Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 458 › Conversation 458-009
Nixon, Rose & Sanchez on Wills and Estates and Elmer Bobst
Thursday, February 25, 1971 · 4:42 PM–5:05 PM ET · Oval Office · 23 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with his former law partner Milton C. Rose to discuss private legal and personal matters, specifically the wills of Elmer and Momdouha Bobst. They reviewed executor arrangements for the Bobsts' estates and the future activation of the Elmer and Momdouha Bobst Foundation, ensuring that Nixon's role as a potential director would not create conflicts or adverse publicity. Additionally, the pair discussed the status of their former law firm, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander, potential advisory roles for Elmer Bobst regarding national cancer research initiatives, and scheduling for upcoming White House events.
- Wills and Estates
- Elmer Bobst
- Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander
- Nixon Foundation
- Cancer research
- White House ceremonies
Audio
NARA Description
On February 25, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Milton C. Rose, Manolo Sanchez, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:42 pm to 5:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 458-009 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 458-009
Date: February 25, 1971
Time: 4:42 pm - 5:05 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Milton C. Rose
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 04/16/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[458-009-w001]
[Duration: 12m 22s]
Greetings
Patrick J. Lucey
-President’s opinion
-Business for Mudge, Rose, Guthrie, & Alexander
-President and John N. Mitchell’s interest in firm
Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander
-Richard S. Ritzel
-Addition to firm
Milton C. Rose’s health
Robert Guthrie
-Crash diets
-Lifestyle
-Similarity to Richard S. Ritzel
-Milton C. Rose’s recent breakfast with Robert Guthrie
-Size of breakfast
-Law firm
-Employees
-The President's old office
Elmer H. Bobst and Momdouha (As-Sayyid) (“Dodo”) Bobst's wills
-Executors
-Need to be changed
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:34 pm
Show the rest of the log (166 more lines)
Refreshments
-Tea
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:05 pm
Elmer H. Bobst and Momdouha (As-Sayyid) (“Dodo”) Bobst's wills
-Cash legacies
-To President and Milton C. Rose
-Executors
-President, Milton C. Rose and Momdouha (As-Sayyid) (“Dodo”) Bobst
-[unknown first name] Irving trust
-Corporate executor
-Alfred E. Driscoll
-Executor
-Elmer H. Bobst
-Potential long life
-Instructions
-Legal points
-Conditions of will
-President’s legacy
-Publicity
-Potential embarrassment
-Legacy to Nixon Foundation
-Momdouha (As-Sayyid) (“Dodo”) Bobst’s will
-Surviving spouse
-Named President and Milton C. Rose as executors
-Elmer H. Bobst and Momdouha (As-Sayyid) (“Dodo”) Bobst’s Foundation
-Structure
-Incorporated under laws of New York
-Active upon Elmer H. Bobst’s death
-Legacy upon Momdouha (As-Sayyid) (“Dodo”) Bobst’s death
-The President's involvement
-Potential role as director
-Nonprofit corporation law in New York
-Amendment of by-laws
-The President’s involvement
-Waivers
-Quorum
-Publicity
-President’s meeting with [first unknown name] Salvatore [?]
-Potential questions about Foundation
-Press attention on Elmer H. Bobst
-Momdouha (As-Sayyid) (“Dodo”) Bobst performance
-President’s previous conversation with Elmer H. Bobst
Elmer H. Bobst
-Health
-President’s opinion
-Milton C. Rose’s previous visit
-Early February 1971
-Palm Beach
-Lunch
-Elmer H. Bobst’s trip to New York
-Throat surgery
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Cancer program
-Administration’s program
-Elmer H. Bobst
-Possible appointment
-Research
-Bobst
-The President’s schedule
-Possible visit
-Communications
-United States’ Secret Service
-Previous visit to Nelson A. Rockefeller’s house
-Logistics
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 04/16/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[458-009-w002]
[Duration: 1m 57s]
Bill Tynan
-Recent visit to White House
-Reception
-Business leaders
Milton C. Rose’s friend Mrs. [first unknown name] Rogers [?]
-Asked after President
Milton C. Rose’s visits to unnamed lakes [Finger Lakes?]
-Encounter with President
-Tenth anniversary of unnamed event
-Heat
Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Margaretta (Fitler) (“Happy”) Rockefeller
-President’s previous assistance
-Visit to the White House February 23 1971
-Governors’ conference
President’s departure from Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander
-John N. Mitchell
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Personnel
-Leonard Garment
-Role
-Minorities
-Arts
-Civil rights
Forthcoming White House ceremony
-John Quincy Adams’ portrait
-Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon’s role
-Attendees
-Descendants of Adams
-Presentation
-James Monroe’s portrait
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 04/16/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[458-009-w003]
[Duration: 26s]
Elmer H. Bobst’s trust
-Assets
-Antiques magazine
-Wendell Garrett
-Editor-in-chief
Milton C. Rose
-Interest in art
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Forthcoming White House ceremony
-Rose’s possible attendance
-Rose’s previous visit
White House portraits
-Dolley P. T. Madison
-John F. Kennedy
-Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
-Kennedy
-Andrew Wyeth
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:34 pm
The President’s schedule
-Invitation to Rose
-White House ceremony
Bull left at an unknown time before 5:05 pm
Rose’s schedule
Presentation of gifts by the President
-Donald McI. Kendall
[General conversation]
Rose left at 5:05 pmTranscript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 9% 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.
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Also recorded on February 25, 1971
- 458-003 3:28 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:28 pm to 3:35 pm.
- 458-004 3:35 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George Renercomb, Thomas S. Kleppe, Glenda L. (Gompf) Kleppe, Jill Kleppe, Jane Kleppe, Gladys Anderson, Ruth Edick, Anthony G. Chase, Arthur H. Singer, Marshall J. Parker, Jack Eachon, Jr., Arthur McZier, Howard Russell, Einar Johnson, Wilfred J. Gavin, John A. Knebel, Loren J. Rivard, Raymond E. Stull, Milton R. Young, Patricia M. (Burne) Young, Robert J. Dole, Silvio O. Conte, Joseph L. ("Joe") Evins, Christine Gallagher, Lucey Sharp, Dorothy A. Kabis, Magnus Lutnass, Rogers C. B. Morton, Clark MacGregor, and Maurice H. Stans met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:35 pm to 3:46 pm.
- 458-005 3:46 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Felipe Herrera, Charls E. Walker, Henry J. Costanzo, and Ashley Hewitt met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:46 pm and 4:05 pm.
- 458-006 4:05 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:05 pm and 4:07 pm.
- 458-007 4:07 PM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., Juanita Morris Moody, John C. Whitaker, Richard K. Cook, White House photographer, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:07 pm to 4:34 pm.
- 458-008 4:34 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Dwight L. Chapin met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:34 pm and 4:42 pm.
- 458-010 5:05 PM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, David M. Kennedy, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., White House photographer, Nellie L. Yates, Marjorie P. Acker, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:05 pm to 5:43 pm.
- 458-011 5:44 PM · 45 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander P. Butterfield, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:44 pm to 6:30 pm.
Related conversations
- Nixon, Woods & Haldeman on John Mitchell November 21, 1972 · 4 min
- Nixon phone call with Woods on Elmer Bobst and New York City November 22, 1972 · 2 min
- Nixon phone call with Haldeman on White House Tapes and Henry Kissinger May 11, 1973 · 1 min
- Ziegler & Higby on Watergate and H. R. Haldeman May 14, 1973 · 2 min
- Nixon & Haldeman on Presidential legacy and White House tapes May 11, 1973 · 1 min
- Nixon, Haldeman & Woods on Vietnam War and 1973 Inauguration December 20, 1972 · 27 min
Cite this conversation
Conversation 458-009, February 25, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417176009). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/458-009 (accessed November 2, 2026).