Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 467 › Conversation 467-026

Nixon & Colmer on F. Edward Hébert and CBS

Wednesday, March 17, 1971 · 3:21 PM–3:23 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colmer, William M.Conversation467-026 on Tape 467 (tape position 02:01:46–02:03:51)StartWednesday, March 17, 1971 at 3:21 PMEndWednesday, March 17, 1971 at 3:23 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 467-026 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417176143 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon checked on Representative William M. Colmer’s recovery following a recent surgery and discussed plans for a future lunch meeting during the upcoming Easter recess. The two men also briefly touched upon the President’s travel schedule to California and Nixon’s support for F. Edward Hébert in his public opposition to a CBS news story. The conversation concluded with Colmer reaffirming his commitment to supporting the President's legislative agenda and the military.

Audio

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NARA Description

On March 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William M. Colmer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:21 pm to 3:23 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 467-026 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 467-026

Date: March 17, 1971
Time: 3:21 pm - 3:23 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with William M. Colmer

     Colmer’s health

     Colmer’s location

     President’s schedule
           -Lunch with Colmer
           -California trip

     Colmer’s district

     President’s greetings to [Names unintelligible]

     President’s call to F. Edward Hébert
           -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] story on Pat Johnson

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Yeah, I'm just calling to see how you're doing after your operation.

Well, not a, not a thing, I mean, yeah.

Tell me, did the company, did they, did they, they came off a rock?

Good.

Are you, are you in the city?

They want to hear lunches a little later in the spring.

That's right with you.

Yeah.

I'm going to go out to California.

I have to go, not this year, but next week for a week, and then I'll be back here right after this.

Easter recess, I think, would be a good time.

Is that right with you?

Let everybody be back in the kitchen.

The kitchen's good about then.

Goodbye.

Good to see you.

I'm fine.

How was your, did they work out, did they come up with a little contrast in your dish?

You didn't.

You didn't eat it, did you?

It was bad?

Listen, you deserved it, believe me.

I did my best to look brash and frantic on it.

I called Eddie Hayter and thanked him for taking on CBS.

I thought that was disgraceful what they did to Frantic House.

Kidding.

Wasn't that awful?

Yeah.

Don't worry about that.

I just want to work.

I want to work for my friends and I want to work for the military.

You betcha lot.

Bye.

Also recorded on March 17, 1971

467-024 3:17 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:17 pm and 3:21 pm.
467-025 3:17 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:17 pm and 3:21 pm.
467-027 3:23 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:23 pm and 3:25 pm.
467-028 3:25 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Samuel S. Stratton met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:25 pm to 3:29 pm.
467-029 3:29 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:29 pm and 3:31 pm.
467-030 3:31 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:31 pm to 3:36 pm.
467-031 3:36 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 3:36 pm.
467-032 3:36 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:36 pm and 3:43 pm.

All 31 conversations from March 17, 1971 →

Nixon phone call with Arends on SALT negotiations May 20, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with MacGregor on Mansfield Amendment and Military draft June 29, 1971 · 4 min
Haldeman phone call on Clark MacGregor and Gordon L. Allott September 16, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Hébert on John D. Ehrlichman and Appropriations February 23, 1973 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Colmer on Congressional Retirement and Southern Politics March 7, 1972 · 2 min
Nixon & Colmer on Congressional retirement and Political succession March 7, 1972 · 2 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 467-026, March 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417176143). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/467-026 (accessed November 2, 2026).