Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 328 › Conversation 328-009

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Alaska Pipeline and Energy Policy

Monday, March 27, 1972 · 1:09 PM–2:15 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation328-009 on Tape 328 (tape position 01:19:29–01:23:39)StartMonday, March 27, 1972 at 1:09 PMEndMonday, March 27, 1972 at 2:15 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 328-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon dictated a memorandum to formalize his stance on the proposed Alaska pipeline, weighing its domestic benefits against international and environmental complexities. He identified job creation in Alaska and the potential reduction in oil prices for the West Coast as key political advantages for the 1972 election cycle. Despite pressure from stakeholders like Senator Mike Gravel, Nixon expressed skepticism regarding the project's diplomatic implications and concluded that a final decision did not require immediate unilateral action.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 87% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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...over this, uh, Alaska pipeline thing.
Uh, but, uh, just, uh, you know, we've all, uh, we've all, uh, Alaska, you know, all, uh, the Alaska pipeline, you know,
My question is, is it worth
I'm not very impressed with the idea that this is going to be a great thing.
It's going to make a lot of fools for us.
Forget the international impact.
I'd rather not help them for other reasons.
But in terms of that, the other thing we have, one thing we're sure of, is the job in Alaska.
Another thing that is problematical, that is the question of, are we helped by turning off the Alaska pipeline?
The point on the latter part is that, in regards to the negative issues, we don't have to make the decision.
by myself against the thousands of people in California and other places in the United States because we haven't decided against the Alaskan people.
That's my point.
I don't think this has to be done.
I'm not interested.
First, I'm not interested in the international football.
I don't care about the community.
Secondly,
... ... ... ... ...
I think that there's really a lot going on.
I think there's a lot of spotlight here on Ashley Hunter Gravel or somebody like that.
It's pretty clear that at this time, it's not a negotiation.
They don't, they're hoping to do the same thing.
They're hoping to do the same thing.
They're hoping to do the same thing.
They're hoping to do the same thing.
Yeah.

NARA Description

On March 27, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:09 pm and 2:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 328-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 328-9
Date: March 27, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:09 pm and 2:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum.

     Alaska Pipeline
          -The President’s review
          -Canada
          -Environmental problems
                -A compromise
          -The President’s decision
                -Value of pipeline
                      -1972 election
                -International impact
          -Value
                -Jobs in Alaska
                -Price of West Coast oil
                      -California
          -International Issues
                -Canada
                -Peter M. Flanigan
                -Michael Gravel

Also recorded on March 27, 1972

  • 022-030 12:59 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:59 pm.
  • 328-005 12:59 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 12:59 pm.
  • 328-006 12:59 PM · 45 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 12:59 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 022-031 1:05 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 1:05 pm to 1:09 pm.
  • 328-007 1:05 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:05 pm to 1:09 pm.
  • 328-008 1:09 PM · 5 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 1:09 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 328-010 1:09 PM · 10 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 1:09 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 328-011 1:09 PM · 6 sec — unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:09 pm and 2:15 pm.

All 35 conversations from March 27, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 328-009, March 27, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/328-009 (accessed October 1, 2026).