Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 531 › Conversation 531-009

Nixon, Casselman & Timmons on General Services Administration

Monday, June 28, 1971 · 4:49 PM–4:52 PM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Casselman, William E., II; White House photographer; Timmons, William E.Conversation531-009 on Tape 531 (tape position 00:19:34–00:22:33)StartMonday, June 28, 1971 at 4:49 PMEndMonday, June 28, 1971 at 4:52 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 531-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with William E. Casselman II and William E. Timmons to discuss Casselman’s transition into a role at the General Services Administration (GSA). The President also consulted with Timmons regarding recent legislative strategy, specifically focusing on a Vietnam-related vote and anticipated outcomes in a House-Senate conference committee. The discussion highlighted the administration's ongoing efforts to influence congressional leadership and committee members on key policy matters.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 26% 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.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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That's a very important job and it's a very important agency if you're working for the public.
Very good.
You're balling.
No, sir.
Well, I have to go.
He's a good man.
He's a good man.
He's a good man.
He's a good man.
He's a good man.
here in the staff, when we have a policy, put it on the agency, and Darryl House is a spot.
He survived another vote, you know, with Albert, and he told me the right to remove this.
He tried that.
I said, well, Carl, I said, I don't know.
I told him I was very strong.
He made a speech.
It was unusual for him.
First time crowd.
What about that time?
He did say, what did he do?
It was termination.
Yeah, I said it was wrong, and he lost the term.
Well, he told me that.
I said, sure, so he could listen.
But on the other hand, he thought we were going to lose the vote.
He said he talked to Jerry.
He said, no, no.
What's his, uh, is he in a tendency to eat?
He loves meat, doesn't he?
Well, he's weak.
You know, he's a weak, weak man, I think.
Yeah, of course, he's sick with what he can't eat.
He had a flu.
Or something.
Uh, there are others now on that bill, really.
Right.
Who's right?
and Margaret, we've got a big conference, but they've got to take something back to the floor, they say.
And so, I'll put in a wish, that's all.
Write a wish, but get that word of policy out there, and we've got something drafted with that, I guess it's a reiterator on it, and we think they'll find that, whether it be about a study or about a weather coach, yeah.
You've got these coops that are going to pull the buster down fairly when the comments report for the exploration.
Good luck with that.
Have a fine job.
Thank you.
Great job.

NARA Description

On June 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, William E. Casselman, II, White House photographer, and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:49 pm to 4:52 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 531-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 531-9

Date: June 28, 1971
Time: 4:49 pm - 4:52 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William E. Casselman II and William E. Timmons; the White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Casselman's plans
          -General Services Administration [GSA]

     Arrangements for photograph

     GSA
           -Robert L. Kunzig

     Presentation of gifts by President
          -Casselman's wife

     Casselman's background
          -Timmons
          -John W. Dean, III

     President's meeting with Carl B. Albert, June 28
           -Vietnam vote
                 -Gerald R. Ford
           -Albert's health

     Conference Committee meeting
          -F. Edward Hébert
          -Leslie C. Arends
          -John C. Stennis
          -Margaret Chase Smith
          -Possible outcome
          -Administration tactics

Casselman and Timmons left at 4:52 pm.

Also recorded on June 28, 1971

  • 531-006 4:44 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 4:44 pm.
  • 531-007 4:44 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, C. Fred Bergsten, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:44 pm to 4:47 pm.
  • 531-008 4:47 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, T. Warren Parker, Charles W. Colson, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:47 pm to 4:49 pm.
  • 531-010 4:52 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William E. Kriegsman, Stephen B. Bull, John C. Whitaker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:52 pm to 4:54 pm.
  • 531-011 4:54 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, Ronald A. Harley, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:54 pm to 4:56 pm.
  • 531-012 4:56 PM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:56 pm and 5:07 pm.
  • 531-013 4:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:56 pm and 5:07 pm.
  • 531-014 4:56 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:56 pm and 5:07 pm.

All 69 conversations from June 28, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 531-009, June 28, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/531-009 (accessed October 5, 2026).