Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 517 › Conversation 517-023

Nixon & Woods on Social events

Friday, June 11, 1971 · 2:58 PM–3:04 PM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose MaryConversation517-023 on Tape 517 (tape position 04:29:39–04:34:16)StartFriday, June 11, 1971 at 2:58 PMEndFriday, June 11, 1971 at 3:04 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 517-023 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417177885 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, met to discuss the logistics and success of recent and upcoming events related to Tricia Nixon’s wedding festivities. The conversation touched upon the attendance of various family members and friends, the scheduling of refreshments and travel, and the positive impressions made by Julie Nixon Eisenhower and the couple. The two concluded by acknowledging a sensitive personal situation regarding the First Lady, agreeing to defer addressing it until the following Monday to avoid unnecessary tension.

Audio

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NARA Description

On June 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:58 pm to 3:04 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 517-023 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 517-023

Date: June 11, 1971
Time: 2:58 pm - 3:04 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met Rose Mary Woods

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 06/26/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[517-023-w001]
[Duration: 4m 35s]

     Wedding preparations
         -Party success

                 -Paul W. Keyes
                 -Donald Nixon and Clara Jane Nixon role
                 -Edward C. Nixon
            -Upcoming party
                 -Nancy Lammerding
                 -Attendance
                        -Donald Nixon and Clara Jane Nixon
                        -Renee [unknown surname][?] and husband [unknown name]
                        -Ryans [Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon’s family]
                        -Harrison McCall and Lotta (Shedd) McCall
                        -Raymond J. Arbuthnot
                        -Robert H. Abplanalp [?]
                 -Refreshments
                        -Timing
                 -Buffet
                 -Edward C. Nixon
                 -Weather
                 -Jack Drown and Helene (Colesie) Drown
                        -Luncheon given by Edward R. F. Cox's godparents
                 -Location
                 -Julie Nixon Eisenhower telephone call to Rose Mary Woods
            -Previous evening's festivities
                 -Solvate [?] Club
                 -Tricia Nixon Cox and Edward R. F. Cox role
                 -Julie Nixon Eisenhower role
            -Problems
                 -Jack Drown and Helene (Colesie) Drown
                        -Reassess on June 14, 1971
                 -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon

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

The President and Woods left at 3:04 pm

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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But I think everybody is, so.
Nancy and I had a very nice party tonight.
It was a great fun.
Paul Keith was really awesome.
I wanted to get everybody happy.
Did he have a, did Don have a student club?
Well, no.
Don was an animal.
No, A was supposed to go.
No, A shouldn't have come by.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I think I covered everybody who could see them.
They're all so thrilled.
The boat will be nice.
I would suggest that you ride up, step up above for at least 34 seconds.
See, they can drink a little more.
They don't have a problem.
That's a downer.
They'll go down first.
Drink for 45 minutes so that you're out.
And then, of course, you have a buffet.
And then ride on down.
They'll be fine.
They're looking forward to it.
And also, be sure they're all going down.
Is Eddie coming?
No, they're all going to be here.
I don't think Elaine is shown at the house yet.
She hasn't.
She was at this luncheon.
She and Jack and their two boys.
What luncheon?
The luncheon at Eddie's goddamned escape.
At least 10 or 19 of some copies or something.
And I wrote it down.
Julie called me.
And I could write it.
Oh, there was a big crowd.
Oh, there was a big crowd.
Oh, that's a good one.
Where'd you have it?
It was a cell phone call.
Oh, well, that's a nice place.
It was very nice.
And that Julie is a doll.
So she called me.
That's my name.
If I were going, if I were
She was one of the most thoughtful persons in the world.
She was always thinking every minute about how to be thoughtful, how to be thoughtful.
And she answered as we left the luncheon.
Trisha and Eddie had just left.
And Trisha looked lovely, just lovely.
Eddie made a nice little talk about his governor.
Showed more substance than I've seen him before.
I shouldn't say it because I'm not sure, but that Julie came out and they asked me, I don't know if that's a dumb question, but they said, when that closed, she said,
Old Moe had asked Julie to tell her she was saved from a dam.
And they said, who?
You know.
She said, oh, that wouldn't be fair.
There are so many of them.
You know, I wouldn't name one.
And they asked how you were taking it.
Oh, he's just doing beautifully.
He's just great, you know.
How's your mother?
Oh, what did they think she was saying?
She's just darling.
She's got a mother.
Oh, she is just, I don't know.
She is just...
She really is, I was trying to think of something to give her as she leaves, but I can't.
Well, she back rose.
I know she did.
In almost six weeks.
But maybe not, huh?
I don't need nothing to help her in her own situation.
It's about time.
I asked her if there were any hints when she was talking with her.
She couldn't tell how long she'd been.
She said yesterday to ask her for fear she would, you know, she would then decide to stay is to be mean.
Just let it go.
We'll just have to tackle a problem on Monday, Rose.
And on Monday we'll, I'll have you get a little, say, a little better with the plants.
Yeah.
Because I think right now she's so tight that it would be crazy.
Yeah.
But she didn't react the wrong way.
That's what I mean.
But by Monday she may be tired.
Well, Monday she'll leave the theater.
Yeah.

Also recorded on June 11, 1971

  • 517-019 1:43 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William H. Carruthers, Mark I. Goode, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:43 pm to 2:02 pm.
  • 517-020 2:05 PM · 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:05 pm to 2:38 pm.
  • 517-021 2:38 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:38 pm and 2:40 pm.
  • 517-022 2:40 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:40 pm to 2:57 pm.
  • 517-024 3:04 PM · 19 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:04 pm and 3:11 pm.
  • 517-025 3:11 PM · 58 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, White House operator, Stephen B. Bull, and Elliot L. Richardson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:11 pm to 4:11 pm.
  • 005-007 4:08 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 4:09 pm.
  • 005-008 4:09 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Elliot L. Richardson talked on the telephone from 4:09 pm to 4:11 pm.

All 37 conversations from June 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 517-023, June 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417177885). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/517-023 (accessed October 31, 2026).