Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 509 › Conversation 509-007

Nixon, Griffith & Johnson on J. Edgar Hoover and Washington Redskins

Thursday, June 3, 1971 · 12:09 PM–12:13 PM ET · Oval Office ·4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Griffith, Corrine;  Johnson, Roger E.;  White House photographerConversation509-007 onTape 509 (tape position 01:10:41–01:14:40)StartThursday, June 3, 1971 at 12:09 PMEndThursday, June 3, 1971 at 12:13 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 509-007 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with actress Corinne Griffith and Roger E. Johnson in the Oval Office, accompanied by a photographer to document the occasion. The conversation was largely social, touching upon Washington Redskins games, Griffith’s residence in Los Angeles, and the President's recent interactions with J. Edgar Hoover. Nixon concluded the meeting by presenting Griffith with a presidential gift, a compact featuring the presidential seal, while acknowledging her continued support.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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of the night to see you, of the night to see you again.
All right, all of you are going to get a picture of us.
Would you like to do that in front of these flags?
Yes.
Here, all of you get a good picture of the two of us.
This is one of the great photos of all the audience.
I haven't heard him in a long time.
Yeah, I know.
He's had a very nice place down there.
Yeah, he has.
He's got a new camera.
Well, nice to see you.
Come on, let me sit down.
Here we go.
He's done.
Now, sit down.
I just met yesterday with Mr. Hoover.
I just got to meet with him.
We had a meeting just now.
Police chiefs.
We're backing him up all the way.
I know you are, and that's just wonderful.
Just wonderful.
You know, when I knew her here, I remember those wonderful times.
We used to go to the games with you.
Right.
Yeah, and we came.
And we sit up there in the, you know, in the box with the, uh, with the, uh, the blanket, you know, and the heaters and everything.
What's that?
That was 20 years ago.
Where do you live there?
In Los Angeles.
You have a house you've always had there?
No.
No, I have a little house.
I bought a little house and ripped it all to pieces.
I got enough money from the state, really.
But I did it all over the 18th century.
All the cornices are copied from Monticello.
And so Williamsburg grew inside, and the hallways copied from the Dulles Palace in Williamsburg.
Well, I spent a fortune.
It was just for you.
Well, that's where I got the idea of it.
When I opened it, the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was for the Assistance League.
And the mayor of Los Angeles, Postman, and his wife were close to me.
I said, Saturday, Mayor Davis and his wife will bear meals.
And Sunday, Virginia night.
And we got the night shift.
I hope you can.
Listen, I want to give you a little, get a little, get out of the metro.
We just got, we have a little something to give you for some people.
And this is the, you know this, that's the seal of a car.
We have a seal reproducer in this and it's a little compact.
And that, it's not, it isn't very, it isn't as expensive as it looks, but it's worth a lot more.
It's because only presidents can give them.
There's the presidential column, ma'am.
We don't know what that means to me.
Oh, listen, you were on our computer in part one of the supporters' time, and I always said that.
If there's anything I can do, you're going to call on me.
I appreciate it.
I sure will.
I sure will.
I understand.
Well, we're getting back.
We're getting back.
In fact, every month of the day.
I forget them all, I didn't know.
Great, great.
Thank you so much.
I'm glad to take care of you.
I'm sure to see you live and so on.
Thank you.
I apologize, I just put my hand over my throat.
Don't you worry about that.

NARA Description

On June 3, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Corrine Griffith, Roger E. Johnson, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:09 pm to 12:13 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 509-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 509-007

Date: June 3, 1971
Time: 12:09 pm - 12:13 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Corinne Griffith and Roger E. Johnson; the White House photographer
was present at the beginning of the meeting

     Introductions

     Arrangements for Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins’ photographs

     J. Edgar Hoover

     President’s attendance at Washington Redskins games

      Griffith’s home
            -Los Angeles

     Mayor of Los Angeles Norris Poulson and Mrs. Poulson

     Mayor of Beverly Hills [(Forename unknown) Bates?] and wife

     Virginia Knight, wife of Goodwin Knight

     Regards to Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon

     Presentation of gifts by President
          -Compact

     Vietnam

Griffith and Johnson left at 12:13 pm

Also recorded on June 3, 1971

  • 509-021 10:04 AM · 16 sec — Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:04 am and 11:47 am.
  • 509-006 11:47 AM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:47 am to 12:08 pm.
  • 509-008 12:13 PM · 51 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:13 pm.
  • 509-009 12:40 PM · 1 hr 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:40 pm to 1:57 pm.
  • 509-010 1:57 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:57 pm and 2:47 pm.
  • 509-011 1:57 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:57 pm and 2:47 pm.
  • 509-012 1:57 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:57 pm and 2:47 pm.
  • 509-013 1:57 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:57 pm and 2:47 pm.

All 24 conversations from June 3, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 509-007, June 3, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/509-007 (accessed September 18, 2026).