Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 331 › Conversation 331-019

Nixon & Ziegler on White House press corps and Public education

Wednesday, April 19, 1972 · 12:17 PM–12:57 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation331-019 on Tape 331 (tape position 04:00:56–04:03:04)StartWednesday, April 19, 1972 at 12:17 PMEndWednesday, April 19, 1972 at 12:57 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 331-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directs Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to conduct a survey of the White House press corps regarding whether their children attend Washington, D.C. public schools. Nixon aims to use the resulting data—whether presented as raw numbers or percentages—to challenge reporters who are critical of the local school system. He instructs Ziegler to assign staff to personally call members of the press to gather this information, establishing a deadline for the report by the following Wednesday.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I have a question.
The study that I want you to make so it won't be too complicated, and I'd rather simplify this.
First, I want you to get the number of people who are watching the press corps, or the White House press corps, or whatever it is.
You see what I mean?
Maybe it's about a number.
You can say, there are, say, there are how many young people in the White House press corps credited with border control?
Of those who were credited with the White House press corps, only five.
to send their children to public schools and leave them alone.
Now, you see, you can clear away that.
Well, they say, but we don't live in the area.
Well, that's all right.
They might find, but you just say, only five, or only five, or only 10, or if the number is 30, then say, only 1%.
See, then put in percentages of the numbers you bring.
If the number is small enough, use the number.
Okay, now, I think that can be studied.
And I would just put a, there's no reason why a reporter doesn't answer that question when he's asked.
Would you think they could find out?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't know.
It just may be that you've got to put somebody on it.
I'd just put somebody on it and just have them call each member of the Corps and say, I'm just making a study that I asked.
Do you have children?
Do they intend to go to public schools in the District of Columbia?
We're making this kind of study in the school system.
Get somebody to put three or four people on it.
But I need it by next Wednesday, okay?

NARA Description

On April 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 331-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 331-19

Date: April 19, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with an unknown person [Ronald L. Ziegler?].

     Press
             -An investigation
                  -Washington, DC press corps
                        -Number with children in Washington, DC public schools
                              -Statement
                              -Release of figures
                        -Queries
                  -Calls to press corps
                        -Study of DC school system
                  -Due date

Also recorded on April 19, 1972

  • 023-031 12:17 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 023-169 12:17 PM · 3 sec — a telephone call was attempted at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm, but the call was not completed.
  • 331-017 12:17 PM · 23 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 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-018 12:17 PM · 24 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 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-020 12:17 PM · 10 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 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-021 12:17 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 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-022 12:17 PM · 7 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 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-023 12:17 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 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.

All 56 conversations from April 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 331-019, April 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/331-019 (accessed October 1, 2026).