Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 35 › Conversation 035-064

Nixon phone call with Bull on Lyndon B. Johnson and Harry S. Truman

Tuesday, January 2, 1973 · 3:12 PM–3:13 PM ET · White House Telephone · 43 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation035-064 on Tape 35StartTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 3:12 PMEndTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 3:13 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-064 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted Stephen B. Bull regarding former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s attendance at an upcoming memorial service for Harry S. Truman. Nixon expressed concern that his own attendance was contingent upon Johnson's presence, intending to avoid the event if the former president did not attend. Bull was tasked with confirming Johnson’s status through his former press secretary, Tom Johnson, to finalize Nixon's schedule.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Mr. Ball.
What is your report on Johnson?
Do you have a report on that yet?
Yes, sir.
As of this afternoon, Johnson is not going to attend the memorial service.
He's going to attend the Boggs Memorial Service in Louisiana, but he's not going to attend this one.
Not as of now, Mr. President.
Well, I need to know definitely, so have somebody find out, okay?
All right, sir.
Who can do it?
Well, right now, he's...
Continuing to check with Tom Johnson, his old press secretary.
Fine, fine.
Call him and find out.
But as of an hour ago...
If he doesn't go, then I should not go.
See my point?
All right, sir.
As of an hour ago, LBJ was not attending.
Fine.

NARA Description

On January 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 3:12 pm to 3:13 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-064 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-64

Date: January 2, 1973
Time: 3:12 pm - 3:13 pm
Location: White House Telephone
                                                -59-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                               Conversation No. 35-64 (cont’d)

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.

[See Conversation No. 393-1F]

       Lyndon B. Johnson's schedule
            -Harry S. Truman's memorial service
                  -[Thomas] Hale Boggs’s memorial service
                        -Louisiana
                  -Wyatt Thomas Johnson, Jr.
                  -The President’s schedule

Also recorded on January 2, 1973

  • 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.
  • 035-065 3:13 PM · 2 min — Charles W. Colson, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald L. Warren talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:13 pm and 3:30 pm.
  • 393-002 3:13 PM · 57 sec — Charles W. Colson and Gerald L. Warren met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:13 pm and 3:33 pm.
  • 393-003 3:13 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:13 pm and 3:33 pm.

All 52 conversations from January 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-064, 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/035-064 (accessed October 23, 2026).