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Conversation 023-143

TapeTape 23StartWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 3:49 PMEndWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 3:53 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Burger, Warren E.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and Chief Justice Warren E. Burger discuss their respective eulogies for the late J. Edgar Hoover ahead of an upcoming congressional memorial service. Burger emphasizes his intent to highlight Hoover’s commitment to the Bill of Rights, and the two coordinate the sharing of their speech drafts with White House staff to ensure thematic consistency. Additionally, the pair briefly touches upon Burger's ongoing health and his use of a whirlpool bath for physical therapy.

J. Edgar Hoovereulogiescongressional memorial servicejudicial healthWhite House staff
AudioNARA Description

On May 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Warren E. Burger talked on the telephone from 3:49 pm to 3:53 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-143 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 23-143

Date: May 3, 1972
Time: 3:49-3:53 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Warren E. Burger.

[See also Conversation No. 335-22]

     J. Edgar Hoover
           -President’s discussion with John B. Connally
           -Congressional memorial service
                 -Burger's tribute
           -The President's eulogy
           -Burger's eulogy
                 -Points made
                 -Respect for Bill of Rights
          -The President's eulogy
                 -Burger's attendance
                 -Copy of Burger's eulogy
                      -Delivery to John K. Andrews, Jr.
           -Congressional memorial
                 -Length

     Burgers' health
          -W. Kenneth Riland

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/21/2019.
Segment will remain closed.]
[Personal Returnable]
[023-143-w002]
[Duration: 16s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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     Burger's health
          -Hugo Black
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello, Mr. President.
I thought you'd be pleased to know I was just talking to John Connolly.
He said he'd been up to the memorial service and that you made a very eloquent tribute to
to Edgar Hoover, so I have to do one tomorrow.
So, boy, they're hard to work out, aren't they?
You know, without getting too muddled, you know what I mean?
And everything has been set.
They didn't call me until about 8.30 last night.
I know.
The chief merit of it, I think, was that it was about three and a half or four minutes long.
And the one point, Mr. President, that I wanted to make was that Edgar Hoover carried out the difficult task of law enforcement without impinging on the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, which
accused of doing, and I wanted the record to be clear, but I stopped that very strongly.
Well, I'm going to be there, of course, in the morning.
Right.
Well, I'll try to pick up a couple of different themes.
I won't do the same thing, because I've told our fellows to look at your thing, so that I should, you know, we'll all try to get a little bit of it.
Did they get a copy of it?
I'll tell you what you do, of course.
I'll get somebody down with it if you want.
Yes.
Send it.
Would you mind sending it to John Andrews in the EOB?
John Andrews.
He's working on the speech right now.
I just worked out the second copy.
All right.
And I'll tell him it's coming.
Good.
I'll send it down.
At least see where we're tracking.
It was a very nice ceremony in the sense that it was short.
Right.
Only about 12 minutes all told.
Great.
Well, I'm certainly nice of you to call.
Good.
How are you feeling?
How's your back?
Well, back's doing pretty well.
Yeah, am I?
I'm not so proud as to say I've got to skip Dr. Ryland.
Oh, that's too bad.
Too bad.
I'll catch him next week.
All right.
Good.
Well, he's always there for you whenever you want him.
Well, and it's a great help to me.
I try to get in at least every other week, and this fellow's the greatest I've ever met.
No question.
No question.
You know...
Well, it certainly does.
And then in between, almost every other day, I use the Whirlpool bath down there, which is a great, great relaxer.
Do you have a Whirlpool in your bedding?
I put in when I got up here.
They only cost about $500 to put in.
Good.
And it's the greatest relaxer.
Do any of the other judges use them or not?
Hugo Black used to use it once in a while, but nobody else uses it here.
That way it's nice and clean.
It is.
And it's always available.
Okay.
Good to talk to you.
Thank you.
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