Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 100 › Conversation 100-003

White House tour group on Cabinet Room and White House tours

Friday, May 5, 1972 · 11:37 AM–9:10 AM ET · Cabinet Room ·2 min

ParticipantsWhite House tour groupConversation100-003 onTape 100StartFriday, May 5, 1972 at 11:37 AMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 9:10 AMRecording deviceCabinet RoomSourceNixon Library record for 100-003 ↗

AI Summary

A White House tour group was guided through the Cabinet Room to learn about the history and decor of the space where significant executive decisions are finalized. The tour guide explained the protocol of the room, including the seniority-based seating arrangements for cabinet members and the placement of high-ranking officials like Henry Kissinger. The group also examined the presidential chairs and the selection of historical portraits on display, highlighting the tradition of incoming presidents redecorating the room to reflect their personal preferences.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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This is probably the most important room in the nation.
This is the captain room.
This is where all of the decisions are made.
Now each captain member, of course, has his own chair.
And they all go out in front of the president in order of their department, in order of the majority of their department.
State, yeah.
He was running the Department of Defense.
And then they go around, I think the Department of Urban Affairs is one of the endorsements.
The Vice President sits right across from him.
Where's Kissinger?
Kissinger is the Counselor to the President.
I think he's on the NGO.
Or they put that on there so that he could, if it all depends on the meeting, he could have Alderman Earle or anybody there.
Depends on what meeting.
He purchased this table himself.
Was there a president?
No.
The president said this is where they had the cabinet meeting.
The chair.
Excuse me, I noticed that the chair, the back of the chair, it's just a little bit different.
That's right.
And Eisenhower, Woodrow Wilson, they take most of those.
Those are his three papers.
Oh, I see.
Whenever the president comes into office, the night before he takes office, his paper.
The president's over in jail.
I see.
And the room's redecorated.
So if you like boxing, that's all.
and always stop standing.

NARA Description

a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:37 am on May 5, 1972 and 9:10 am on May 8, 1972. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 100-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 100-3

Date: Unknown between May 5 and May 8, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:37 am, May 5 and 9:10 am, May 8, 1972
Location: Cabinet Room

A tour group met

     Cabinet Room
          -Importance
          -Seating
                -Arrangement
                     -Seniority of departments
                          -State
                                -William P. Rogers
                          -Department of Defense
                          -Department of Housing and Urban Development

                           -The Vice President
                     -Henry A. Kissinger
                           -Position
                           -Seating
                -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                -John D. Ehrlichman
          -Table
          -Seating
                -The President
          -Portraits
                -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                -Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt
                -[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
                -The President’s choice
          -Redecoration

The tour group left at an unknown time before 9:10 am, May 8, 1972

Also recorded on May 5, 1972

  • 100-002 11:37 AM · 3 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:37 am on May 5, 1972 and 9:10 am on May 8, 1972.
  • 100-004 11:37 AM · 16 sec — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:37 am on May 5, 1972 and 9:10 am on May 8, 1972.
  • 100-005 11:37 AM · 2 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:37 am on May 5, 1972 and 9:10 am on May 8, 1972.
  • 100-006 11:37 AM · 1 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:37 am on May 5, 1972 and 9:10 am on May 8, 1972.
  • 100-007 11:37 AM · 3 min — Ronald L. Ziegler and a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:37 am on May 5, 1972 and 9:10 am on May 8, 1972.
  • 100-008 11:37 AM · 2 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:37 am on May 5, 1972 and 9:10 am on May 8, 1972.
  • 100-009 11:37 AM — George P. Shultz and a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:37 am on May 5, 1972 and 9:10 am on May 8, 1972.
  • 100-010 11:37 AM · 40 sec — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:37 am on May 5, 1972 and 9:10 am on May 8, 1972.

All 54 conversations from May 5, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 100-003, May 5, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/100-003 (accessed September 18, 2026).