Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 402 › Conversation 402-005

Nixon alone in his EOB office on 1973 Inauguration and Public relations

Sunday, January 21, 1973 · 5:00 PM–5:22 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 16 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation402-005 on Tape 402StartSunday, January 21, 1973 at 5:00 PMEndSunday, January 21, 1973 at 5:22 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 402-005 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417186851 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon dictated a retrospective memorandum for the files to capture his impressions of the 1973 inaugural events. He reviewed memories of the inaugural balls, parades, and church services, emphasizing the sense of pride, dignity, and public behavior displayed during the festivities. Throughout the dictation, Nixon recounted personal anecdotes, including surprise guest appearances and interactions with family members and staff, to memorialize the occasion.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 10.5 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 11.7 MB

NARA Description

On January 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:00 pm and 5:22 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 402-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 402-5

Date: January 21, 1973
Time: Unknown between 5:02 pm and 5:22 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President played a recording of a memorandum for the files.

*****************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]

       Inaugural Balls

       End of day’s tape

The President resumed his dictation.

       Taped recollections of 1973 Inauguration
            -Balls
                                               -10-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                                Conversation No. 402-17 (cont’d)

             -Church service
             -Receptions
             -Good behavior
             -Parades
             -Pride, dignity
             -Photographs
             -Great surprise
             -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
             -Hopes
             -F. Donald Nixon [?]
             -Guest
             -Surprise
             -Jane [last name unknown]
                   -Younger sister
             -John Ryan [?]
             -Republican National Committee [RNC] Reception
             -Charles W. Colson
             -Mrs. Nixon
Show the rest of the log (75 more lines)
                   -Rose Mary Woods

*****************************************************************

[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 10/25/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[402-005-w001]
[Duration: 1m 34s]

       Taped recollections of 1973 Inauguration
              -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
                     -Gown [?]
                     -Julie Nixon Eisenhower

*****************************************************************

       Taped recollections of 1973 Inauguration
            -Republicans
            -Public
                                                 -11-

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                                Conversation No. 402-17 (cont’d)

               -White House staff
               -Ronald L. Ziegler
                    -Press relations
                          -Speech

*****************************************************************

[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 10/25/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[402-005-w002]
[Duration: 36s]

          Taped recollections of 1973 Inauguration
               -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon [?]
               -Brother and sister
               -Talent of unknown person

*****************************************************************

          Taped recollections of 1973 Inauguration
               -Boy
                     -Handshake
                     -Politeness
                     -Smile

[Pause]

          Paragraph

[Pause]

The President replayed the recorded dictation.

          Taped recollections of 1973 Inauguration
               -Jane [last name unknown]
                     -Younger sister
                            -Daughter Ezra
                                                -12-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 402-17 (cont’d)

                  -Band
                       -Performance
                       -Jane’s younger sister and her daughter Ezra

*****************************************************************

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 7% 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.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the recording is in 2 parts and the right one starts.

That's the end of the ink for this fade.
I'm getting up on this tape in the American time.
What about the other smaller piece?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.

— 2 min 59 s with no transcribed speech —

.
.
.

— 3 min 29 s with no transcribed speech —

you

— 6 min 5 s with no transcribed speech —

change every system really.

— 1 min 34 s with no transcribed speech —

Uh, the name of the kid that surprised me, as a matter of fact, was, uh, you know, just because of which, uh, the problem was, uh, that's James, uh, who was a younger sister.
Uh, James, younger sister, had a daughter, uh, patient.
And, uh,

Also recorded on January 21, 1973

  • 402-002 4:54 PM · 18 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 4:54 pm and 5:00 pm.
  • 402-003 4:54 PM · 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 4:54 pm and 5:00 pm.
  • 402-004 5:00 PM · 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 5:00 pm and 5:02 pm.
  • 402-006 5:00 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:00 pm and 5:22 pm.
  • 036-034 5:02 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:02 pm and 5:22 pm.
  • 036-035 5:22 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 5:22 pm to 5:29 pm.
  • 402-007 5:22 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:22 pm to 5:29 pm.
  • 402-008 5:33 PM · 2 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 5:33 pm and 5:43 pm.

All 17 conversations from January 21, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 402-005, January 21, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417186851). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/402-005 (accessed November 15, 2026).