Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 281 › Conversation 281-068

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Thursday, October 21, 1971 · 7:05 PM–7:13 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation281-068 on Tape 281 (tape position 05:03:56–05:06:50)StartThursday, October 21, 1971 at 7:05 PMEndThursday, October 21, 1971 at 7:13 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 281-068 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon rehearsed a televised address announcing his intention to nominate Lewis F. Powell, Jr. to the United States Supreme Court. The remarks focused on the judicial philosophy of the Court and the necessity of balancing social rights with law enforcement needs. Nixon praised Powell’s distinguished career and legal expertise to justify his selection as a candidate capable of upholding constitutional principles.

Audio

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Position in tape: 05:03:56 – 05:06:50

281a.mp3
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281c.mp3

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Over the past two years, many cases have come before the court involving indelible violence between the rights of society and the rights of men.
Defenders accused of crimes against them, honest and dedicated constitutional lawyers, disagree as to whether or not to maintain that violence.
As a judicial conservative, I believe some court decisions have gone too far in weakening the peace forces as against the criminal forces in our society.
In maintaining this delicate balance between the rights of society and defendants accused of crime, I believe that the Peace Forces must not be denied the legal tools they need to protect the innocent from criminal offense.
I believe we can strengthen the hands of Peace Forces without compromising our precious principle that the rights of individuals accused of crimes must also be protected.
It is with these criteria of mine that I have selected the two members whose names I will send to the Senate tomorrow.
Everything that Louis F. Powell has undertaken, he has accomplished with distinction and honor, both as a lawyer and as a citizen.
Excellence has marked his career since his days as a student of Washington, D.C., where he was Spidey, a captain, and first in his class in Austin.
He practiced law in Richmond since 1931, except for four years of distinguished service in World War II.
In his unique legal career, he has received virtually every honor his profession can bestow.
He's been president of the American College of Travel, the American Bar Company, and the American Bar Association.
The latter role will provide leadership in the Division of Legal Services for the need for the revision of standards for administration of criminal justice.
Louis Powell is from Virginia.
Unlike another great protégé, Chief Justice Marshall, Lewis Powell is recognized by his legal colleagues throughout the nation as being a man who represents not just protégé, but the South.
He is first and foremost a great man.
William Reckless has been outstanding in every intellectual and deputy as I've taken him.
He was graduated from Stanford University 5A Academy in 1948.
He graduated first in his class from the Stanford University Law School in 1952.
He was then awarded one of the highest honors the law graduates could receive.
He was chosen as law clerk for Mr. Justice Robert Judge, one of the most outstanding members of the court in the past ten centuries.
In this position, he has acted as a legal assistant for justice in his duties, including legal research in the highest order.
On leaving the court, he has engaged in the general practice of law for 16 years in Phoenix, Arizona until 1969, when I appointed him assistant attorney general, office of legal counsel.
Legal counseling is a very special function in the Department of Justice, serving as the chief interpreter of the Constitution and the statutes of the United States.
He is, in effect, the President's lawyer as well.
As a senior partner in a major endeavor for all time, and as one who has had the opportunity to meet hundreds of able lawyers throughout this country, I would say that William Rankin is, as one of the finest legal lawyers, one of the finest legal lawyers,

NARA Description

On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:05 pm and 7:13 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 281-068 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 281-68

Date: October 21, 1971
Time: Unknown between 7:05 pm and 7:13 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President rehearsed a speech.

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

Also recorded on October 21, 1971

  • 012-056 6:44 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 6:44 pm to 6:45 pm.
  • 281-063 6:44 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:44 pm to 6:45 pm.
  • 012-057 6:45 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 8:03 pm.
  • 281-064 6:45 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 7:05 pm.
  • 281-065 6:45 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 7:05 pm.
  • 281-066 6:45 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 7:05 pm.
  • 281-067 7:05 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:05 pm and 7:13 pm.
  • 281-069 7:05 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:05 pm and 7:13 pm.

All 107 conversations from October 21, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 281-068, October 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/281-068 (accessed September 28, 2026).