Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 470 › Conversation 470-012

Nixon & Timmons on Supersonic Transport and SST

Friday, March 19, 1971 · 12:33 PM–12:35 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Timmons, William E.Conversation470-012 on Tape 470 (tape position 03:07:48–03:10:32)StartFriday, March 19, 1971 at 12:33 PMEndFriday, March 19, 1971 at 12:35 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 470-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and William E. Timmons discussed the administration's legislative strategy for the Supersonic Transport (SST) project following a setback in the House. Nixon encouraged Timmons to remain optimistic and directed him to push for a vigorous defense of the program in the Senate. They specifically assessed the likelihood of securing support from Senators Warren G. Magnuson and Henry M. Jackson to revive the initiative.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I want you to know that I don't want your goals to get down on Carter because of that SST thing.
You put on a good fight, and I just take it on the ground.
Well, this is the first round.
There's a chance that Maggie and Jackson should probably just make a hell of a fight now in the Senate.
There's a chance over there, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, he's on the payroll.
Sure.
Well, particularly when he doesn't come up.
He doesn't see ought to be with the administration on something like this.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

NARA Description

On March 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:33 pm to 12:35 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 470-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 470-12

Date: March 19, 1971
Time: 12:33 pm - 12:35 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with William E. Timmons

     Supersonic Transport [SST]
          -White House lobbying in Congress
          -Vote in House
          -Senate vote
               -Warren G. (“Maggie”) Magnuson, Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
               -Prospects

Also recorded on March 19, 1971

  • 050-008 12:06 PM — during the Signing of the National Week of Concern for Prisoners of War/Missing in Action, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the military and the Executive Committe for the National League of American Families of Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, including Joan Vinson, Carol North, Kathy Plowman, Patsy Crayton, Iris Powers, Mary Jane McManus, Eldora Ford, Alfred F. Moe, Mrs. Alfred F. Moe, Lt. Russ Buckley, Marianne Nelson, Stanley R. Resor, Gen. Bruce Palmer, Maj. L. Jones, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Lt. Col. Walter B. Ratliffe, John H. Chafee, Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., Gen. Leonard F. Chapman, Jr., Dr. John L. McLucas, Gen. John C. Meyer, Mrs. Russell Davis, Lt. Russell Davis, Frank A. Sieverts, Adm. H. H. Epes, Jr., Col. Milton Kegley, William E. Brock, III, Edward P. Boland, William J. Keating, Romano L. Mazzoli, Robert H. Michel, John T. Myers, William F. ("Bob") Nichols, Thomas M. Pelly, Paul G. Rogers, Garner Shriver, William J. Young, Roger Zion, William L. Dickinson, Olive Hunt, Mrs. Richard Morin, U. Alexis Johnson, and Richard Capen, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 12:06 pm to 12:13 pm.
  • 470-009 12:15 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:15 pm to 12:16 pm.
  • 470-010 12:32 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:32 pm.
  • 470-011 12:33 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:33 pm.
  • 470-013 12:38 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Gerald R. Ford met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 470-014 12:52 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 12:52 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 470-015 12:52 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:52 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 470-016 12:52 PM · 22 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Rose Mary Woods, and Wilbur D. Mills met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:52 pm and 1:05 pm.

All 19 conversations from March 19, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 470-012, March 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/470-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).