Nixon White House TapesTape 19 › Conversation 019-121

Nixon phone call with Flanigan on Marina von N. Whitman and school admissions

Wednesday, January 26, 1972 · 4:47 PM–4:48 PM ET · White House Telephone ·39 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Flanigan, Peter M.Conversation019-121 onTape 19StartWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 4:47 PMEndWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 4:48 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-121 ↗

President Nixon and Peter Flanigan discussed the status of school enrollment efforts for the children of Marina von N. Whitman, a priority appointment for the administration. They confirmed that one child was accepted at Sidwell Friends while the other was pending at Landon, with backup plans in place for the National Cathedral School. The conversation highlighted the coordinated intervention of administration officials, including Secretary of State William P. Rogers, to secure these placements and ensure Whitman's successful recruitment.

  • Marina von N. Whitman
  • school admissions
  • personnel recruitment
  • William P. Rogers
  • Landon School
  • Sidwell Friends

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Yes, sir.
Did you get the kids into Friends?
Got one of them into Friends and think the other's getting into Landon.
Landon's a great school.
Yes, sir.
And she apparently wants him into Landon, and then I told Stein to tell her that if that didn't work out, I was confident we could get him into the Cathedral complex.
Cathedral, which is also good.
Yes, sir.
So I think we're going to make that work.
Bill had already called and had leaned on the headmaster.
Bill Rogers had already called.
He had.
Good.
He did.
Well, good.
Good.
But that's good, Pete.
Well, you follow through.
We want her.
I most surely will, and I agree.
All right.
Particularly because she's pretty.
Yes, and in this form.

On January 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Peter M. Flanigan talked on the telephone from 4:47 pm to 4:48 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-121 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 19-121

Date: January 26, 1972
Time: 4:47 pm - 4:48 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Peter M. Flanigan.

[See Conversation No. 318-7D]

     Appointments
         -Marina Von N. Whitman’s children
              -Schools
                   -Sidwell Friends
                   -Landon
                   -National Cathedral School
                        -Herbert Stein
                   -Landon
                        -William P. Rogers
                              -Unnamed headmaster
  • 019-117 4:21 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:21 pm and 4:23 pm.
  • 318-006 4:21 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:21 pm and 4:23 pm.
  • 019-118 4:23 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George W. Romney, and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 4:23 pm to 4:24 pm.
  • 318-007 4:23 PM · 36 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George W. Romney, George P. Shultz, John B. Connally, White House operator, Peter M. Flanigan, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:23 pm to 5:01 pm.
  • 019-119 4:36 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 4:36 pm to 4:42 pm.
  • 019-120 4:42 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:42 pm and 4:47 pm.
  • 657-001 5:05 PM · 1 hr 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Page Belcher, White House photographer, White House operator, Clark MacGregor, Stephen B. Bull, Hyde H. Murray, Earl L. Butz, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:05 pm to 6:17 pm.
  • 019-122 5:12 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:12 pm and 5:24 pm.

Conversation 019-121, January 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-121 (accessed September 18, 2026).