Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 140 › Conversation 140-034

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Speechwriting and John K. Andrews Jr.

Thursday, August 17, 1972 · 11:43 PM–11:49 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation140-034 on Tape 140StartThursday, August 17, 1972 at 11:43 PMEndThursday, August 17, 1972 at 11:49 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 140-034 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss the drafting process for the President's upcoming speech to Congress following his Soviet Union trip. They evaluate the collaborative dynamic between speechwriters John K. Andrews, Jr. and Raymond K. Price, Jr., noting that Andrews provides speed while Price offers greater experience and polish. Nixon decides to have Andrews join him at Camp David first for initial work, with Price scheduled to arrive the following day to assist with final revisions and organization.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Mr. Holloman, please.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Yeah, sir.
I was sitting here talking to Rose, you know, about this thing, and she made a point that may be worth considering.
One of my judgments on the Andrews thing, of course, was the thing on the way back from Russia, which was a hell of a pressure cooker deal.
But she says that Ray worked, well, really did the
enormous amount of work with Andrews on that.
They work very well together.
Now, my view is, I mean, I don't know whether it might be a good idea to have Ray and Andrews come up, if you like.
I mean, they might use them both.
What do you feel about it?
I think that's really what you're most comfortable with, because it's... That's what I'm comfortable with, yeah.
The only point of having them up here is to...
bounce off you or give you what you what you need because that other than that they can do it down down there just easily that yeah well a uh you've got more of a philosophical problem with ray i mean he's actually which on this side really can't can't really argue with people about i mean i can't i'm just not interested in their philosophy
I the other things I could but yeah well we can certainly make that point to him though and you know just no no it's not right to do that oh sure I mean make the point that we're past the that point that's now down to trying to put together that yeah there's the advantage that Ray can work the rest of the crew if there's you know like if you want any output from Bakshian or anything else that
I alerted Andrews, but I can call him up.
Or you'd want both of them at that point in time?
Yeah, yeah.
But I'll tell you what, it's in the stage at this point that I'll just use Andrews for tomorrow, at least, you know what I mean?
Because I just don't think I'll have a hell of a lot done up to this point.
Okay.
And then when I get to a point where I've got it in further shape along, then I'll have Ray come up, too.
Okay.
That's what I'll do.
Okay.
You might tell Ray to stand by for perhaps Saturday, you know?
OK. Will do.
But he can be then in Washington and be available to dig the facts out and so forth there.
And I can be here to do some.
Because I've got to do just some general organizational stuff and so forth at this point.
But I think Ray ought to be up at some point.
Since they do work well together.
Well, they do.
There's no question about that.
They seem to sit around.
kick the Kings around, don't they?
Yep.
And Andrews has the speed.
Ray has the judgment and all that.
He's got the judgment.
I think he does a lot of polishing on John.
Well, he's got more eloquence than Andrews, you see.
He's more experienced.
So maybe it's a pretty good team.
Well, I don't know.
Maybe we should have him.
Well, I think the best thing to do is to let...
Let Ray come up the next day.
In other words, have Andrews come up.
Because I don't know if I'll need anybody tomorrow.
All right.
And let Ray come tomorrow.
Have Andrews come tomorrow.
Tell Ray that he can plan to come up about noon the following day.
Okay.
And we can do a little polishing around.
Okay.
Sure.
I'm sure Ray will opt for that.
a soft approach but uh you can have a little talk with him about it i think that's not a bad idea don't you think so okay sure and when he comes up right because we really you know we've really beaten this around the bush with everybody i've talked to connelly and i've talked you know got graham's input and we got i mean that's a damn many people's input here that i just really can't can't
get any other judgments at this late point as to which way to go.
Particularly the laundry list thing.
I mean, that's going to be the real problem.
I have tried to work in, I just dictated in another paragraph, a short laundry list.
So I'll see how the damn thing comes out.
We shall see.
Okay.

NARA Description

On August 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:43 pm to 11:49 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 140-034 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 140-34

Date: August 17, 1972
Time: 11:43 pm - 11:49 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

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

[See Conversation No. 204-9B]

     Speech
         -Help for the President
                -Rose Mary Woods's observation
                     -John K. Andrews, Jr.
                          -The President’s speech to Congress following his trip to the Soviet
                               Union
                          -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                                 -Compatibility with Andrews
                -Price
                     -The President’s view
                     -Aram Bakshian
                -Stage of writing
                     -Use of writers
                          -Andrews
                          -Price
                -Andrews
                -Price
                -Price's approach
                     -Haldeman's forthcoming talk with Price
                     -John B. Connally
                     -William F. (“Billy”) Graham
         -List of accomplishments

Also recorded on August 18, 1972

  • 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.
  • 204-010 11:49 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 11:49 pm on August 17, 1972 and 12:45 am on August 18, 1972.
  • 204-011 11:49 PM · 36 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 11:49 pm on August 17, 1972 and 12:45 am on August 18, 1972.
  • 204-012 11:49 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 11:49 pm on August 17, 1972 and 12:45 am on August 18, 1972.

All 22 conversations from August 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 140-034, 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/140-034 (accessed October 12, 2026).