Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 35 › Conversation 035-126

Nixon phone call with Berlin on Birthday gifts and Personal correspondence

Wednesday, January 10, 1973 · 7:28 PM–7:30 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Berlin, Muriel ("Honey")(Johnson)Conversation035-126 on Tape 35StartWednesday, January 10, 1973 at 7:28 PMEndWednesday, January 10, 1973 at 7:30 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-126 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon spoke with Muriel "Honey" Berlin to express his personal appreciation for the ties she sent him as a birthday gift, confirming he intends to wear them during future television appearances. The conversation also touched upon the Berlins' social engagements and their mutual support for the President's firm approach toward communist negotiators. Nixon and Berlin briefly discussed the necessity of strength in foreign policy, specifically referencing ongoing Vietnam negotiations and the political situation in the Philippines.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Yes.
I have Mrs. Berlin, sir.
Thank you.
Go ahead, please.
Mr. President.
Honey, I just wanted to tell you that of all the birthday presents, and I insist that the family give me just jokes, but...
The ties you sent were just great.
Now I can wear one of them for all of my television performances.
I watch you very carefully, you know, and I love my boys.
And I said, I know, conservatives like Berlin.
And you picked exactly the right type.
I can wear every one of them.
They are just great.
And who are they made by?
It doesn't say on there.
It's a very funny story because a Canadian, Senator Gellinow, he's a senator for life up there.
He told me about this place, Falconari di Roma, and apparently when you used to go to...
They made your ties from, oh, somebody like Dobbs, you know, a very well-known place that you used to go in New York.
Yeah.
And they know your taste, and they kind of coincide with mine.
I only like... Yeah, I think it's actually... No noise, you know, no flowers.
What it is, it's the place I go to is that...
Oh, you know the place.
Well, I don't know.
I think it's Dobbs.
Dobbs is not the name.
What's the hat place?
Cavanaugh's?
No, not quite that.
No.
Well, one of those.
And they used to make them for them.
And Senator Yellen told me about it because always at Christmas I buy a lot for Dick.
And it's so strange.
Pat and Buzz Mosbacher have been staying with me the last few days here in town.
Sure.
and i think they're and they they had to go to the 21 tonight with the iranian ambassador or he used to be the iranian ambassador and then george and louis woods and dick had to go to a dinner at the river house for some man from ibm and so they wanted me to go oh no i'm so glad to be home this is the nicest thing that ever happened anyway i'm not going to write you a letter i just want you to know that i
Did appreciate it very much, and you can look at me on television, and you'll say, well, now, I picked the time.
I want you to be careful, and I just know, and I listen.
Listen, we're all with you.
It's all going to come out all right.
Oh, I know it's going to come out all right.
You see, the only reason these clowns came back to negotiate is because we put up to them.
That's right.
That's the way you have to do.
You know, it's so true, because weakness, you've just got to be strong with them.
As Dick said, it's the commies now.
You know, when we went out to the Philippines and stayed with President Marcos, and she had this terrible accident, which I had with my right hand, with Ambassador Keating.
But, you know, it's just true that
If you let them take over, it's just endless.
That's right.
Well, it's going to come out, and so I just wanted you to know thank you very much.
Well, you're very sweet, and we're all behind you.
And give Dick my best for the new year and all of our friends.
Well, and thank you for calling, and you're very sweet, and I'm most grateful.
Make me feel good.
All right.
Thank you.
Bye.
Love to pass.

NARA Description

On January 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Muriel ("Honey") (Johnson) Berlin talked on the telephone from 7:28 pm to 7:30 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-126 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-126

Date: January 10, 1973
Time: 7:28 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Muriel (“Honey”) (Johnson) Berlin.

       Appreciation for birthday gift
            -The President’s family
            -Ties
                  -The President’s television [TV] appearances
            -Manufacturer
                  -Berlin’s conversation with Louis Philip Gélinas of Canada
                  -Falconer-D’aroma [sp?]
                  -Dobb’s
                  -Cavanaugh’s
                  -Gélinas
                  -Richard E. (“Dick”) Berlin

       Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr., Patricia R. Mosbacher
             -21 Club
             -Iranian ambassador

       George and Louis Woods, Richard Berlin
            -Riverhouse
            -Unknown person from International Business Machines [IBM]

       Appreciation for birthday gift
            -Letter

       The President’s TV appearances
                                             -111-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                         Conversation No. 35-126 (cont’d)

             -Ties

       Support for the President

       Vietnam negotiations
            -[US bombing]
            -Communists
                  -Richard Berlin
            -The Berlins’s visit to Philippines
            -Ferdinand E. Marcos
            -Imelda Marcos
                  -Assassination attempt
                  -Kenneth B. Keating

       Best wishes
             -Richard Berlin
             -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

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All 63 conversations from January 11, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-126, January 11, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/035-126 (accessed October 11, 2026).