Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 334 › Conversation 334-021
Nixon & Haldeman on J. Edgar Hoover and FBI
Tuesday, May 2, 1972 · 1:23 PM–4:38 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to discuss funeral arrangements for J. Edgar Hoover and the political strategy for appointing his successor. Nixon decided to participate in the funeral services while opting to delay the nomination of a new FBI director until after the upcoming presidential election to avoid political fallout. They concluded that L. Patrick Gray should be installed as an interim appointment without a formal long-term commitment. The two also coordinated the preparation and release of an official public statement regarding these decisions.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 48% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On May 2, 1972, 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 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 334-021 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 334-21
Date: May 2, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President talked with an unknown person H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
The President's schedule
-Domestic activities
-Grocery store
-Richard A. Moore
-J. Edgar Hoover's funeral
-Eulogy
-Burial service
-Richard G. Kleindienst
Hoover
-Successor
-Nominee
-Selection
-Timing
-Postponement
-Election year consideration
-L. Patrick Gray
-Commitment
-Statement
-Preparation
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Release
-Timing
-Review by the President
-LengthAlso recorded on May 2, 1972
- 334-022 1:23 PM · 3 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 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm.
- 334-023 1:23 PM · 2 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 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm.
- 334-024 1:23 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm.
- 334-025 1:23 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm.
- 334-026 1:23 PM · 51 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm.
- 334-027 1:23 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm.
- 334-028 1:23 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm.
- 334-029 1:23 PM · 43 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 1:23 pm and 4:38 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 334-021, May 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/334-021 (accessed October 10, 2026).