Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 35 › Conversation 035-065

Nixon, Colson & Warren on Harry S. Truman and Memorial service

Tuesday, January 2, 1973 · 3:13 PM–3:30 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsColson, Charles W.; White House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Warren, Gerald L.Conversation035-065 on Tape 35StartTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 3:13 PMEndTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 3:30 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-065 ↗

AI Summary

Charles W. Colson contacted Deputy Press Secretary Gerald L. Warren to manage press speculation regarding President Nixon's potential attendance and involvement in the memorial service for Harry S. Truman. The discussion addressed inquiries from reporter Frank Cormier, who erroneously speculated that the President might deliver a eulogy. Colson directed Warren to discourage these rumors and maintain a non-committal stance, as the event was primarily intended for congressional representatives.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
This is Mr. Colson.
Get me Jerry Warren, please.
Thank you.
Jerry, is the word out at all that the president is considering going to the memorial service?
Yes, sir.
Any inquiries about it?
I had Frank Cormier, you know, in his flights of fantasy last night, wanted to write a story that the president would deliver a eulogy.
And I said, you better not, you know, because you may be wrong.
He clearly would be wrong on that story.
No, I didn't want him to go out with a story the other way, you know.
He wasn't going.
That's right.
I just wanted to hold him off, hold him loose.
The only query I've had recently, I had a query coming back from Independence on what the president's participation would be.
Well, it's basically for congressional people anyway.
Well, okay.
That was too early.
Yeah, clearly isn't out.
Clearly is not out, that's correct.
Okay, thanks, Jerry.
You bet.

NARA Description

On January 2, 1973, 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. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-065 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-65

Date: January 2, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:13 pm and 3:30 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Charles W. Colson talked with the White House operator.

The President can be heard in the background.

[See Conversation No. 393-2]

       Request for a call to Gerald L. Warren

Colson talked with Warren at an unknown time between 3:13 pm and 3:30 pm.

       The President's schedule
            -Harry S. Truman’s memorial service
                  -Inquiries
                         -Frank Cormier
                               -Possible eulogy by the President
                         -Independence, Missouri
                  -Members of Congress
                                               -60-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on January 2, 1973

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 830-001 3:33 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:33 pm and 3:35 pm.

All 52 conversations from January 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-065, 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/035-065 (accessed October 2, 2026).