Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 503 › Conversation 503-013
Nixon, Steinkamp & Finch on Revenue sharing and Treasury Department
Friday, May 21, 1971 · 12:20 PM–12:31 PM ET · Oval Office · 10 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Stevens, Mr. and Mrs. Alex D. Steinkamp, and Robert H. Finch for a social visit in the Oval Office. The discussion included the guests' recent tour of the Treasury Department and a proposal from the guests to simplify federal revenue sharing by utilizing local county treasurers. The President concluded the meeting by presenting the guests with commemorative gifts and discussing upcoming events at the White House.
- Revenue sharing
- Treasury Department
- Oval Office
- Public relations
- Federal bureaucracy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 5 minutes of this recording (about 52% 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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Um, but isn't it great to see you here?
This is why we have the record, Mr. President.
I can't do a little better.
I can't do a little better.
I mean, it's terrific.
Can you take a mic?
Maybe we should have a mic expression.
I need a mic.
I think I've got to go to church.
I love the day.
Oh, now.
I'm going to get on my ride.
I'm going to get on my ride.
That's right.
Oh!
Sure.
Yes, yes.
Well, I appreciate that.
I thought that one of the great victories was when you came to the first sentence, you see.
You're kidding about all my appointments for events.
Right, I mean we have to have a case of accidents and the team first had a little quip on that too.
It's a doubt.
Are you going over to Tracy's?
Yes, we are going over to Tracy's lunch with Mayor Groves.
Well, I saw her yesterday.
I went over and be sure I never show you.
There's a very famous room there that belongs to John Petty, who's the Secretary of National Affairs.
And it was used as the office for Andrew Johnson.
He sued, and Mary Thomas wouldn't move out of the White House after a couple of years.
He came over there, and in the treasury, there's a tunnel between the treasury and the White House.
And there he is.
There she sits.
There's this magnificent office.
It's probably one of the greatest heritages you've got.
And there's a very famous desk.
So be sure she sees it and shows you that.
I will.
I will because she's got my adult daughter.
She ought to also, I hope you can meet, yeah.
She's got my adult daughter.
Or your daughter.
Yeah, daughter either.
And then also, oh, did you know this girl, Lupe Johnson?
You've seen it before.
killed them.
I had never seen it.
I was over there yesterday seeing comedy.
But Patty hasn't now.
We went.
We were having fun.
She was the one right in the middle, did you know?
Yes.
We had an appointment with Secretary Connors yesterday.
Oh, you did?
No, because we met with Walters.
Oh, okay.
He was so busy.
Since the next president, all right, can I make one little talk before I go?
Sure, sure.
I wondered about it, so I found your resume sharing plan in the collection.
It occurred to me, and sure, it makes a great deal of sense,
You've got a collection agency, county, state, and the nation, and they're electrified people.
Could you, would it be possible to eliminate a whole new layer of bureaucracy to decide how much each county gets back, or whatever the racial change?
Could these million collection agents, they're all bonded county treasurers,
in every county and in every state, could they be collected, where we live, we pay it into our county, you would say.
I bet you that's what everything,
whatever the ratio or the slide rule for the proportion would be worked out.
Is that a thought?
Well, let's throw it into the Western Regency.
All the county treasurers.
People would love to see it come back.
And that when so many people are telling you they're so terrible, they're just trying to get away from their new opportunity, you should decide how much you can spend.
I like that a lot.
Let me get you know this about it.
They're still in.
They're alive.
They're alive.
They might have a lot more confidence in their own people.
That's right.
And with that, I'd like you to talk in place.
So again, that's fair.
And of course, I know that this has involved a couple of churches in our state.
I'm sure of it.
I know.
I know.
I'm sure they, uh, I'm sure they, uh, I'm sure they, uh, what do we have here?
Oh yeah, we always have a little gift for people here.
You can see this, the mark of this room.
You've been here before, of course, but have you ever been here before?
That's the signal that's in the room.
It's almost in the car.
So that's the mark of this room.
It's very representative of the Oval Office.
It's right there.
Let me see here.
You get one, you get one, you get one, you get one, you get one, you get one, you get one, you get one.
You don't have to report it another day or anything.
So, if you don't, this is my advice always when I have to be sorry.
If you don't play, y'all just get a son of a bitch.
Well, thank you.
It's been a great interest around June.
We haven't gone to the same place.
Oh, really?
How many won?
That's where the wedding's going to be, right out here at this Rose Garden.
And, Mr. President, I'm supposed to tell you from my daughter Nancy that she and her husband are simply delighted that Julie picked that wedding day for her.
I mean, that's great news.
It's all for Julie.
So, she said, Joseph, you tell Mr. President if you get a chance that we will be raising a toast
to their head.
They were hurt.
Talk to June.
That's very nice.
Two little people now at age two and age four.
And the person's son is now here.
He's assistant to the director of general services.
You know, Roy.
Roy.
Yeah.
Roy, the man that's sitting down at the White House and told me about it.
I don't know about any more.
Are you ready to come back?
Well, Craig is here.
And you're going to have to ask her.
She's seen it.
Hey, Daniel, I'm going to ask you a question.
You see, we have several.
We're going to get to number eight.
Now, this is going to be called the BDIB.
Oh, good.
That's a lot of good luck.
Thank you.
So great to see you.
You're very close to the telephone today.
Don't be too soft.
When is it?
That's right.
NARA Description
On May 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Susan Segrest, Alex D. Steinkamp, Mrs. Alex D. Steinkamp, Robert H. Finch, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:20 pm to 12:31 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 503-013 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 503-13
Date: May 21, 1971
Time: 12:20 pm - 12:31 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Stevens, Mr. and Mrs. Alex D. Steinkamp and
Robert H. Finch; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.
Greetings
Introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Steinkamp
Visit of Stevens and Steinkamp to Treasury
-Lunch with Mary T. Brooks
-President's meeting with her on May 20, 1971
-Famous room at Treasury
-John Petty
-Used by Andrew Johnson
-President's meeting with John B. Connally on May 20, 1971
-Petty
-Stevens and Steinkamp's meeting with Connally and John R. (“Johnnie”) Walker on
May 20, 1971
Revenue sharing
-County-level
-Confidence on the local level
Carpeting in the Oval Office
Presentation of gifts
-Cuff links
-Golf balls
Rose Garden
-Mrs. Stevens’ daughter, Nancy and son-in-law
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower's wedding date
-Children
Tour
Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, et. al., left at 12:31 pm.Also recorded on May 21, 1971
- 503-009 11:29 AM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:29 am and 11:41 am.
- 503-010 12:09 PM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:09 pm to 12:10 pm.
- 503-011 12:11 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Donald Schollander, Jonathan C. Rose, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:11 pm to 12:20 pm.
- 503-012 12:20 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:20 pm.
- 503-014 12:31 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:31 pm and 2:59 pm.
- 003-109 12:42 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:42 pm and 12:45 pm.
- 003-110 12:45 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 12:45 pm to 12:50 pm.
- 003-111 12:50 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:50 pm and 6:26 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 503-013, May 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/503-013 (accessed October 12, 2026).