Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 40 › Conversation 040-062

Nixon phone call with Woods on Leonid Brezhnev and State Dinner

Wednesday, June 13, 1973 · 12:16 AM–12:17 AM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose MaryConversation040-062 on Tape 40StartWednesday, June 13, 1973 at 12:16 AMEndWednesday, June 13, 1973 at 12:17 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 040-062 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted his secretary, Rose Mary Woods, regarding the entertainment arrangements for an upcoming dinner with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. The discussion focused on finalizing the lineup, specifically confirming the participation of the Johnny Mann Singers and Debbie Reynolds as preferred choices of Pat Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower. The President also briefly considered the feasibility of including entertainer Danny Kaye, noting potential concerns regarding his reception by the Soviet delegation.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Rose, sorry to bother you.
What is the situation with regard to the entertainment?
Have they decided?
Uh, yes, they have, um, the Johnny, is it the Johnny Man Singers?
Yeah.
And I think they're trying to get with them, um...
The one that occurred...
The one that occurred from New York, uh, the one that you went to her show, uh...
Oh, Debbie Reynolds?
Debbie Reynolds.
That's who the Johnny Man Singers, that's who Pat wanted, I guess, and Julie.
The one thing that occurred to me that I should have mentioned earlier, who would be really great, and not because of his ideology, because he's been to Russia and here, is Danny Kaye, you know?
Yeah, well, they were going to try to get him.
But he's Jewish?
I don't know what happened, whether they felt they'd have to check him out with the Russians.
Oh, okay.
Well, Johnny Mann and Debbie Reynolds will be fine if she doesn't mind.
I don't know what they were checking that out today.
Right, okay.
Okay.

NARA Description

On June 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 12:16 am to 12:17 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 040-062 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 40-62

Date: June 13, 1973
Time: 12:16 am - 12:17 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Rose Mary Woods.

     President’s schedule
           -Leonid I. Brezhnev dinner
                 -Johnny Mann singers
                       -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                             -Request
                 -Debbie Reynolds
                       -President’s view of performance
                 -Danny Kaye
                       -Jewish background
                       -Vetting by Soviets

Also recorded on June 13, 1973

  • 040-054 11:38 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:38 pm to 11:41 pm.
  • 040-055 11:41 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:41 pm and 11:51 pm.
  • 040-056 11:51 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft talked on the telephone from 11:51 pm to 11:54 pm.
  • 040-057 11:54 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone on an unknown date, sometime between 11:54 pm on June 12, 1973 and 12:02 am on June 13, 1973.
  • 040-058 12:02 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 12:02 am to 12:07 am.
  • 040-059 12:07 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:07 am and 12:09 am.
  • 040-060 12:09 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 12:09 am to 12:12 am.
  • 040-061 12:12 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:12 am and 12:16 am.

All 95 conversations from June 13, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 040-062, June 13, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/040-062 (accessed October 9, 2026).