Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 371 › Conversation 371-016

Nixon & Price on Speechwriting and Television Address

Monday, October 23, 1972 · 7:47 AM–8:34 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Price, Raymond K., Jr.Conversation371-016 on Tape 371StartMonday, October 23, 1972 at 7:47 AMEndMonday, October 23, 1972 at 8:34 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 371-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with speechwriter Raymond K. Price, Jr. to dictate instructions for a upcoming television address titled "Look to the Future." The President emphasized the inclusion of themes regarding moral and religious values, equal opportunity, and the importance of American revitalization. Nixon specifically directed Price to incorporate his "one child" rhetorical device, which he had successfully utilized in previous campaigns and policy initiatives.

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 67% 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.

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Memorandum to Ray Price.

Some added thoughts with regard to the top of the draft.

If you will read these, often cut comments like this at last.

There is one section that's not too well stated, but I'm sure that you, of course, can improve on it honestly.

But one of which includes the central thing, which I believe strongly must be included in the speech today.

for the nation to practice more on religion.

Uh, that is great.

Uh, you will find that, that you may recall that, uh, when I was a kid,

uh, factors which have, which have, uh, been totally rotationally confused, and which are now being revitalized through, uh, many sections of, uh, the design period.

Right now.

And another area that I would like to, uh,

Hotline is the part where the last person is heard from one side.

If you note, I have two things that I will recall on the use of one side only.

In my office, an archivist will investigate through a set of standards, trying to emphasize to them that they should not listen to them, that they should know them.

I had one woman, one child, and they told me that they do.

It's very difficult.

The one child thing, if you recall, it was very effective.

So, go back and do it.

which comes very early in the season, probably one child per eye.

We start to go to the last of life, you know, because it's 1997.

We're actually expecting more of it, but we're trying to get it back on the program, so we're going to get back there.

and make a reference to one's child's background, world history, etc., etc.

The description of food was the one that made it to the census.

Unfortunately, in America, it's not important, and actually, it's all the names that are out there, and all of them.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On October 23, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond K. Price, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:47 am and 8:34 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 371-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 371-16

Date: October 23, 1972
Time: Unknown between 7:47 am and 8:34 am

Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum to Raymond K. Price, Jr.

        Television speech, “Look to the Future,” November 2, 1972
                 -The President's statement in Atlanta
                 -Themes
                     -Moral and religious values
                         -Background material for New York trip
                              -Erosion and revitalization
                     -“One child” theme
                         -The President’s previous use with narcotics control and education
                         -The President’s 1968 nomination acceptance speech
                     -Equal opportunity
                 -Camp David

Also recorded on October 23, 1972

371-015 7:47 AM · 21 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 7:47 am and 8:34 am.
371-017 7:47 AM · 9 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 7:47 am and 8:34 am.
371-018 7:47 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:47 am and 8:34 am.
371-019 8:34 AM · 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:34 am to 9:17 am.
371-020 9:17 AM · 8 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 9:17 am and 9:55 am.
371-021 9:55 AM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:55 am to 10:38 am.
371-022 10:38 AM · 16 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 10:38 am and 11:15 am.
371-023 10:38 AM · 15 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 10:38 am and 11:15 am.

All 13 conversations from October 23, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 371-016, October 23, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/371-016 (accessed October 12, 2026).