Conversation 037-040

TapeTape 37StartSaturday, March 3, 1973 at 9:17 AMEndSaturday, March 3, 1973 at 9:19 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Baroody, William J., Jr.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone

President Nixon calls Secretary of Labor Peter J. Brennan to advise him to visit the site of a recent building collapse to demonstrate the administration's commitment to construction safety. Nixon emphasizes the importance of Brennan 'showing the flag' to improve the administration's public image and suggests that Brennan announce that the President has expressed personal concern regarding potential safety regulation violations. Brennan confirms his intent to visit the site and agrees to report his findings back to the President.

Building collapsePeter J. BrennanSafety regulationsAdministration imageLabor DepartmentPress relations

On March 3, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and William J. Baroody, Jr. talked on the telephone from 9:17 am to 9:19 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 037-040 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 37-40

Date: March 3, 1973
Time: 9:17 am-9:19 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Peter J. Brennan.

[See Conversation No. 868-5]

       Building collapse
              -Administration image
                      -Brennan public appearance
              -Safety legislation
              -Press relations
                      -President’s guidance
                              -Safety regulations

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Secretary, morning.
Good morning, Pete.
Good morning.
Say, it occurred to me, and probably you already thought of this, that terrible accident out there, that maybe you ought to get out there and just show the flag and show that we're concerned about the safety regulations and so forth.
Yes, sir.
I don't know.
What do you think?
Of course, it's not a federal thing, but, you know, we have very, we got through a lot of very, very good legislation on safety, as I recall.
I'm not familiar with it, but you probably are.
I think it's good.
I was going out last night.
night but i was tied up in some brief right but i'm going out this morning good well what you can do beat is to tell the press that uh i've called and expressed my concern that you and i have often talked about this that we have a great interest in it to see whether safety regulations were in any way violated yes i don't know uh i don't know about such an accident uh what what this uh i don't know what whether there are it isn't a federal
thing but uh but it would come under it would come under our federal federal yeah yeah i saw the paper paper said that this uh you know this fellow is they're trying to get the elevator up there but the uh uh i think that you know because of your background and everything you're just it's just a very good eye it's a good thing to do and that you're gonna you're gonna report to me after you get it okay well i i was on my way downtown now and i'm good i'll go right from there over there good good