Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 322 › Conversation 322-038

Nixon & Irwin on State Department and Public relations

Thursday, March 9, 1972 · 2:39 PM–2:40 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Irwin, John N., IIConversation322-038 on Tape 322 (tape position 02:03:20–02:06:19)StartThursday, March 9, 1972 at 2:39 PMEndThursday, March 9, 1972 at 2:40 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 322-038 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon held a brief meeting with Deputy Secretary of State John N. Irwin, II to commend his handling of a recent public statement. Nixon praised Irwin’s professional conduct and ability to manage departmental criticism and internal gossip. The conversation served primarily as a brief expression of presidential support for Irwin's performance regarding sensitive State Department communications.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Hello?
Hi, how are you?
Fine.
I just wanted you to know that, uh, I thought you'd handled, uh, a, uh, a statement, uh, that, uh, that you gave to the one that shot at the star.
It was, uh, when I had you shot at the state department.
I thought you handled it pretty well.
What you said, it's a piece of, you know, this is part of the old game, and what it did was tell us, and now we do it now, and the whole idea of trying to devise it is quite out of the state department.
The way he took it off in a very permanent way is the way he did it, and I think it's kind of a great skill.
Yeah.
It's okay.
That's all I know.
But they can always find, you know, a few grouses.
Few grouses, and then they'll take, and also they make some of the, you know, they'll take one guy, and they'll take, and that's elaborated, and they gossip, and they go down to the bar, you know, I don't know.
But I understand, but I really appreciate what you have.
Okay.

NARA Description

On March 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Irwin, II met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:39 pm to 2:40 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 322-038 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 322-38

Date: March 9, 1972
Time: 2:39 pm - 2:40 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with John N. (“Jack”) Irwin, II.

[See Conversation No. 21-38]

Also recorded on March 9, 1972

  • 322-039 2:40 PM · 6 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 2:40 pm and 4:30 pm.
  • 322-040 2:40 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 4:30 pm.
  • 322-041 2:40 PM · 8 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 2:40 pm and 4:30 pm.
  • 322-042 2:40 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rosemary Manarin met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 4:30 pm.
  • 322-043 2:40 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 4:30 pm.
  • 322-044 2:40 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 4:30 pm.
  • 322-045 2:40 PM · 11 min — 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 2:40 pm and 4:30 pm.
  • 322-046 2:40 PM · 6 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 2:40 pm and 4:30 pm.

All 28 conversations from March 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 322-038, March 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/322-038 (accessed October 3, 2026).