Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 100 › Conversation 100-011

White House tour group on White House Tour and Cabinet Room

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

ParticipantsWhite House tour groupConversation100-011 onTape 100StartFriday, May 5, 1972 at 11:37 AMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 9:10 AMRecording deviceCabinet RoomSourceNixon Library record for 100-011 ↗

AI Summary

A White House tour group received an informational walkthrough of the Cabinet Room, guided by staff members including Lieutenant Bridgeky. The discussion focused on the room's historical significance, specifically detailing the seating arrangements for Cabinet members, the chronological order of the departments, and the origins of the furniture and portraits. Participants exchanged anecdotes about the physical layout and the traditional roles of various government officials who utilize the space.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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It was made in Massachusetts in 1767.
Like on the backs of each of the chairs, they have a nameplate with each of them.
Was that Mr. Reynolds' chair?
Right.
Who?
I don't know what they're doing.
Not really.
Not really?
No.
So it would be Attorney General in the meeting.
Well, no, because what happens is they take their chairs with them and they go.
So that shows the vacancy.
This is Kennedy's chair.
Secretary of Treasury, what's that called?
Oh, Treasurer, Ambassador, well, just some of the things he's gathered around.
Is that right?
This is... Oh, George Bush, Representative of the United States of America.
Oh, no, no.
What are you doing?
How come you're down here?
You're always down here when I'm down here.
This is, we like to have a bridge seat.
We have a bridge seat used to be in charge of the tour detail.
We've been boning his loss ever since.
Oh, how come you didn't work with the guy?
But I care about the good old days.
Do you?
Yeah.
And those were the good old days.
Yeah, those were.
Mm-hmm.
You think you're certain?
Excellent, excellent.
I haven't seen you here in a bit.
Nice meeting you both.
Thank you, our pleasure.
This is tradition.
The way they have it arranged is they go out for the president and the vice president according to the age of the cabinet office.
So the oldest cabinet officers are the ones closest to him.
So that's why you had him?
Yeah, that's why I had him so far.
They passed a state, like the president, the attorney general, the treasury, the secretary, the financial advisor, the powers, Peter T. Peterson, the federal boss.
The guy's there, probably working for the accounts laundry, because don't open the door, don't open the door, don't open the door.
And this is Pop Fish.
Well, if they did, we'd just sit on the chairs and kiss the jurors and all of those guys sit there.
All of us would sit there.
You know, I was talking to John about that last night.
That's the strangest thing about the administration, because that guy's got more power than any of them.
He's a little profile.
These are where you get the old ones.
President traditionally puts the portraits in here, those sitting papers.
You know, those in the presidency, the people
We have told them about the table.
Oh, the table was presented to the cabinet by the president in 1917.
It was made by a kitchen chair cabinet.
It was 22 and a half feet long.
17 what?
It's a golden light.
I kind of hate great lighting, you know, unless it's red light.
It isn't the lighting that's interesting.
Yeah.
Do you need another one?
No, I was just saying if those would be good.
I think you have the ones around, but other than her.

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 100-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 100-11

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

     An antique

     Cabinet Room
          -Seating
                -Nameplates on chairs
                -George W. Romney
                -Earl L. Butz
                -John B. Connally
                -The Vice President
                -Attorney General
          -Chairs
                -Departure of Secretaries
          -Secretary of Treasury
                -David M. Kennedy
          -George H. W. Bush
                -United Nations

Lieutenant [Forename unknown] Bridgeky [sp?] entered at an unknown time after 11:37 am,
May 5, 1972

     Introductions

     Bridgeky’s work

Bridgeky left at an unknown time before 9:10 am, May 8, 1972

     The President’s schedule

     Cabinet Room
          -Chairs
                -Arrangement
                      -The President and Vice President
                      -Oldest departments
                      -Defense, State, Attorney General, and Treasury
                           -Peter G. Peterson
          -Chairs on sides
                -Henry A. Kissinger
                -Robert H. Finch
                -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                      -Duties
          -Portraits
          -Table
                -Donor
                -Size

           -Light

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.
  • 100-003 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.
  • 100-004 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.

All 54 conversations from May 5, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 100-011, 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/100-011 (accessed September 18, 2026).