President Nixon met with speechwriter Raymond K. Price, Jr. to refine themes and rhetoric for his upcoming second inaugural address. The discussion focused on projecting a tone of patriotic renewal, emphasizing individual responsibility, and framing America’s ongoing leadership role in a changing world. Additionally, the participants reviewed the status of Vietnam peace negotiations and the potential for a settlement, weighing how to best communicate these developments to the public and Congress.
On January 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Raymond K. Price, Jr., and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:55 am to 1:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 396-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 396-7
Date: January 12, 1973
Time: 11:55 am - 1:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Raymond K. Price, Jr.
Price's schedule
-Camp David
President's schedule
-Florida
President's Inaugural speech
-Theme
-Quotability
-Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-1968 speech
-"Lower our voices"
-Theme
-Quotable lines
-Theme
-Vermont Royster
-“Reaffirmation of faith”
-Blacks
-Crime
-Overpopulation
-Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
-Attendant problems
-Environment
-Cities
-Hospital capacity
-Congress
-Appalachia
-Hypochondriacs
-Thomas Malthus
-President's college professors
-Work and production
-8-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Jan.-09)
Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)
-Latin America
-Poverty
-US agricultural capacity
-Food production
-Audience
-Middle America
-Rednecks
-Hard hats
-Intellectuals
-Critics of America
-Tone
-Thoughtful
-Patriotic
-Foreign policy goals
-US role in the free world
-Responsibilities
-Burdens
-United Soviet Socialist Republic [USSR]
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Necessity
-Predatory powers
-Peace
-U.S. position
-Domestic issues
-Materialism
-Values
-Youth
-Need for renewal
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Theme
-Future
-Problems of the present
-Past civilizations
-Military and economic power
-Loss of spirit
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-American problems
-Change
-Role of leaders
-Role of the people
-9-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Jan.-09)
Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)
-Religious references
-Inaugural worship service
-Environmental group's meeting with President
-Russell Train
-1970 State of the Union speech
-Eisenhower
-Environmental legislation
-Theme
-Environment
-Government's role
-Individual's role
Possible series of Presidential messages
-Television [TV]
-Congressional leaders
-State of the Union Speech
-Special message to Congress
-Race relations
-Benefits
President's Inaugural speech
-Environment
-Price's draft
-Tone
-Theme
-US role in the world
-Responsibilities
-Thomas Jefferson
-Youth
-US outlook
-Compared to France
-President's 1968 acceptance speech
-Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and
[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson quotes
-Message to youth
-Excitement
-Special time
-President's 1972 acceptance speech
-President’s meetings with chiefs of state
-Housing, industry [?]
-10-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Jan.-09)
Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)
-John M. “(Jack”) Lynch
-US role in the world [?]
-Next four years
-Congressional relations
-Past four years
-Progress
-President's trips to PRC and USSR
-Next four years, next generation
-Congressional relations
-Democrats
-Goals
-Interest of government
-Constitution
-Theme
-Hard work
-Individual responsibility
-Self-reliance
-Other ideas
-Faith [?]
-Government’s role
-Public’s role
-Tone
-Religious references
-Faith
-Philosophy
-Faith in God
-Individual responsibility
-Sentiments to avoid
-Franklin Roosevelt
-Charles W. Colson
-Massachusetts
-Blacks
-Vietnam settlement
-Status
-Past events
-Foreign policy
-Pride
-Goals of US
Vietnam settlement
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Jan.-09)
Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Negotiations
-Congressional relations
-Timing
-Bombing
-Pressure
-Phases
-Timing
-Congressional relations
-Spending
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Schedule
-Haig
-Schedule
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Congress
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Prospects for agreement
-Haig’s meeting with Thieu
-Congress
-Public statements
-Substance
-Haig’s trip to Saigon
-Thieu's possible position on agreement
-Congress
-South Vietnam’s survival
-Haig meeting
-Possible situation at 1973 Inauguration
-President's possible statement
-May 8, 1972 statement
-Considerations
-Announcement
-Haig's schedule
-Thieu
-Possible agreement
-Demilitarized zone provisions
-Cease-fire
-South Vietnam
-Signing
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Jan.-09)
Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)
-Provisional Revolutionary Government [PRG]
-Cease-fire provisions
-US, PRC, USSR, roles
-South Vietnamese leaders
-Announcements
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Congress
-William P. Rogers and Melvin R. Laird
-Response to inquiries
-Ziegler
-Haig’s schedule
-Thieu’s position
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Understanding
-Ambassador [?]
-President's announcement
-Thieu's position
-Rogers
-President's response
-Effect
-Haig
-Congress
-President's announcement
-U.S. military response
-1973 Inauguration
-Congress
-Ziegler
-Robert Vesco
-Possibilities
-Public Opinion
-U.S. military response
-Bombing halt
-Thieu’s cooperation
-South Vietnamese people
-USSR
-US goals
-Honorable peace
-Cambodia
-Laos
-North Vietnam
-13-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Jan.-09)
Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)
-South Vietnam
-Thieu’s cooperation
-U.S. Military Response
-Bombing
-1973 Inauguration
-Situation
-Announcement
-Congress
President's inaugural speech
-Vietnam
-US role in world
-Vietnam
-Challenges of the future
-Foreign policy
-US responsibility in peacetime
-"Peace with honor"
-Wording
-Meaning
US foreign policy
-South Vietnam
-Thieu
-Survival
-US aid
-Effect
-Possible announcement
-President’s Inaugural speech
-Peace message
-PRC, USSR
-Middle East
-Nicaragua
-Earthquake
-Uganda
-South Vietnam
-Continuation of US role
-Public opinion
-USSR
-Anatoliy F. Dobryin
-Vietnam settlement
-14-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Jan.-09)
Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)
President's Inaugural speech
-Price’s thoughts
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 11:55 am.
Refreshments
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:55 pm.
President's inaugural speech
-Themes
-Future
-Critics of US
-Loss of faith
-Vietnam announcement
-"New Majority"
-Press response
-November 3, 1969, and May 8, 1972 speeches
-Press response
-PRC
-Arrogance
-Pandering
-Racial references
-"One America"
-President's 1968 campaign
-Blacks, Jews
-Theme for next four years
-Public opinion
Press relations
-Price’s views
-Response to President's actions
-Frustration
-Moscow summit
-May 8, 1972 speech
-1972 election
-Vietnam negotiations
-North Vietnam
-Bombing, mining
-15-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Jan.-09)
Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)
President's Inaugural speech
-Themes
-Price’s ideas
Press relations
-Congressional relations
-Washington Post [?]
-Edward M. Kennedy [?]
-Analysis
-Writing
-Analysis
-George S. McGovern
-Spokesman
-Memorandum from Price
-Public response
-Vietnam, busing, welfare
-Personality
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower [?]
Politics
-Price’s views
-Government
-[First name unknown] Berry
-Book
-The Best and the Brightest
-David Halberstam
New era
-New ideas
-1970s
-People's desires
-1960s
-Racial unrest
-Vietnam War
-Effect
President's accomplishments
-Revenue sharing
-Mayors and governors
-16-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Jan.-09)
Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)
-Support for the President
-1972 election
-Richard Daley, Mayor of Chicago
Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Kissinger [?]
-Reagan
-Winston Churchill
-Burdens of leadership
President's staff
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Kissinger
The President’s schedule
-Appointment
President's Inaugural speech
-Drafting
-Camp David
Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 11:55 pm.
Refreshments
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:53 pm.
The President’s schedule [?]
Price left at 1:55 pm.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.