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Conversation 503-003

TapeTape 503StartFriday, May 21, 1971 at 9:37 AMEndFriday, May 21, 1971 at 9:40 AMTape start time01:05:14Tape end time01:07:38ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Safire, William L.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon consulted speechwriter William Safire to refine remarks for an upcoming presentation of science medals. The President requested that Safire incorporate a paraphrase of Thomas Jefferson regarding the preference of hope over fear to ensure the speech resonated with the audience. Nixon finalized the messaging strategy, intending to utilize the draft for an event scheduled for early June.

SpeechwritingThomas JeffersonScience awardsPresidential rhetoricPublic relations
AudioNARA Description

On May 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:37 am to 9:40 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 503-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 503-3

Date: May 21, 1971
Time: 9:37 am - 9:40 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with William L. Safire.

[See Conversation No. 3-108]
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Would you send over for me, I was in one of the talks I made recently about the Jefferson vote, about fear.
Yeah, was that what it was?
Was it despair or fear, fear and hope?
What?
Consolidate fears.
Well, I guess I won't fit into my life as such.
I'm gonna have to make presents with science medals, and I was trying to get a little kick in the past for the people, and all of a sudden, that's gone.
The rare, severe, great truth, and so forth, because of our fears, and we're gonna explode, or we're gonna get skin cancer.
Getting old feds, I don't know.
It wouldn't matter.
I think that the way you put a few paraphrases then in the top three is that we, as Thomas Jefferson said, we prefer hope.
And in the top three, I'm going to stand there and just send it over to the third.
Yeah.
Correct.
That paraphrase is audience-friendly.
Science is science, and I wouldn't appreciate that.
Thank you, Jefferson.
They ought to appreciate it, nonetheless.
Frank was, of course, a great scientist.
Of course, all Jefferson, Frank, and all those early guys, they were all interested in architecture.
There is some there, but that won't mean much.
I won't need it until around the 10th or 13th.
Thank you.
Thank you.
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