mr. Chairman, sir.
Yeah.
Mr. President.
Mike is set at 3.30, I see.
He'll be there.
Fine.
We'll hold on Carl Albert till we see what happens with Carl.
Yeah.
And you'll go forward with the leadership thing at 8.30, right?
Right.
Breakfast Friday.
And also the new freshman senators.
They'll be informed.
Yes.
At this late date, we'll have to call them, I think, rather than do any sort of formal.
Oh, nothing formal.
Yeah.
I'll tell you, call them, but I would have the White House send reminder cards.
They all love, you understand.
They keep that as a memento, sure.
The White House should send reminder cards to the, or just, you know, there are cards they can send that can come.
Not arrive on time, all right?
Send them and let them arrive late.
Sure.
That doesn't make any difference.
But we'll call them anyway because it's kind of late.
And all the invitations will come late.
Right.
And they ought to make plans.
Now, of course, we're lucky because about 43 of them will be with Ford at that seminar he's holding.
So that'll be a... Our guys will be there.
Yeah, the biggest whack at them.
Just to say the address will be informal.
Okay.
Informal.
That's right.
Okay, and Steve is going to invite the Chief Justice.
Yeah, that's fine.
How do we leave the Vice President for that, for the reception?
Should he be invited?
Yes, yes, I think so.
Since you're having the Chief Justice, you have the Chief Justice, the Vice President, and the Speaker.
Good.
But then I will have nobody in the line with us.
Right.
That way it will be understood.
Good.
And then coming through the line, the Vice President comes first, the Speaker comes second, the Chief Justice third, and the others afterwards.
Okay.
That's the protocol.
Mm-hmm.
See if they can come to the extent they can.
Right.
And no cabinet officers, is that what you're saying?
Yes, except Ash, who has cabinet status.
Well, that is different, though.
It doesn't have to be confirmed.
Should Kim Cole come to that, Mr. President?
He's assuming some new responsibilities.
Oh, I don't care.
All right.
Good.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On January 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone from 2:49 pm to 2:51 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-058 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-58

Date: January 2, 1973
Time: 2:49 pm – 2:51 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with William E. Timmons.

       Congressional relations
            -The President’s schedule
                  -Michael J. Mansfield
                  -Carl B. Albert
                  -Bipartisan leadership meeting , January 5, 1973
                  -Freshman Congressmen reception, January 5, 1973
                        -Invitations
                               -Telephone calls
                               -Reminder cards
                                     -Mementos
                               -Telephone calls
                               -Number
                                               -56-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 35-58 (cont’d)

                                     -Gerald R. Ford
                                            -Seminar
                               -Attire
                                     -Informality
                               -Invitations
                                     -Warren E. Burger
                                            -Stephan B. Bull
                                     -Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew
                                            -Burger
                                            -Albert
                               -Protocol
                                     -Receiving line
                                            -Order
                                                  -Agnew
                                                  -Albert
                                                  -Burger
                               -Invitations
                                     -Cabinet officers
                                            -Roy L. Ash
                                                  -Confirmation
                                            -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.

Also recorded on January 2, 1973

  • 035-057 2:43 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:43 pm.
  • 393-001 2:45 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Stephen B. Bull, and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 3:33 pm.
  • 035-059 2:51 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 3:03 pm.
  • 035-060 3:03 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 3:03 pm to 3:05 pm.
  • 035-061 3:05 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:05 pm and 3:10 pm.
  • 035-062 3:10 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 3:10 pm to 3:11 pm.
  • 035-063 3:11 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:11 pm and 3:12 pm.
  • 035-064 3:12 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 3:12 pm to 3:13 pm.

All 52 conversations from January 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-058, January 2, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/035-058 (accessed October 2, 2026).