Conversation 552-004

TapeTape 552StartFriday, July 30, 1971 at 12:31 PMEndFriday, July 30, 1971 at 1:04 PMTape start time02:16:44Tape end time03:10:33ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose Mary;  Sanchez, ManoloRecording deviceOval Office

On July 30, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:31 pm to 1:04 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 552-004 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 552-4

Date: July 30, 1971
Time: 12:31 pm - 1:04 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods and Manolo Sanchez.

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/12/2020.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w005]

[Duration: 15s]

       The President’s clothing
              -Sport coat

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

     The President's schedule
          -Bohemian Grove
               -Walter Baird
               -Arrangements for visit
                      -Secret Service
               -Confidentiality
                      -Press coverage
                            -Off-the-record tradition
               -Staff
               -Members
                      -Conrad Hilton
                            -Telephone call
               -Effect of confidentiality
          -Camp David
               -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
                      -Invitation to Woods

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/13/2020.
4m 2s segment cleared for release with two segments of 35s and 1m 31s remaining closed as
552-004-w001 and 552-004-w006 respectively.]
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w001]
[Duration: 4m 2s]

       The President’s schedule
              -Tricia Nixon Cox
                      -Potential visit to Camp David
                      -Rose Mary Woods’s conversation with [unintelligible man’s name]

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w001]
[Duration: 35s]

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

      The President’s schedule
             -Tricia Nixon Cox
                     -Apartment
                             -View
             -The President’s forthcoming trip to New York City
                     -Where the President will stay
                     -The Pierre Hotel
                             -The President’s opinion
                     -The Essex House
                             -Distance
                     -J. Willard Marriott, Jr.
                             -Relationship with the President

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w006]
[Duration: 1m 31s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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

      The President’s schedule
             -Trip to California
                     -Option of going in 1972 as opposed to 1971
                     -The President’s health

                            -Effects of presidency on incumbent
                            -Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
                                     -Methods of relaxation
                            -The President’s compulsion to work
                                     -Need for vacation
                     -After Congress session
                     -Length of trip
                            -Jack Drown and Helene (Colesie) Drown
                            -Rose Mary Woods
                                     -Usefulness of presence on California trip

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

     The President’s schedule
          -Trip to California
                -Staff
                      -Henry A. Kissinger, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Caspar W.
                           Weinberger
                -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                -Alexander P. Butterfield
                -Woods

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/13/2020.
10m 21s segment cleared for release with 5 segments of 16s, 6m 24s, 1m 16s, 2s, and 27s,
remaining closed as 552-004-w002, 552-004-w009, 552-004-w007, 552-004-w010, and 552-
004-w008 respectively.]
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w002]
[Duration: 10m 21s]

     The President’s schedule
          -Trip to California
                -Rose Mary Woods’s role
                      -Buffer for Jack Drown and Helene (Colesie) Drown
                -Jack Drown and Helene (Colesie) Drown
                      -The President’s previous experiences
                -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon

         -Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon Cox
               -Possible week-long visit to see the President during California trip
                    -Importance of vacation to the President

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

[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w002]
[Duration: 16s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

    The President’s schedule
         -Trip to California
               -Maureen Finch’s wedding
                     -The President’s attendance
                     -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                           -Timing of California trip
                           -Attendance
                           -Role of her wedding in Robert H. Finch meeting Maureen Finch

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w009]
[Duration: 6m 24s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

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

    The President’s schedule

         -Trip to California
               -Rose Mary Woods’s schedule
                    -Availability
                          -Jack Drown and Helene (Colesie) Drown
               -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
                    -Invitation

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w007]
[Duration: 1m 16s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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

    The President’s schedule
         -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
               -Previous trips to Florida
               -Friendship
         -Trip to California
               -Rose Mary Woods
                     -Coordination with Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                     -Julie Nixon Eisenhower’s schedule
                           -Possible week-long visit to see the President during California trip

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w010]
[Duration: 2s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

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

    The President’s schedule
         -Trip to California
               -Rose Mary Woods
                     -Coordination with Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                     -Tricia Nixon Cox
               -Jack Drown and Helene (Colesie) Drown
               -Significance of vacation
                     -1972 election

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w008]
[Duration: 27s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

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

    The President’s schedule
         Rose Mary Woods
              -Potential telephone call to Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
         -The Presidency
              -Effect on health
                     -Stress
              -The President’s need for relaxation
         -The President’s previous trips to California and Florida
              -Working vacations
         -Camp David
              -Working vacations
         -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon’s schedule
              -Tour
              -Helene (Colesie) Drown
         -Robert H. Finch

                -Maureen Finch’s wedding
                     -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon and Helene (Colesie) Drown
                     -Reception
                     -William P. Rogers
                     -Reception
                     -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                     -Time
          -Visitors
                -Arrangements
                     -Jack Drown and Helene (Colesie) Drown
                           -Overnight stays limited to family
                           -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
                           -Dinner invitation
                     -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
                           -Compared to Jack Drown and Helene (Colesie) Drown
          -President’s previous conversation with Jack Drown
          -Rose Mary Woods forthcoming conversation
                -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon’s schedule
                -Helene (Colesie) Drown
          -The President’s leisure activities
                -Golf game with [unintelligible name]
                     -Partners
                           -Friends
                           -Congressmen and senators

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

     Pakistani Ambassador
          -Inscription on autographed photograph

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/14/2020.
Segment will remain closed.]
[Personal Returnable]
[552-004-w004]
[Duration: 10m 16s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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

Rose Mary Woods left at 1:04 pm.

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.

If you want to have a dance, work on it.
Well, he doesn't have to do it all over again.
It's all on him.
Well, there you go.
Or it sort of changed his mind, too.
Well, my good idea, if he'd known anything, we could come without secret, with limited secret service.
We had it done before.
But the press did not respect the confidentiality rule.
Oh, really?
So I said to him, and I put the red on him, I'm saying, because the press was at the time, the rule was 100-year tradition of the hall of honor.
And they accredited one television network, one of the choir services, that they were not respecting.
They would have to be able to hear it.
Not hear it.
The point is that we wouldn't let them in.
But that means that they would go through.
uh, surreptitious means, you know what I mean, they've got ways.
Yeah, and they can't do that.
They would, uh, they're, they're 7,800 people that are including a lot ofitated radio and television guys.
They've got waiters.
Sure.
There are over 1,000 waiters in the place, Rose.
Oh.
Any guy that sits there with a tram that wouldn't want to take a little record of this, they pay them off.
And I'm not just, I'm not going to look disappointed.
No.
And it's fine.
The other thing that bothered me was that
Everybody was calling saying that, tell you that they were going to, you know, like Tom had help and called.
He had all called to say he was going to be there, and of course they all wanted to shake hands.
Well, I think you would have heard almost as many as you.
By coming in and out, because I was only going to make a speech, go out to caveman for half an hour, and leave, and I think there are just thousands that would be there.
And I think they would appreciate my not trying to use the road for publicity purposes.
And they'll be mad as hell at the prince, which is great.
So, that's that.
That's right, because it would be hard.
I, uh, I said to you, by the way, you can't think.
Yes, and I've already, uh, I started there.
I, I think I was a little down.
That, she said, that, yeah.
But also, uh, Tricia, I think is going to come down here.
I think she's going to leave me.
I was talking to Mr. Long and he said they were coming down.
And I know, you haven't heard that.
So maybe they aren't.
Or maybe they're going up to the other, you know, he said they were coming down here.
He's the manager.
Very nice.
Delighted.
She told me that it makes her happy because it reminds her of 810, you know, the view of the park.
Good.
And Mr. Malone said they have a... She had told them that if you all came, there was an adjoining bedroom.
Right.
We won't spend the night.
I told Mr. Malone that.
We'd like to use the bedroom, of course, for our purpose.
Yeah.
I told him that... We are going to be going Wednesday.
Yeah, but I didn't want to tell him.
I don't know.
I said that...
You agreed to dare a fleet just like hers on the 7th floor.
She's on the 5th.
That, you know, would be made available any time tomorrow.
We want to, as a result of this, I will accept when the meeting is in order.
And if I go to New York, I will always use this house plan.
You know, the theater, there's no use to use it.
I got in charge of all of this.
It was lousy sleep.
Do you remember those horrible sleeps?
And the Essex House isn't too far away from the theater, so I just want to use our own friends.
Bill Marriott has been a good friend.
He's been a tremendous friend.
And I understand that Bill said that he thinks it's a nice dance week in New York now.
Oh, I'm sure it is.
I am trying to work out this trip to California in a way that will, I mean, we're, it's going to be, I don't know whether it'll ever work.
I must say that everybody thinks I should do it.
I guess I should do it this year.
I should do it next year.
You know, the wearing a chair in this position is something that
that many people would not follow, only those that have been hit.
And I had him, of course, play his golf in the county.
You know, he was here when he wanted to be.
And he would constantly go to that ranch for weeks at a time, you know, and see people if he wanted.
Of course, he enjoyed it.
But in my head, it's different.
You know, I'm more of a compulsive worker than any other, actually, when John said that.
He's actually not a Republican, but anyway, everybody believes that a couple of weeks of just vacation for a change would be a good idea.
Now, I mean, after he's signing bills, I don't know whether it won't be any honest fortune for Congress to be gone.
Well, your tentable plan is to go to California for that period of two weeks.
Now, because of the ground problem, I think two things didn't just occur to me.
I'd hate to be very helpful if you were there, but I want you to go.
with the same idea in mind, in other words, vacation, that's what I feel, and that's true, but I think we're not taking, we're not taking Kessinger out, we're not taking Ehrman, we're not taking Schultz, we're not taking Weinberger, any of the people, no one's going to be out there working.
No cable officers are going to be out there in that period.
Paul will go naturally to, he has to be there to run, and maybe Alex to run the paperwork too, because there is a certain option.
It has to get through a disaster relief and so on and so on.
If you could go, I would go in terms of, you might go and get one person with you.
It would be wild.
Don't you?
I don't want to be.
I'd like a bird.
We worked out that you get your bird before you go.
But basically, there's something else in mind.
I want you to take time off, but to be available in case we have to use you for the buffer.
Now, I just don't want to end on this.
If I go out on a two-week trip and drown in the sand, I like the sense.
You see, I believe that I have to come back and tell them I'm going to Washington, which would be terrible.
Uh, frankly, I have to walk out, you know, just, you know, the way it would be is that, I'll put it this way, I'm not going to be there any evening with the two of them alone.
No.
I don't see, because they're never going to get that terrifying experience when they grab each other and they all do it again.
I'm not.
I'm never going to leave you alone.
You don't think you've got to pass any tests now that they simply cannot come in and inspect?
I know you shouldn't be there an evening that long, because they look like they're waiting on you.
Yeah, they're waiting on us.
Now, however it is that this could be done, it could help too.
And I agree to work on both projects.
I got it for Julie.
No, I think that's perfectly right.
And I can just put it from the very beginning.
Your father wants you to come because he's on vacation.
and they'll hold you back.
Well you see, I lie on one of the stairs a week, and another a week, and uh, and uh, now,
The pinch wedding occurs sometime there, and I had to go, actually.
It's almost as soon as we get out there.
Yeah.
So, Julia, she go the first week, and she didn't.
Because we want her to come to the wedding very badly, because of the fact that we're too mad at Julia's wedding or something.
It is, yeah.
So, could you shoot it in?
But, you know, this isn't, I remember I told you that you're most important this time, but even more important what you do for me and believe me in the next year.
But if you would do this first, regarding your own plan to go, but you remember you don't have to stick around.
You go out to see people, and anybody you want to do, so you can have the rest.
But to be available, you only have to be available in case I get really stuck in the ground.
Yeah.
You can't take that.
Oh, you can't allow it.
You can't allow it.
If he will be out there too.
Well, I think I would invite him.
Or at least a major part of the time.
Not all the time, see.
It's not good for him to come all the time either because...
Well, I think a good example of beauty is that when you're in Florida, even when you're sitting in his yard, he disappears, or he'll be still for hours.
Or talk, if you want to talk, or sit, or whatever.
Well, you can see what I mean.
I want you to go to the Julie Christian thing and say it out loud.
And I think it'll be Julie first, because of the way, and also because her school starts it.
And just say it.
Julie, this is for the good of your father, and I for the good of the whole church.
I mean, they've got it.
The whole family's got it.
They owe it to me now.
They've got to do it, you know?
They all have an adventure in the country, right?
And I think that she's just got to do it.
And Trisha and I did the same thing.
Aren't you grateful?
I think Trisha would be delighted to come out, actually, because she loved Calhoun.
Now, I think I should really tell them, too, that before they get there, that there is not to be the suggestion that they call Aunt Helene and come down.
No.
And you can say, I want you to know that we don't want you to go to your uncle.
This is going to be your father's vacation, maybe the last vacation for this week before the election.
The only one to get through.
I don't know.
You should come over and have a talk with her sometime, and really, and really honor her and say, you know, you know, the whole point is that there are many people who watch people in this office.
I mean, they expect, I mean, I can have a heart attack or a stroke, I mean, people, this is a terribly working office.
I frankly have not had, we have to put it quite candidly, I haven't had enough relaxation and I haven't had enough good times.
With all the people we talk about, I go down to California and I work for Florida a lot.
The best times I've had actually are the days perhaps when I go to Florida.
But I've done that 86, 87 times.
She's going on a tour, isn't she?
Someone told me.
Yeah, unfortunately, it was before we got to California.
She'll be on the tour while I'm going out to the...
If she weren't doing that, I would say, why don't you go back out and... Of course, I think you can get her together with Elaine now.
I don't think...
Helene tried, because you know what, she suggested that Bob Fitch didn't want to ask, they didn't want to impose to ask you to go, but of course you have to go because you've gone to others anyway, but she suggested, or Helene had suggested, and I don't know if Bob was even about to call her, that Pat and Helene go to the wedding.
Well, you know, first Miss Pat would do it anyway, but...
Well, we're not going to the wedding with the drums.
We're going to go alone, because we're not going to go to the reception room.
Well, I didn't go to the Rogers, and I didn't do it.
So I thought, I want to go because I want to do the right thing.
And I enjoyed it.
But we're going to do exactly the same thing we did to Shelby's in the way she had her arms.
We'll come in, shake hands, hug each other, have a drink, have a ride, all that sort of thing.
And then we leave.
Because I had to stay with her for a second.
And I thought, how strange is that?
That's right.
You said that every time it works in an animal.
It works better.
And then you would pass it back on to Charlie.
you'd get up there and to a leadership room.
And leave the ground clear.
And it's at 8 o'clock at night, too.
It's at 8 o'clock at night, so you don't want to get down.
Jack called me the other day on something else and didn't mention it.
I was afraid he was going to ask me if I knew about the phone call.
If he asks me, I'm going to say I don't know anything about a phone call, but if he asks me about whether people are welcome, then I'm going to be very honest and say, no, they have a rule that no people are going to stay overnight.
Only families.
That's the way I think I should handle it.
And if Pat finds out about it, I'm not going to let him know about the call.
Because I don't want... You don't know anything about the call.
You can't be in on it.
I can't be in on that, but I'm going to say it.
Let's see what's the rule.
The rule is that we've... You know that that's... That's what they're calling the dog line.
Well, I mean, everybody has a dog.
But you know, and it's true, we don't have to eat each day overnight.
And I think...
It's better.
It's better.
because she wants to see Delaney, and so it goes, and Delaney, when she arrives, then she'll have to pack, and pack, and pack.
That's true.
She's invited Delaney out for dinner or something.
I don't see that you should do that.
Oh, yes, yes, yes, you should if she wants to, but you see, if you haven't, that's the problem with these around.
We haven't introduced you.
Why can't I have a wedding?
We have a lady's jacket.
I just wanted to say that.
It's a lady's jacket out of the mortgage with the grandchildren.
Goddamn it.
Well, don't have that.
That's just one night.
But then, you have to have other people besides B.B.
to perceive and bend.
You've got to have a couple or something.
Why?
If you're out, they're coming.
Well, or just maybe it's B.B.
and myself.
Because at the very end, we just block them out.
You see, the point is, I happen to have him for a reason.
You know how Jack did it last time.
Right.
He ran into him.
He said, can I talk to you?
Do you want to talk to me for a while?
I just want you to see that we must not let this happen.
I hope we don't have to invite her out for dinner, because if there is, it's a little pushy enough to... No question.
I'll have a chance to talk to Pat.
I'll tell her, why don't she say at the end of her trip, instead of coming to Santa Elaine, go to Elaine's, have her visit with Elaine.
And then come to Santa Elaine.
She probably won't do it, but...
It's a great problem, you know, I don't have any.
Can you do the...
Even the golf, I probably ought to take up golf again, but the trouble is, it's a hell of a goddamn promotion for me.
It never works for me.
It's fine.
He didn't play with anybody.
He had to be a couple of times.
And he was absolutely right.
They all had to play golf.
That's what they did.
But they don't ask me that.
Of course, they press me and do everything.
Every time since then, we were playing golf.
We got a whole list there.
Then they have all their problems to go over with you.
So you bet it off to the Pakistani ambassador.
This is the one on our security.
Uh, could you, uh, could you, uh, send one of our, uh, one graphic shooter, any one that you've got here, to, uh, the soldier from Krasnoyarsk with, with the depreciation for his... distinguished service?
Grrrr!