{"conversationCode":"398-001","tapeNumber":398,"conversationNumber":1,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-398-001","startDateTime":"1973-01-19T20:07:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1973-01-19T21:10:00.000Z","startDate":"19-Jan-1973","startTime":"3:07 PM","endDate":"19-Jan-1973","endTime":"4:10 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"estimated","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Price, Raymond K., Jr.;","description":"On January 19, 1973, 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 3:07 pm and 4:10 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 398-001 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"EOB","recordingDevice":"Old Executive Office Building","latitudeEstimated":38.897567,"longitudeEstimated":-77.039147,"chronCode":"5.3","chronRelease":"Fifth Chronological Release: Part III","chronReleaseDate":"23-Jun-2009","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 397-25/398-1\n\nDate: January 19, 1973\nTime: Unknown between 3:07 pm and 4:10 pm\nLocation: Executive Office Building\n\nThe President met with Raymond K. Price, Jr.; the recording began at an unknown time while\nthe meeting was in progress.\n\n[An unknown portion of the conversation was not recorded at this time while the tape was\nchanged.]\n\n       President's Inaugural speech\n             -Content and wording\n                    -Revisions\n                    -Last paragraph\n                    -Sense of responsibility\n                           -Public understanding\n                           -Omitted lines [?]\n                           -President’s suggestions\n                           -Overlong sentence\n                    -Government's role\n                    -Quotability\n                    -First paragraph\n                    -Conclusion\n                           -1969 Inaugural speech\n                                 -Text\n                                 -Reading copies\n                           -Price’s suggestions\n                           -Revisions\n                           -Hallowing references\n                                 -Previous presidents\n                           -Reliance references\n                                 -Appeal to deity\n                                 -Appeal to American people\n                    -Future of US\n             -Typing of draft\n             -Length\n                                                -2-\n\n                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM\n\n                                        Tape Subject Log\n                                          (rev. Jan.-09)\n\n                                                      Conversation No. 397-25/398-1 (cont’d)\n\n                    -John F. Kennedy\n              -Central theme\n                    -Sense of responsibility\n                           -President’s views [?]\n              -Revisions\n                    -Length\n              -Final draft\n                    -Delivery\n                    -Ronald L. Ziegler\n              -Hugh Scott\n\nPrice left at 4:10 pm.","filename":["398-001.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Price, Raymond K., Jr."],"prevCode":"397-025","nextCode":"398-002","transcript":[{"start":1.45,"end":26.32,"text":"And whether those two sentences, or the two sentences, or whether it is a broad version of the whole sentence, or whether it is a long version of the whole sentence, or whether it is, I suppose it is necessary that they actually, or as you say,"},{"start":30.47,"end":52.63,"text":"It's a way to say it."},{"start":52.65,"end":53.07,"text":"It's a way to say it."},{"start":60.26,"end":83.29,"text":"I just wanted to do it."},{"start":83.31,"end":84.55,"text":"I wanted to do it again, I'll talk to you about the next step."},{"start":84.57,"end":85.49,"text":"I don't want to say all that, but that's true."},{"start":98.06,"end":114.64,"text":"That's what I mean, please."},{"start":114.67,"end":115.71,"text":"I mean, it's a little, uh, a little bit of going on."},{"start":115.73,"end":117.33,"text":"I mean, it's, uh, it's the, uh, it's, uh, it's, yeah, it's very honest with you."},{"start":117.35,"end":118.59,"text":"Yeah, so, so therefore, you're thinking about, of course, God."},{"start":118.61,"end":119.01,"text":"I think you do, too."},{"start":119.03,"end":119.81,"text":"Uh, the last, I heard that, uh, person."},{"start":131.49,"end":150.07,"text":"I wonder if we need this issue in the future."},{"start":150.09,"end":150.55,"text":"It's a personal matter."},{"start":150.57,"end":151.07,"text":"I think we could do that."},{"start":151.09,"end":151.79,"text":"It's something I've never heard of."},{"start":151.81,"end":152.27,"text":"I've never heard of it."},{"start":152.29,"end":152.63,"text":"I've heard of it."},{"start":152.65,"end":152.99,"text":"I've heard of it."},{"start":153.01,"end":153.35,"text":"I've heard of it."},{"start":153.37,"end":153.71,"text":"I've heard of it."},{"start":153.73,"end":154.07,"text":"I've heard of it."},{"start":154.09,"end":154.44,"text":"I've heard of it."},{"start":154.46,"end":154.79,"text":"I've heard of it."},{"start":179.97,"end":192.3,"text":"The other, on the other hand, I agree with that."},{"start":192.32,"end":193.18,"text":"We will take responsibility for our places."},{"start":193.2,"end":193.69,"text":"I wonder if that's true."},{"start":193.71,"end":194.07,"text":"No, of course not."},{"start":194.09,"end":194.21,"text":"It is."},{"start":194.23,"end":194.79,"text":"I don't know if that's true."},{"start":196.9,"end":225.87,"text":"Well, I"},{"start":226.44,"end":248.47,"text":"Does that allow us to?"},{"start":248.49,"end":249.09,"text":"Does that allow you to say it?"},{"start":249.11,"end":249.21,"text":"Okay."},{"start":249.23,"end":249.33,"text":"Okay."},{"start":257.71,"end":264.58,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":284.22,"end":306.43,"text":"I've got what I want here."},{"start":306.45,"end":307.07,"text":"I'm going to make that healthy."},{"start":307.1,"end":307.72,"text":"I'm going to make that healthy."},{"start":307.74,"end":308.36,"text":"I'm going to make that healthy."},{"start":308.38,"end":309,"text":"I'm going to make that healthy."},{"start":356.21,"end":378.16,"text":"We'll just go to the bottom card and we'll go to the stack and we'll go down to the top, and so on and so forth."},{"start":378.18,"end":379.96,"text":"And it kind of depends on how varied the funds are going to be in these kinds of changes."},{"start":379.98,"end":380.7,"text":"That's what we're going to look for."},{"start":380.73,"end":381.45,"text":"That's what we're going to look for."},{"start":381.47,"end":383.57,"text":"Because it's, it's just, it's basically up and down in terms of who will go where and who won't go where."},{"start":402.28,"end":406.35,"text":"I think we should leave that one."},{"start":406.37,"end":406.65,"text":"Paragraphs 11."},{"start":502.35,"end":520.52,"text":"I know that you left out one line."},{"start":520.54,"end":521.26,"text":"I thought it was pretty good before."},{"start":521.28,"end":522.38,"text":"I'm afraid to say it, but I'm going to tell it in life."},{"start":522.4,"end":522.99,"text":"I'm going to tell it in life."},{"start":523.01,"end":523.59,"text":"I'm going to tell it in life."},{"start":523.61,"end":524.19,"text":"I'm going to tell it in life."},{"start":531.68,"end":546.19,"text":"If we wanted to do something."},{"start":653.01,"end":674.01,"text":"Let me suggest, incidentally, that the purpose is a little bit shorter than that."},{"start":674.03,"end":675.13,"text":"I mean, I'm shortening it down to a little bit shorter."},{"start":675.15,"end":677.15,"text":"But on the bottom of page 5, we all state that last two sentences are the ones that are in the name."},{"start":677.17,"end":678.21,"text":"I understand the recursion of the original is wrong."},{"start":678.23,"end":678.55,"text":"It's just wrong."},{"start":678.57,"end":678.79,"text":"It's wrong."},{"start":678.81,"end":679.03,"text":"It's wrong."},{"start":679.05,"end":679.27,"text":"It's wrong."},{"start":679.29,"end":679.51,"text":"It's wrong."},{"start":679.53,"end":679.75,"text":"It's wrong."},{"start":679.77,"end":680,"text":"It's wrong."},{"start":691.96,"end":706.93,"text":"I think it's better when the sentence gets so wrong."},{"start":707.67,"end":724.43,"text":"The line they will all understand is that let's measure what we will do for others and what we will do for themselves."},{"start":724.45,"end":726.28,"text":"I'll just say, let us measure what we will do for others and what we will do for ourselves."},{"start":726.3,"end":727.82,"text":"Let us measure what we will do for others and what we will do for ourselves."},{"start":732.74,"end":738.48,"text":"Now let's come back to the other thing."},{"start":738.5,"end":738.8,"text":"Now talk a lot."},{"start":738.82,"end":739.24,"text":"Maybe take your time."},{"start":747.53,"end":769.55,"text":"So it has to not, it must not be stated as a goal."},{"start":782.22,"end":796.03,"text":"and say, that is wrong."},{"start":796.05,"end":796.49,"text":"That is my government."},{"start":796.51,"end":797.05,"text":"You should pay less for me."},{"start":797.07,"end":798.27,"text":"But if you want to do more for yourself, you say that again."},{"start":798.29,"end":799.26,"text":"And it doesn't matter that I'm right after this."},{"start":799.28,"end":799.9,"text":"I don't know if it makes sense."},{"start":799.92,"end":800.72,"text":"I don't know if that makes sense to you."},{"start":824.29,"end":840.14,"text":"That is why, that is what makes good much better."},{"start":840.16,"end":840.72,"text":"That is what accompanies it."},{"start":840.74,"end":841.3,"text":"That is what accompanies it."},{"start":841.32,"end":842.28,"text":"And I think it should come after the second one."},{"start":842.3,"end":842.82,"text":"Maybe after the first one."},{"start":854.16,"end":859.76,"text":"I would say that as well."},{"start":859.78,"end":860.61,"text":"That as well, that as well, that as well."},{"start":888.7,"end":908.43,"text":"Actually, no."},{"start":908.45,"end":908.75,"text":"He's wonderful."},{"start":908.77,"end":908.97,"text":"He's cool."},{"start":908.99,"end":909.23,"text":"That's fine."},{"start":909.25,"end":909.69,"text":"He's got a good voice."},{"start":909.71,"end":910.15,"text":"He's got a good voice."},{"start":910.17,"end":910.61,"text":"He's got a good voice."},{"start":910.63,"end":911.07,"text":"He's got a good voice."},{"start":911.09,"end":911.53,"text":"He's got a good voice."},{"start":911.55,"end":911.99,"text":"He's got a good voice."},{"start":947.8,"end":972.88,"text":"Or, or, or, or, or, or, or"},{"start":973.18,"end":1002.07,"text":"Let's come to the last now."},{"start":1012.35,"end":1035.49,"text":"I like the idea of sending a suggestion to my fellow students."},{"start":1035.51,"end":1035.73,"text":"It's great."},{"start":1035.75,"end":1036.31,"text":"It's going to work for them."},{"start":1036.33,"end":1037.59,"text":"It's a great way to get in that relationship with other people."},{"start":1071.9,"end":1095.62,"text":"I was thinking of flimsy as to whether we could get a more visual word back."},{"start":1095.64,"end":1096.38,"text":"I don't mean a word like temperament."},{"start":1096.4,"end":1096.88,"text":"I mean more of a script."},{"start":1096.9,"end":1097.24,"text":"A little fragile."},{"start":1097.26,"end":1097.68,"text":"It's fragile, though."},{"start":1097.7,"end":1098.28,"text":"But you've got to be fragile."},{"start":1098.3,"end":1099,"text":"And fragile is something to create."},{"start":1099.45,"end":1121.87,"text":"So that's really the kind."},{"start":1129.39,"end":1136.78,"text":"Okay?"},{"start":1136.8,"end":1137.36,"text":"Now, can we go to page last?"},{"start":1172.32,"end":1186.58,"text":"I'll do a little more thinking about that last two."},{"start":1186.6,"end":1187.04,"text":"I wonder if it isn't ."},{"start":1200.1,"end":1213.65,"text":"You see what I'm getting at is not just how little my history, because that isn't what it is."},{"start":1213.67,"end":1214.8,"text":"It's the fact that people are still there in the office."},{"start":1253.74,"end":1281.47,"text":"I'm so held by the memory of those, you know, who saved and prayed for me."},{"start":1281.49,"end":1282.11,"text":"I'm so glad to be here tonight."},{"start":1282.13,"end":1282.75,"text":"I'm so glad to be here tonight."},{"start":1289.65,"end":1309.29,"text":"So hallowed be thy name."},{"start":1309.31,"end":1309.79,"text":"So hallowed be thy name."},{"start":1309.81,"end":1310.29,"text":"So hallowed be thy name."},{"start":1310.31,"end":1310.79,"text":"So hallowed be thy name."},{"start":1310.81,"end":1311.29,"text":"So hallowed be thy name."},{"start":1311.31,"end":1311.79,"text":"So hallowed be thy name."},{"start":1311.81,"end":1312.29,"text":"So hallowed be thy name."},{"start":1312.31,"end":1312.79,"text":"So hallowed be thy name."},{"start":1335.45,"end":1342.69,"text":"Maybe you want to, it might be that you want to go a little bit more, try to go a little bit more personal and say,"},{"start":1422.71,"end":1439.58,"text":"So how would one of them do those?"},{"start":1439.6,"end":1440.02,"text":"How would they do it?"},{"start":1440.04,"end":1441.04,"text":"By the way, as I stand here, I can think of those."},{"start":1441.06,"end":1441.92,"text":"Obviously, one of their brains is going on."},{"start":1516.57,"end":1526.01,"text":"and how they, and how Misha,"},{"start":1545.09,"end":1565.02,"text":"I hope you can get my advice from the book."},{"start":1581.74,"end":1603.08,"text":"far beyond what I'm getting at is still and then I would rather make you ask today what if I don't help you"},{"start":1627.96,"end":1628.27,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":1663.2,"end":1664.58,"text":"home beyond its own."},{"start":1698.5,"end":1704.37,"text":"I like your, I think your, I like what you said when I asked for your prayers."},{"start":1704.39,"end":1704.7,"text":"I am God's own."},{"start":1730.43,"end":1757.75,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":1757.77,"end":1758.19,"text":"And I think that's..."},{"start":1763.03,"end":1790.08,"text":"So let's pray together."},{"start":1790.1,"end":1790.56,"text":"So let's pray together."},{"start":1790.58,"end":1791.05,"text":"So let's pray together."},{"start":1791.95,"end":1804.09,"text":"When you're asking for God's direction, you're praying."},{"start":1804.11,"end":1804.55,"text":"So you've got someone."},{"start":1804.57,"end":1805.58,"text":"Now let's come back to how we get into that thing."},{"start":1805.6,"end":1806,"text":"Let's get into that."},{"start":1997.39,"end":1999.71,"text":"What do we have?"},{"start":1999.74,"end":2000.06,"text":"What do we have?"},{"start":2030.5,"end":2047.74,"text":"I recognize there can be people far beyond themselves in order to make a difference in this country."},{"start":2047.76,"end":2048.96,"text":"And it's not that I can't do it, but it's far beyond myself."},{"start":2048.98,"end":2050.27,"text":"I'm just in the feeling of country and theater at the same time."},{"start":2050.29,"end":2050.89,"text":"It's what I really want to do."},{"start":2062.9,"end":2082.94,"text":"Now, we want to tighten that off and bring it back."},{"start":2082.96,"end":2083.54,"text":"So, I'll tell you what to do."},{"start":2083.56,"end":2085.2,"text":"One of the conditions around that is to take the company to the front of the left."},{"start":2085.22,"end":2086.22,"text":"So, imagine that you're going to be at the bottom."},{"start":2086.24,"end":2087.45,"text":"And you can, why don't you have a girl around the first one?"},{"start":2087.47,"end":2087.72,"text":"You know, so."},{"start":2102.54,"end":2124.87,"text":"It's a little longer than we thought."},{"start":2142.26,"end":2165.19,"text":"Shall we try?"},{"start":2165.21,"end":2165.47,"text":"Shall we try?"},{"start":2166.24,"end":2189.05,"text":"Actually, we do have a central need."},{"start":2189.07,"end":2189.63,"text":"We have to do a lot of work."},{"start":2189.65,"end":2190.21,"text":"We have to do a lot of work."},{"start":2190.23,"end":2190.79,"text":"We have to do a lot of work."},{"start":2190.81,"end":2191.37,"text":"We have to do a lot of work."},{"start":2191.39,"end":2191.95,"text":"We have to do a lot of work."},{"start":2191.97,"end":2192.53,"text":"We have to do a lot of work."},{"start":2195.37,"end":2219.62,"text":"... ... ... ... ..."},{"start":2241.25,"end":2269.41,"text":"It's hard."},{"start":2269.43,"end":2269.63,"text":"It's hard."},{"start":2269.65,"end":2269.85,"text":"It's hard."},{"start":2269.87,"end":2270.07,"text":"It's hard."},{"start":2270.09,"end":2270.29,"text":"It's hard."},{"start":2270.31,"end":2270.51,"text":"It's hard."},{"start":2270.53,"end":2270.73,"text":"It's hard."},{"start":2274.61,"end":2302.48,"text":"He must know of your life."},{"start":2302.5,"end":2303.01,"text":"He must not think of you."},{"start":2303.03,"end":2303.83,"text":"But he must say something to assure you."},{"start":2338.96,"end":2359.93,"text":"... ... ... ... ... ..."},{"start":2376.15,"end":2404.81,"text":"You'll work out with Ron."},{"start":2405.11,"end":2412.19,"text":"Well, I'll call and work it out, too."},{"start":2412.21,"end":2413.29,"text":"If you get the draft done, bring it back by 5 o'clock."},{"start":2428.18,"end":2455.17,"text":"."},{"start":2455.19,"end":2455.21,"text":"."},{"start":2455.23,"end":2455.25,"text":"."},{"start":2455.27,"end":2455.29,"text":"."},{"start":2455.31,"end":2455.33,"text":"."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Richard M. Nixon and speechwriter Raymond K. Price, Jr. met to conduct a final review and refine the text of Nixon's upcoming second inaugural address. The discussion focused on editing specific passages, adjusting the speech's length, and ensuring the tone effectively conveyed a sense of national responsibility and personal appeal to the American people. The President directed Price to incorporate these revisions into a final draft for delivery, instructing him to coordinate the logistics with press secretary Ronald Ziegler.","topics":["Inaugural Address","Speechwriting","Presidential Rhetoric","Political Communication","Richard Nixon"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T18:10:27.648Z"},"topicSlugs":["inaugural-address","speechwriting","presidential-rhetoric","political-communication","richard-nixon"],"audioDurationSec":2471,"audioFiles":[{"file":"398-001.mp3","bytes":59296504,"durationSec":2470.53,"bitrate":192011,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:45.437Z","transcriptGapSeconds":818,"transcriptGapShare":0.33,"transcriptQuality":"incomplete","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/398-001.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/398-001","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/398/conversation-398-001","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}