Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 74 › Conversation 074-004
Nixon, Committee to Form a National Health Education Foundation & Wilson on…
Tuesday, September 14, 1971 · 10:07 AM–10:51 AM ET · Cabinet Room
AI Summary
President Nixon met with members of the Committee to Form a National Health Education Foundation to discuss the development of a non-governmental organization focused on public health education and disease prevention. The President emphasized his belief in leveraging the private sector, voluntary initiatives, and public participation to improve the national health system rather than relying solely on monolithic government-run programs. The committee members and the President agreed to coordinate efforts to raise awareness for health initiatives, using the model of successful past voluntary campaigns to address contemporary challenges.
- National Health Education Foundation
- Health Policy
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Voluntarism
- Disease Prevention
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.3 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 31.2 MB
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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On September 14, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the Committee to Form a National Health Education Foundation, including Joseph Wilson, Joseph A. Beirne, Dr. M. Alfred Haynes, Richard McGall, J. Alexander McMahon, Walter J. McNerney, A. C. Nielson, Jr. Dr. Joseph T. Painter, Wrede Petersmeyer, Charles A. Siegfried, David Seymour, Dr. Irving Shapiro, Scott Simonds, J. Henry Smith, Dr. Melvin K. ("Morty") Duval, Dr. Robert Laur, Victor Wiengarten, Josee Laventhal, Linda Brannick, Grace Urrows, Howard Ennes, Dr. Peter Warter, Peter Meek, Levitt Mendel, Clarence Pearson, Dr. George Wheatley, Caesar Brancini, Stanley S. Scott [?], the White House photographer, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:07 am and 10:51 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 074-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 74-4
Date: September 14, 1971
Time: Unknown between 10:07 am and 10:51 am
Location: Cabinet Room
Joseph Wilson, Joseph A. Beirne, Dr. M. Alfred Haynes, Richard McGrail, J. Alexander
McMahon, Walter J. McNerney, A.C. Nielsen, Jr., Dr. Joseph T. Painter, Wrede Petersmeyer,
Charles A. Siegfried, Daniel Seymour, Dr. Irving Shapiro, Scott Simonds, J. Henry Smith, Dr.
Merlin K. DuVal, Dr. Robert Laur, Victor Weingarten, Josee Laventhal, Linda Brannick, Grace
Urrows, Howard Ennes, Dr. Peter Warter, Peter Meek, Levitt Mendel, Clarence Pearson, Dr.
George Wheatley, and Caesar Brancini met; Stan [Surname unknown-Scott?] and unknown
people may have been present at the beginning of the meeting
[General conversation/Unintelligible]
The President entered at 10:21 am; the White House photographer and members of the press
were present at the beginning of the meeting
Greetings and introductions
Doctors
Labor leaders
Schedule
[General conversation/Unintelligible]
Schedule
Congressional legislative meeting
-Wilbur D. Mills
-President’s program
-Support from non-governmental sector
-Commission members
Purpose and focus of Committee to Form a National Health Educational Foundation
-President’s health strategy
-Prevention
-National Health Foundation proposal
-Support
-Chairman Wilson
-Vice Chairman McNerney
-Private sector support
-Private insurance industry
-McNerney
-North Carolina Blue Cross/Blue Shield
-McMahon
-Head of National Cancer Society
-McGrail
-President of National Health Council
-Membership
-Private insurance industries
-Blue Cross/Blue Shield
-Provision of data and backup
-Health education need
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Vacation in Canada
-Rockefeller committee on health care delivery service
-Recommendations
-Private sector involvement
-Public moral support of government
-President’s support
-Invitation to address National Cancer Society
-The President’s role
-Volunteer center
-Rubella testing effort
-Large corporations and national institutions
-President’s advisory committee
-New name
-President’s committee on health education
-Health care issues
-Philosophy and politics
-US health care
-Prevention
-Government controlled program
-Group/President’s commission
-Credibility
-Comprehensive government
-Essentialness of program
-Handling
-Those who cannot afford medical care
-Private medicine
-Insurance
-British example
-Quality of health care
-Voluntarism
-Private initiative
-Competitiveness
-Federal government role
-Diversity of group
-Labor, education, business
-Voluntary nature of effort
-US health system
-US Cancer Society
-Heart/Lung Association
-Multiple sclerosis
-Muscular dystrophy
-Raising money for cures
-Public appeal
-March of Dimes
-Polio
-Cancer patients
-Robert A. Taft, Jr.
-John Foster Dulles
-Creative energy of private sector efforts
-Government action in health plans
-Encouragement of health organizations
-Imagination and interest
-Audiences at hotels
-Waldorf and Beverly Hilton, Chicago, Blackstone
-Wealthy and educated interest
-Cancer, heart, arthritis
-Focus contrasted with business
-Richardson
-Unnamed person from Arizona
-Present health system
-Voluntary insurance
-Private insurance
-Private medical profession
-Group present
-Role
-Use of resources
-Old line organizations
-Tests
-Volunteers
-Corporations role
-Contributions
-Participation
-American approach
-Draft of charter
-Effectiveness of health education
-New non-profit organization
-Resources
-Directing interests of country
-Focus
-Cancer, polio
-Interest abroad
-Focus
-National Institutes of Health
-Voluntary nature of committee
-Wage-price freeze
-Education
Richardson’s role
The President left at 10:48 am
[General conversation/Unintelligible]
Presidential cufflinks
[General conversation/Unintelligible]
Recording was cut off at an unknown time before 10:51 amAlso recorded on September 14, 1971
- 074-002 8:09 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Republican Congressional leaders, including George P. Shultz, Paul W. McCracken, Herbert Stein, Charls E. Walker, Arnold R. Weber, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Gordon L. Allott, Peter H. Dominick, Wallace F. Bennett, Milton R. Young, Jacob K. Javits, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, John J. Rhodes, Robert C. ("Bob") Wilson, H. Allen Smith, Robert T. Stafford, Richard H. Poff, Barber B. Conable, Jr., Frank T. Bow, John W. Byrnes, William L. Springer, John D. Ehrlichman, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Kenneth E. BeLieu, Patrick J. Buchanan, and Gerald L. Warren, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 8:09 am and 10:21 am.
- 074-003 10:07 AM — Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:07 am and 10:21 am.
- 572-003 10:07 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Gordon L. Allott, Leslie C. Arends, Clark MacGregor, Kenneth E. BeLieu, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:07 am to 10:21 am.
- 572-004 10:21 AM · 35 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:21 am and 10:51 am.
- 572-005 10:51 AM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Francis J. Galbraith, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:51 am to 11:07 am.
- 075-001 11:07 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and agricultural leaders, including William J. Kuhfuss, John W. Scott, Robert C. McInturf, Tony C. DeChant, Oren Lee Staley, Clifford M. Hardin, and Clarence D. Palmby, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 11:07 am and 9:50 pm.
- 572-006 11:07 AM · 59 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:07 am and 12:37 pm.
- 572-007 11:07 AM · 27 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:07 am and 12:37 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 074-004, September 14, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/074-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).