Conversation: 291-011
Prev: 291-010 Next: 291-012Start Date: Monday, October 18, 1971 7:47 PM
End Date: Monday, October 18, 1971 9:00 PM
Participants:
Ehrlichman, John D.; Mitchell, John N.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Cox, Tricia NixonRecording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:26:44
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:39:55
NARA Description:
On October 18, 1971, John D. Ehrlichman, John N. Mitchell, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:47 pm to 5:00 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 291-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 291-11
Date: October 18, 1971
Time: 3:47 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
John D. Ehrlichman met with John N. Mitchell.
Supreme Court nominations
Media
Herschel H. Friday
-Washington Post
-Dick Wilson
-John W. Dean, III
-Investigation
-Financial statement
The President entered at an unknown time after 3:47 pm.
Supreme Court nominations
-Warren E. Burger
-Tenure on Court
-Health
-Conversation with Mitchell
-Health
-Mitchell’s conversation with Lawrence E. Walsh
-Forthcoming American Bar Association [ABA] meeting
-Mildred L. Lillie
-ABA’s view
-Possibility of woman appointee
-Sylvia Bacon
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)
-Superior Court
-Lillie
-Stanley N. Barnes
-Philip Burton
-ABA’s view
-Friday and Lillie
-Mitchell’s position
-ABA’s decision
-Assessment of candidates
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
-Louis D. Brandeis
-Dissents
-Lillie's husband
-Activities
-Friday
-Walsh’s view
-ABA’s view
-National recognition
-Financial transactions
-Editorial, Arkansas paper
-Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
-Contact with James O. Eastland
-John L. McClellan''s conversation with Mitchell
-Lawrence F. O'Brien
-Birch E. Bayh, Jr.
-Dean of Arkansas law school
-Walsh
-Forthcoming meeting with Mitchell
-ABA vote
-Possible woman appointee
-Sarah T. Hughes
-Unknown woman in North Carolina
J. Edgar Hoover
-Ehrlichman
-Time magazine
-Newsweek magazine
-Ehrlichman's views
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Problems
-The President's conversation with Hoover
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)
Ehrlichman left at 4:00 pm.
Supreme Court nominations
-Edward H. Levi
-Lillie
-Desirability
-Qualifications
-ABA
-Women's vote
-Walsh
-William French Smith
-The President’s view
-Lillie
-Qualifications
-Chancellor, Chairman Board of Regents University of California
-Harvard
-Law firm
-Friday
-Lewis F. Powell
-Age
-Qualifications
-ABA
-Law school
-Civil rights record
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.
-Robert C. Byrd
-Mitchell’s view
-The President’s view
-Possible political interests
-Reference to Baker
-Busing
-Replacement for Baker appointed by governor
-Daniel H. Kuykendall
-Lillie
-The President’s view
-Qualifications
-ABA
-Shirley M. Hufstedler
-Circuit Court of Appeals, California
-Husband
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)
-Age
-Walsh's opinion of qualifications
-Lillie
-Californians
-ABA
-Earl Warren
-Earl C. Adams
-Smith
-Background
-Possible appointments’ second term
-Attorney general
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Chairman Board of Regents
-ABA
-Names collection
Cancer
-Smoking
Supreme Court nominations
-ABA action
-Smith
-Baker
-William Mulligan
-Smith
-Qualifications
-Charles S. Rhyne
-Qualifications
-Age
-Powell
-Clement F. Haynsworth and G. Harrold Carswell
-The President's past appointees
-Burger
-Harry A. Blackmun
-Hugo L. Black
-Criticism of appointment
-Walsh
-Powell
-Baker
-Political benefits
-Friday
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)
-Baker
-Legislation background
-Powell
-Age
-Burger's opinion
-Baker
-The President’s position
-ABA
-Experience as qualification
-Baker
-Powell
-Smith
-Powell
-Busing issue
-The President’s view
-Frank M. Johnson
-Judicial experience
-Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
-Mitchell’s view
-Thurgood Marshall
-Powell
-Smith
-Powell
-Baker [?]
-Walsh
-Schedule
-Lillie, Friday
-Powell
-The President’s decision
-Burger and Blackmun
-Burger's memorandum to Mitchell
-Powell
-Johnson
-Friday
-Friday
-ABA
-Powell
-The President’s position
-Friday
-Age
-Smith
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)
-John A Sutro, Jr.
-Powell
-Clients
-Law firm
-Practice
-Possible leaks
-Walsh
-ABA
-Timing
-The President’s view
-Circuit Court of Appeals vacancies
-Lillie
-Possible Court appointments
-Robert W. Packwood
-Role of White House staff
-Compared with other foreign policies
-The South
-Politics
-Powell
-Burger
-Powell
-Smith
-ABA
-Lillie
-Friday
-Powell
-Friday
-McClellan
-Winthrop Rockefeller
-[Forename unknown] Rodgers [sp?]
-Powell
-The South
-Conservatives view
-Crime
-The President’s view
-Smith and Powell
-Byrd
-Friday
-ABA
-Powell and Smith
-Walsh
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)
-Concern over leaks
-Burger's views
-Lillie
-Friday
-Powell
-Mitchell’s view
-Lillie
-Role of ABA
-Future role
The President talked with White House operator at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 4:56
pm.
[Conversation No. 291-11A]
[See Conversation No. 11-109]
[End of telephone conversation]
Supreme Court nominations
-Political considerations
-Importance of Virginia
-Compared to Arkansas
-Powell
-Political affiliation
-Walsh
-Smith
-Lillie
-Powell
-ABA
-Powell
-Mitchell’s conversation with Walsh
-Rosser L. ("Ross") Malone
-Timing
The President's schedule
-John F. Kennedy Center
-Mitchell
-J. Willard Marriott
Hoover
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)
-Possible resignation
-Ehrlichman
-Possible meeting with the President
-Tenure in office
The White House operator talked with John N. Mitchell at an unknown time between 4:00 pm
and 4:56 pm.
[Conversation No. 291-11B]
[See Conversation No. 11-110]
[End of telephone conversation]
Powell
-Schedule
The President talked with White House operator at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 4:56
pm.
[Conversation No. 291-11C]
[See Conversation No. 11-111]
[End of telephone conversation]
Mitchell's schedule
-Powell
Supreme Court nominations
-Walsh
-Forthcoming conversation with Mitchell
-ABA
-Lillie
-Possible ABA view
The President talked with Tricia Cox between 4:56 pm and 4:57 pm.
[Conversation No. 291-11D]
[See Conversation No. 11-112; one item has been withdrawn from the conversation]
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)
[End of telephone conversation]
Hoover
-Possible meeting with the President
-Cartha D. (“Deke”) DeLoach
-Personal staff
-Role
-Future
Supreme Court nominations
-Powell
-ABA
-Lillie
-Powell
-Walsh
-ABA
-Women in positions of responsibility
-Possible judgement on qualifications
-Powell
-Health
-Mitchell's schedule
-Forthcoming telephone call to Burger
-Bernard Steiger [?]
-Powell
-Friday
-ABA
-Media
-Lillie
-Smith
-Reagan Republican
-Wife
-Lillie
-Walsh
Mitchell's schedule
Mitchell left at 5:00 pm.
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)