Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 406 › Conversation 406-054

Nixon & Bull on Cabinet appointments and White House logistics

Tuesday, January 30, 1973 · 2:48 PM–2:53 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation406-054 on Tape 406StartTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 2:48 PMEndTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 2:53 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 406-054 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and aide Stephen B. Bull reviewed the logistics for upcoming administrative events, including the signing of the State of the Union message and various Cabinet swearing-in ceremonies. The discussion focused on managing the President's schedule, specifically addressing the appropriate protocols for photographs and interactions with staff and their families. Nixon explicitly directed Bull to streamline the transition events by eliminating unnecessary handshaking and family photo sessions to maintain a professional focus during the proceedings.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 20% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Tomorrow morning, at 10.30, it's going to be a regular meeting.
I'm going to sign and send a community message to the local office.
We're going to have a tentative meeting.
I don't know whether there's any reason to have him.
At least we have the opportunity to bring his family, photograph, and go over here.
All right.
And then we're good.
Right.
On the other departures, I think it might be best if we don't have him in there.
I'm not going to almost have him like me.
I don't know.
We're already just sitting for about 10 minutes.
I don't know what time it is.
When it's going to be.
I don't know.
We're out of here.
We're out of here.
We're out of here.
We're out of here.
We're out of here.
Where you're going to run up through.
Yes, sir.
Where you're going to be.
In the restroom, sir.
There's no hands shaking now there.
No, sir.
That's not expected.
I'm not going to do that.
No, sir.
In fact, this room right here is suggested that you die in secrecy.
No, sir.
No, I'm going to walk right out.
Yes, sir.
It's only the game.
No, no.
These are all our own people.
And no pictures now with the families and everything.
No, sir.
It just wouldn't work.
All we have is the swearing in.
He comes up.
Chief Justice.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'll see him over there.
I'll come back.

NARA Description

On January 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:48 pm to 2:53 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 406-054 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 406-54

Date: February 1, 1973
Time: 2:48 pm - 2:53 pm
                                               -32-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Mar.-09)

                                                             Conversation No. 406-54 (cont’d)

Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

       President's schedule
             -1973 State of the Union message
                    -Signing
             -Domestic Council
                    -Edwin L. Harper
                    -Robert J. Brown
                          -Previous meeting with President at Camp David
                          -Photograph
                    -Other departures
             -Cabinet swearing-in
                    -John A. Scali
                    -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
                    -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
                    -Frederic V. Malek
                    -Roy L. Ash
                    -Location
                    -Handshaking
                    -Photographs
                    -Warren E. Burger
                    -Elliot L. Richardson
             -Meeting with John D. Ehrlichman
                    -Location
                    -Notes

Bull left at 2:53 pm.

Also recorded on January 30, 1973

  • 036-119 1:23 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 6:50 pm.
  • 406-011 1:23 PM · 27 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 1:23 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 406-012 1:23 PM · 13 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 1:23 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 406-013 1:23 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 406-052 1:40 PM · 11 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 1:40 pm and 2:48 pm.
  • 406-053 1:40 PM · 9 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 1:40 pm and 2:48 pm.
  • 406-055 2:53 PM · 51 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 2:53 pm and 2:56 pm.
  • 406-056 4:08 PM · 56 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Edward R. G. Heath, Sir Burke Trend, Henry A. Kissinger, and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:08 pm to 6:05 pm.

All 51 conversations from January 30, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 406-054, January 30, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/406-054 (accessed October 9, 2026).