Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 140 › Conversation 140-031

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Acceptance speech and John K. Andrews, Jr.

Thursday, August 17, 1972 · 11:02 PM–11:04 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation140-031 on Tape 140StartThursday, August 17, 1972 at 11:02 PMEndThursday, August 17, 1972 at 11:04 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 140-031 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss the preparation of the President's upcoming acceptance speech, specifically evaluating the writing contributions of John K. Andrews, Jr. and Aram Bakshian. Nixon expresses concerns over the overly religious and "sappy" tone of Andrews's drafts, mandating that he adopt a sharper style similar to Bakshian's. The pair decides to have Andrews adjust his approach to meet Nixon's requirements, with plans for him to join the President's team around the time of Ronald Reagan's scheduled visit.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
On reflection, hello?
Yes, sir.
I think that it's probably better to have Andrews because his stuff doesn't fit as well, basically.
It's a little sappy, and you know what I mean.
He'll adapt, though.
But he does adapt.
I'll just have to tell him he has to do it the way I want to.
Sure.
And not get himself involved in the other things.
He will, and he tries.
There's no ego problem with him, you know, in any of that.
He's done it before, too.
All right.
The other guy I'm going to work with at some future time because he has a style that's closer to mine.
He's damn good, but I don't think you can do it with two.
Well, let me tell Andrews that and have him read Bakshin's stuff.
Yeah, Bakshin's is more bite.
It's bitey.
And I don't mean, I'm not referring to the substance so much.
But Andrew's substance, he's got a, I think probably because he's
He's got a lot of stuff about religion and other things in there, you know, the Bible and et cetera that St. James and so forth that we just can't use.
But that's all right.
He'll learn.
I'm sure he'll.
He has to.
He'll just have to adjust to what we're going to have to do here.
He will.
He's just taking it as there's no hurry.
But he can come up.
Okay?
Yeah.
You want him up first thing in the morning?
No, no hurry.
Bye.
Noon.
Okay.
Or come up when Reagan comes if he wants.
Okay.
Okay, fine.
All right.
Reagan's at three tomorrow now, is that right?
Mm-hmm.

NARA Description

On August 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:02 pm to 11:04 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 140-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 140-31

Date: August 17, 1972
Time: 11:02 pm - 11:04 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

[See Conversation No. 204-6]

     The President’s forthcoming acceptance speech
          -Help for President
               -John K. Andrews, Jr.
               -Aram Bakshian's style
               -Andrews
                     -Use of Biblical material

     The President's schedule
          -Andrews
          -Ronald W. Reagan visit

Also recorded on August 18, 1972

  • 140-030 10:51 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:51 pm and 11:02 pm.
  • 204-005 10:51 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:51 pm and 11:02 pm.
  • 204-006 11:02 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 11:02 pm to 11:04 pm.
  • 140-032 11:04 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:04 pm and 11:43 pm.
  • 140-033 11:04 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:04 pm and 11:43 pm.
  • 204-007 11:04 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:04 pm and 11:43 pm.
  • 204-008 11:04 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:04 pm and 11:43 pm.
  • 204-009 11:04 PM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Camp David operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 11:04 pm on August 17, 1972 and 12:45 am on August 18, 1972.

All 22 conversations from August 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 140-031, August 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/140-031 (accessed October 11, 2026).