Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 489 › Conversation 489-008

Nixon, Baker & Wetmore on Tennessee politics and Winfield Dunn

Monday, April 26, 1971 · 12:26 PM–12:33 PM ET · Oval Office ·7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Baker, Howard H., Jr.;  Baker, LaMar;  Wetmore, Gordon;  Longley, Bemjamin L.;  Nolan, Paul V.;  Johnson, Paul L.;  Nidecker, John C.;  Andrews, John K., Jr.;  White House photographerConversation489-008 onTape 489 (tape position 00:30:25–00:37:40)StartMonday, April 26, 1971 at 12:26 PMEndMonday, April 26, 1971 at 12:33 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 489-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with a Tennessee delegation led by Senator Howard H. Baker, Jr., which included local officials and artist Gordon Wetmore. The conversation centered on Tennessee state politics, specifically the legislative agenda of Governor Winfield Dunn, and included lighthearted social interaction and photo opportunities. The group also discussed various administrative schedules and upcoming cultural events, such as a performance by the Ohio State Fair Youth Choir.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Oh, Margaret, how are you?
The rest of them are fine, sir.
We've got a Tennessee here today, haven't we?
Oh, all right.
You've got a hundred and one for me.
That'll have to be a great call.
Yeah, it'll be all right.
It'll be a happy advance.
It's a party.
It's a party.
Don't show me the scarf.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Well, hold on, sir.
I'll be right there as well.
I can't read it.
I can't read it.
I can't read it.
I can't read it.
I can't read it.
I can't read it.
I never forget those meetings we had, you know.
I don't know who sold that.
Thank you.
You can't, you can't have a motor out, not yet.
Now let's look out the window.
I do appreciate it.
How long did you study art in school?
Of course you did.
How did you happen to get into it?
Did your father do it?
Did your parents do it?
My father was very talented in it, but I thought he just got a degree in school.
And then the last four years, I've been taught a lot.
And then I just kind of took over it.
And I over it with my career.
And do you do the work that you came to primarily from your uncle?
No, no, maybe from life.
But from life, of course.
What I do, but you can do it from anywhere.
Where is your office?
Are you in San Francisco?
I'm in San Francisco.
I met Mr. Richard Allen for the first time in Europe two years ago.
Dick Allen, yes, he said he was about to work for Polaroid.
You made the remark that you wouldn't pose for a portrait.
And we were not going to doubt it.
I know.
I lost my head.
I did lose my head.
I wouldn't even pose for a bust.
That's worse, I think.
If I may interject your remark, I'm an assistant minority leader for the Tennessee House, and I was talking to Bill McDonough this morning.
He asked me to relay two messages to him.
One is that he joins us as the president of all Tennessee people in our city.
First.
The other is that he regretted that he was supposed to go to the governor's conference last week because his entire legislative program was on the House calendar.
He said, perhaps on our base college committee money didn't sound like our federal standards, but he felt that he had to be there lobbying for them.
So he asked the facts and he was not able to do that.
Look, I particularly agree with the fact that as one of the fellows there, one of his assistants was there to give the message.
I'm so glad to see him win.
I crossed the street with Richard Duretz these days.
He did real well with his legacy.
He drove the market to a budget.
Renewed with a demographic goal of half a city.
He's not going to get any points.
Well, let's see, what do we got?
This is Steven.
All right.
I actually think they would like to come.
Well, we'll do it.
We were happy to introduce you to the population of Washington.
Well, he said he wasn't going to run, but he's going to get somebody to.
I haven't played that ever since.
You couldn't have fallen into anything better than that.
You're all welcome to go out and hear the Ohio chorus if you want.
Great success in your work.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.

NARA Description

On April 26, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Howard H. Baker, Jr., LaMar Baker, Gordon Wetmore, Bemjamin L. Longley, Paul V. Nolan, Paul L. Johnson, John C. Nidecker, John K. Andrews, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:26 pm to 12:33 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 489-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 489-8

Date: April 26, l971
Time: 12:26 pm - 12:33 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Howard H. Baker, Jr., La Mar Baker, Gordon Wetmore, Benjamin L.
Longley, Paul V. Nolan, Paul L. Johnson, A.C. Ball, John C. Nidecker, and John K. Andrews,
Jr.; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

     President's schedule
           -Tennessee

     Greetings

     Tennessee Valley Authority [TVA]

     Photos
          -John W. Dean, III
          -Grouping
          -Wetmore

     Wetmore's activities
         -Father
         -Career
         -Office
         -Richard V. Allen

     Photos
          -Posing

     Tennessee
         -Baker's conversation with Winfield Dunn
         -Dunn

                 -Schedule
                 -Republican Governors Conference
                 -Legislation
                 -Message to the President

**********************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 05/21/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[489-008-w001]
[Duration: 16s]

     Tennessee
         -Winfield Dunn
               -Election
               -Significance

**********************************************************************

     Tennessee
         -Winfield Dunn
               -Legislative program
         -House
               -Democrats
               -Dunn
                    -Legislative program
               -Republicans

     Presentation of gifts
          -Cuff links

     Tennessee

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 05/21/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]

[489-008-w002]
[Duration: 49s]

      Tennessee
          -Republicans
          -Albert A. Gore
          -Howard H. Baker

**********************************************************************

      Schedule
           -Flowers

      President's schedule
            -Ohio State Fair Youth Choir

      Baker's schedule
           -Winton M. (“Red”) Blount

      Tennessee
          -Delegation

      Farewells

Baker, et al., left at 12:33 pm.

Also recorded on April 26, 1971

  • 489-003 11:05 AM · 42 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:05 am and 11:52 am.
  • 489-004 11:46 AM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:46 am and 11:52 am.
  • 489-005 11:46 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:46 am and 12:57 pm.
  • 489-006 12:07 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 12:15 pm.
  • 489-007 12:17 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Cathy ("Mim") Frazier, James Frazier, Mrs. James Frazier, Paul Frazier, Robert P. Griffin, David Laro, Ann Brewer, John C. Nidecker, John K. Andrews, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:17 pm to 12:24 pm.
  • 489-009 12:33 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:33 pm.
  • 489-010 12:44 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 489-011 1:00 PM · 1 hr 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.

All 36 conversations from April 26, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 489-008, April 26, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/489-008 (accessed September 18, 2026).