Conversation 281-034

On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Richard A. Moore, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:17 pm to 1:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 281-034 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 281-34

Date: October 21, 1971
Time: 1:17 pm - 1:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Richard A. Moore.

     The President's speech on Supreme Court appointments
          -Materials requested by the President
          -William H. Rehnquist
                -Standing in law school class
                -Law clerk
          -Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
          -Rehnquist
                -Phi Beta Kappa
                -Stanford law school
                -Law clerk
          -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
          -Powell
                -Honorary degrees
          -Background material for press
                -Timing
          -Powell
          -Rehnquist
          -Judicial philosophy
                -Jacob K. Javits
                -Rehnquist

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at an unknown time between 1:17 pm and
1:55 pm.

[Conversation No. 281-34A]

     Material for the President's speech on Supreme Court appointments
          -Statistical information on number of appointments per year
                -Commissions
                -Boards
                -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
                -Courts

[End of telephone conversation]

The President rehearsed a speech at an unknown time between 1:17 pm and 1:55 pm.

[A transcript of the final broadcast of this speech appears in Public Papers of the Presidents,
Richard M. Nixon, 1971, pp. 1053-1057]

     Speech text

          -Hugo L. Black, John M. Harlan
                -Wording
          -Political philosophies
                -Black
          -Powell
                -Richmond, Virginia school system
                      -Desegregation efforts
                -Chief Justice John Marshall

     Years of active law practice
          -Current justices
          -The President's appointees

     Rehnquist
         -Qualifications

     White House staff's foreknowledge of Supreme Court nominees
          -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Moore
          -Haldeman
          -Ronald W. Reagan
          -John W. Dean, III

     The President's speech on Supreme Court nominations
          -Moore’s view
          -Political philosophy of appointees
          -Changes in text
                -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                -Wording
                      -Moore’s suggestions
          -Rehnquist

     Moore's schedule

     Notifications of the President's speech

Moore left at 1:55 pm.