Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 471 › Conversation 471-012

Nixon, Nunn & Young on Vocational education and Employment opportunities

Wednesday, March 24, 1971 · 11:16 AM–11:25 AM ET · Oval Office · 9 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Nunn, Louie B.; Young, Whitney M., Sr.; Hodgson, James D.; Fletcher, Arthur A.; Brown, Robert J.Conversation471-012 on Tape 471 (tape position 02:04:16–02:13:47)StartWednesday, March 24, 1971 at 11:16 AMEndWednesday, March 24, 1971 at 11:25 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 471-012 ↗

President Nixon met with Louie B. Nunn, Whitney M. Young, Sr., and administration officials to discuss vocational training initiatives and the legacy of Whitney M. Young, Jr. The discussion emphasized the critical role of skill-based training and education in creating economic opportunities for minority communities. Participants shared personal anecdotes regarding the transformative impact of vocational programs, ultimately reinforcing the administration's support for expanding these efforts.

  • Vocational education
  • Employment opportunities
  • Minority advancement
  • Whitney M. Young, Jr.
  • Skill training

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Hello there, how are you?
I'll see you again.
Yes.
Well, wait here.
We got down to Plano Beach.
It's even worse.
The governor told me all about it.
There was so much more that I didn't know.
He's all about it, too.
His wife, Whitney Jr.'s mother, was the first Negro postmaster in the United States, and was there at Lincoln Ridge.
And through this, right at this stoop, so much time has, so much has happened, except for a short time, really, hasn't it?
The first in the United States?
The first in the United States?
That's hard to achieve.
You don't see how appropriate it is to be part of your life at this place.
He's done a lot of firsts.
I thought he didn't let us move over there.
They say, like father, like son.
And I can understand why he's done accomplished so much.
We've got him here as one of the finest citizens, and he did so much for, for all, except in the Hall of Education.
What would you like to, what would you like to set this up, would you like to do it?
I think if you like it, I'll do it.
Is there any pictures that you want to do that?
I think pictures, yeah.
I'll stand here.
That's where most are anticipating.
Well, let me set the picture up then before they come in.
Right.
And you stand on that side, Governor.
You stand here.
We're here to talk about how this is all accomplished.
And we have a lot of work to do.
Thank you.
and then you can go to the next page and you can go to the next page and you can go to the next page and you can go to the next page and you can go to the next page
Thank you.
Well, he's part of the family.
He's a big one.
He's a big one.
He's a big one.
He's a big one.
He's a big one.
He's a big one.
You have to be all right with me, you know?
What she said about me, I don't know what it turned out like, but I thought it was a good idea.
You can say it didn't turn out like what you think it did.
I know, I think it's great, you know, there couldn't be a, I don't think that you're, you're a son of a, of a, of a, of a, of a, of a, of a, of a, of a, of a,
Sure.
But what better to find a name than the name.
He says, so you don't know.
He says, that doesn't mean a lot, does it?
Yes, it means a lot to him, and I think it's all worth it.
Oh, yeah.
He says, there's another connection to the old Lincoln Institute.
You see, it was tied up with Joe Boyd when the school went under the state, and they gave him the interest of it.
See?
Well, yeah.
Well, I certainly, you know, approve of this 100%.
I just hope that it's maybe the beginning of more movements in this direction.
Of course, the fact that it moves in the vocational area is so important.
Well, of course, our duty to talk about it for a long time, you know.
You are told to talk to you by the president.
You can talk all you want about it, you know.
That's about all we want of us, too.
who moved into a nice house, who, I don't know any goodness, got a job.
Got to have a job, either pay the rent or the command down payment, or whatever the case might be, so a job is the key to everything.
And without that whole training, you can't get that job.
That's where the opportunity is, and there's an enormous amount that can be done there.
I think another point Mr. Young could really make is the number of minority, the first professionals today who started out with skill,
Uh, we started out with craft skills some time.
And, you know, as craft skills actually worked their way through college, just in and over.
Is that right?
Oh, yeah.
They started a, uh, not just a minority group, but a whole group of people.
I mean, they started out, uh, I don't know, setting a big area among, um, black professionals, uh, doctors, lawyers, and, um, and, uh,
It's interesting, a number of both fellows who at one time or another were barbers, beauticians, several of the late doctors, they were black doctors in this instance, and actually worked their way through medical school as beauticians.
They learned beauty training, they discovered that they had to know the anatomy of the body and various other things to pass that test, and got interested as to what's wrong with that, and used that skill to work with them.
He was telling a story coming up about the young boy that came over to that school several years ago.
They asked him to take him.
He was an expert in picking locks.
He worked with him personally, and today he's one of the outstanding surgeons.
Welcome, sir.
Thank you.
Here we are.
Thank you very much.
We're so happy to have you here on such a fine occasion.
I'll tell you, the man that thought about all of this, he talked to me in your car.
I said, let's get it done.
He said, we've got it done.
But I didn't tell him until yesterday.
Is that right?
Well, I didn't want to raise your vote.
I didn't want to, but I'm going to say it.
You were all for it.
But there's some that is in it.
Louie Hunter's a tough fellow.
You're very careful getting close.
Okay, all right.
Nice to see you.
Thanks a lot.
I wish you the best.
Me too.
I thought this was great on you.
What's that?
Oh, hi.
This is John.
Wonderful.
Thanks a lot.
Good to have you.

On March 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Louie B. Nunn, Whitney M. Young, Sr., James D. Hodgson, Arthur A. Fletcher, and Robert J. Brown met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:16 am to 11:25 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 471-012 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 471-12

Date: March 24, 1971
Time: 11:16 am - 11:25 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Louie B. Nunn, Whitney M. Young, Sr., James D. Hodgson, Dr. Arthur
A. Fletcher, and Robert J. Brown

     Greetings

     Young and family
         -Background
         -Work with a school

     Arrangements for photo

Members of the press entered at an unknown time after 11:16 am

     [Unintelligible]

Members of the press left at an unknown time before 11:25 am

     Whitney M. Young, Jr.’s work

     W. M. Young, Sr.

     A school
          -Vocational training
               -Fletcher
               -Importance
               -Jobs, skills
               -Blacks
                     -Opportunities
                           -Occupations
                           -Training
               -An unnamed boy

     Gifts

     President’s schedule

     Nunn

     Farewells

Nunn, et al. left at 11:25 am
  • 471-008 10:43 AM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:43 am and 10:45 am.
  • 471-009 10:45 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Harry F. Byrd, Jr., and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:45 am to 10:55 am.
  • 471-010 10:56 AM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jack Miller, Clark MacGregor, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:56 am to 11:15 am.
  • 471-011 11:16 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:16 am.
  • 471-013 11:26 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Joseph H. Blatchford, Carol M. Khosrovi, George P. Shultz, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:26 am to 11:37 am.
  • 471-014 11:37 AM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:37 am.
  • 471-015 11:38 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Aldo Massarini, Paul Moniez, Jacques Bullet, Kenneth G. Wickham, Earl E. Anderson, Maocyr Paiva, Willi Rieke, Jae Chul Lee, William G. McNamara, Raoul Mollet, James D. ("Don") Hughes, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:38 am to 11:43 am.
  • 471-016 11:44 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Harvey Firestone, Emmett O'Donnell, George T. Bell, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:44 am to 11:50 am.

Conversation 471-012, March 24, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/471-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).