Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 456 › Conversation 456-010

Nixon, Waters & Ehrlichman on Oval Office and Photo opportunity

Tuesday, February 23, 1971 · 12:02 PM–12:06 PM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Waters, John B., Jr.; Waters, Patsy (Temple); Waters, Cynthia; Waters, John B., III; Ehrlichman, John D.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Huebner, Lee W.; White House photographerConversation456-010 on Tape 456 (tape position 02:11:39–02:16:24)StartTuesday, February 23, 1971 at 12:02 PMEndTuesday, February 23, 1971 at 12:06 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 456-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon hosted John B. Waters, Jr. and his family for a brief social visit and photo opportunity in the Oval Office, during which he presented them with gifts and discussed the office's surroundings. The meeting served primarily as a gesture of goodwill toward the Waters family, including informal conversation regarding Tennessee politics and previous speaking engagements. Outside of the family visit, the recording includes brief, fragmented discussion regarding strategy for a separate event, emphasizing the President's desire to control media access and minimize public exposure during specific political sessions.

Audio

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Position in tape: 02:11:39 – 02:16:24

part B, 11:22

456a.mp3
456b.mp3
456c.mp3

NARA Description

On February 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John B. Waters, Jr., Patsy (Temple) Waters, Cynthia Waters, John B. Waters, III, John D. Ehrlichman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Lee W. Huebner, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:02 pm to 12:06 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 456-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 456-10

Date: February 23, 1971
Time: 12:02 pm - 12:06 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John B. Waters, Jr., Patsy (Temple) Waters, Cynthia Waters, John B.
Waters, III, John D. Ehrlichman, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Lee W. Huebner; the White House
photographer was present during the meeting

      Arrangement for photo

      [General conversation]
           -Speaking engagement by the President
           -Children
           -Howard H. Baker, Jr.

      Presentation of gifts by the President

      Description of Oval Office

      Tennessee politicians

J. B. Waters, Jr., et al. left at 12:06 pm

Transcript (AI-generated)

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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Mr. President.
Yes, how are you?
How are you?
Nice to see you again.
I thought we were standing.
How are you?
Nice to see you again.
Why don't we go over here and get a picture of the wall?
Do you like to do that?
That's good.
I would say it's not very much better after that.
What do you get on this side?
They're starting to brag about this.
Okay.
Look out there.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You know, I told you in my head that, you know, the president was left in deception.
And all the time in my head, people get blanked when I don't see them.
Except to call them.
And he told me to just ask them to vote.
And I said, I did.
We got to know, we got to know.
You know, when you spoke in Chattanooga in 65, 64, 65, I walked out of the greenhouse and of course the ambulance came there and took you out of the toilet.
And this fellow jumping out of this room is going to say, Mr. Dixon, I didn't make it.
How old are you?
Fifteen.
Thirteen.
It's been a long few years.
Sure.
I remember 100% where it was for you, but we gave you our major 87%.
And you didn't have to ask me to wear it.
You know what it is.
We want to give you some presidential coverage.
And I'll say it like this.
This guy got us a little pen for you to wear.
Presidential seal.
That's what you're... Let's see.
We'll give you a keychain.
Let's see if you...
This is the ceiling.
It's reproduced from the rock.
That's the great part of this room.
And that's the White House in 1837.
We're reaching closer to it before the end of the 1910s.
The service is the first in the world.
And that's a very famous name in Washington.
It's not well known because of the father of the Beatles.
It's very unusual.
It's one of the most famous offices in the world.
It's the only museum.
We wish you the best.
Thanks.
Art, you're doing a great job.
Boy, you did a wonderful job.
You're a fantastic and so proud.
We're very proud of our Tennessee Senators.
We had a purchase of blood, and you guys are a great congressman.
Everybody's worried in Tennessee, you know.
I'm going to go ahead and call Baker and ask him if he can bring you down.
You know, say that Tennessee, I don't know if that's actually as good.
He said, Billy, in Knoxville, the Lord, Richard Nixon, Billy, man, we're in high state.
Okay, I know.
It's good to talk to you.
I just wish you the best.
Thank you.
You've given me a real honor to serve you, and I have to acknowledge all the payroll that I've served your service.
I appreciate that.
You did more than the payroll.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Have a good time.
Bye.

Also recorded on February 23, 1971

  • 456-006 11:30 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:30 am and 11:36 am.
  • 456-007 11:36 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Milton R. Young, Mark Andrews, Lee W. Huebner, unknown person(s), and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:36 am to 11:48 am.
  • 456-008 11:48 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:48 am.
  • 456-009 11:49 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John R. ("Jack") Williams, Jr., John D. Ehrlichman, Lee W. Huebner, White House photographer, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:49 am to 12:02 pm.
  • 456-011 12:06 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:06 pm to 12:07 pm.
  • 456-026 12:06 PM · 13 sec — Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:06 pm and 12:16 pm.
  • 048-001 12:16 PM · 49 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the President's Science Advisory Committee, including Dr. Edward E. David, Dr. John D. Baldeschwieler, David Z. Beckler, Dr. Ivan L. Bennett, Jr., Dr. Detlev W. Bronk, Dr. Solomon J. Buchsbaum, Dr. Theodore L. Cairns, Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, Dr. Val L. Fitch, Dr. Herbert Friedman, Dr. Richard L. Garwin, Dr. Murray Gell-Mann, Patrick E. Haggerty, Philip Handler, Dr. Hubert Heffner, Dr. Donald F. Hornig, Kenneth Harry Olsen, Dr. Herbert A. Simon, Dr. Lloyd H. Smith, Jr., Dr. Gerald F. Tape, Dr. Harland G. Wood, Dr. John Truxal, and Frank R. Pagnotta, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:16 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 048-002 1:03 PM · 9 min — Unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 1:03 pm on February 23, 1971 and 11:45 am on February 25, 1971.

All 28 conversations from February 23, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 456-010, February 23, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/456-010 (accessed November 2, 2026).