Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 555-005
Date: Thursday, August 5, 1971 at 1:15 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Percy, Charles H.; Atkins, Oliver F. ("Ollie"); Brock, William; Henderson, M. A.; Davenport, W. R.; Taft, Robert A., Jr.; Butterfield, Alexander P.; Williams, Zachery; Williams, John C. (Mrs.); Funk, Paul E.; Gilbert, David; Semiatin, Morris; Gubser, Charles S.; Schuyler, Philip; Williams, Lawrence G.; Williams, Lawrence G. (Mrs.); Boyer, Marie A.; Simmonds, Marie A.; Conte, Silvio O.; Hitchcock, Wilfred S. (Mrs.); Voskly, George (Mrs.); Ferry, Hugh K.; Mattis, Joseph F.; Bull, Stephen B.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Percy, Charles H.; Atkins, Oliver F. ("Ollie"); Brock, William; Henderson, M. A.; Davenport, W. R.; Taft, Robert A., Jr.; Butterfield, Alexander P.; Williams, Zachery; Williams, John C. (Mrs.); Funk, Paul E.; Gilbert, David; Semiatin, Morris; Gubser, Charles S.; Schuyler, Philip; Williams, Lawrence G.; Williams, Lawrence G. (Mrs.); Boyer, Marie A.; Simmonds, Marie A.; Conte, Silvio O.; Hitchcock, Wilfred S. (Mrs.); Voskly, George (Mrs.); Ferry, Hugh K.; Mattis, Joseph F.; Bull, Stephen B.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/555-005

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] You go to school there?
[0:28] University.
[0:28] You bet.
[0:28] Not at the Great Eats.
[0:32] Oh, they've got a very good football team, too.
[0:46] Let's see, what do we want to do?
[0:46] Well, the senator would stand next to you while you sign the bill, Mr. President.
[0:48] Yeah, let's see.
[0:48] We'll just have to get one in at two.
[0:49] Right now, sir.
[0:50] You're in your bill, sir.
[0:50] Great.
[0:57] You come over and get a job here.
[1:22] We'll prepare it for you.
[1:22] This is for you.
[1:23] And, uh...
[1:23] Here you go.
[1:23] Thank you.
[1:23] Thank you.
[1:24] Thank you.
[1:24] Thank you.
[1:24] Thank you.
[1:24] Thank you.
[1:27] Thank you.
[1:45] Thank you.
[1:54] Thank you.
[1:54] Thank you.
[2:01] This is the greatest Bible country in the world.
[2:26] Middle Tennessee, I'm all about it.
[2:26] I know.
[2:27] Mr. President, we certainly consider it an honor for you to
[2:33] in the early Bible, places like the Gideons.
[2:52] Now, you of all know, Gideons are preaching business and perfection.
[2:54] I mean, who would give up their time to believe in the Bible and the Gideons?
[2:55] There are apostles in the church and all over the world.
[2:56] And there's only some national heritage that the Church of God has found in the church of God and the people of the Church of God.
[2:59] We pray for you, and other men are going to be here to be sure that we bless you on our prayer.
[3:18] God bless you.
[3:18] Amen.
[3:19] We're all going to ask whether or not these rivals are going to be good with the computer.
[3:39] Not just like, did you look at one of the Air Force ones?
[3:40] Yes, indeed.
[3:41] Right there.
[3:41] What was it?
[3:41] I know.
[3:41] I went in and out.
[3:42] We've got a couple of senators on their way out.
[3:43] So I went in and out.
[3:43] I said, here.
[3:43] This is probably the best book in the place.
[3:44] At the bottom of the issue.
[3:45] Yeah.
[3:45] At the bottom of the Air Force one.
[3:46] Now, you look at it.
[3:46] It's a legal number of $150,000.
[3:47] That's it.
[3:47] Like.
[3:51] In one minute, that's about 30.
[4:11] In the early 1930s, a young boy who was 18 years of age left his security, his solitary home, and went to New Orleans to try to find a job.
[4:14] After walking many days on the street, he got a job first as a dishwasher and then as a printer.
[4:16] He owned a soda hotel.
[4:16] Part of his compensation was a three-room.
[4:17] His life was a life of dissident sin.
[4:18] that was completed, time was completed, taking up the gambling, winemaking, softball business.
[4:41] His, one of his closest friends was a confirmed, he just knew, he was a hotel engineer.
[4:42] So as a result of this, he became progressive in his topic, and to the point that he said that on a number of occasions, he would go to the window of his hotel room, look out, and contemplate, try to summon the courage to attach himself to the paper.
[4:49] On one such occasion, this man put his hand on a book beside the window, and it was a Bible.
[5:06] He read it on the last book of the New Testament, and he wrote down the Revelation on it.
[5:08] And after a few, after some days of doing this, because of leisure time, I turned to the Lord.
[5:10] He got on his knees in that room.
[5:23] He asked God.
[5:27] This was his prayer.
[5:27] He said, God, if you were real and you would reveal yourself to me, I would spend my life trying to make you known to others.
[5:33] Now, that was many years ago.
[5:34] Today, that man, who is Carl Bates, Dr. Carl Bates, is serving his seventh year as president of the Southern Texas Conventional Church, the largest property in the United States.
[5:38] You don't know.
[5:38] Don't be an authority.
[5:38] ... ... ... ...
[6:03] Again, if you receive this one, you can talk to the Women's Association of the United States, which involves 87 other countries where we have the privilege of being a part of it.
[6:24] It's a good way of being a part of it.
[6:25] Well, I mean, Bill told me about this.
[6:26] Bill and Howard and Howard are going to come down right there.
[6:27] He's going to do it.
[6:30] We always like to say it's Brock's decision, but beyond that, we don't want to get into town.
[6:46] Yeah, that's right.
[6:47] That's what he likes to do.
[6:47] That's all he goes to.
[6:48] Obviously, he'll give you a couple of chances.
[6:48] Yeah.
[6:49] He's up there.
[6:49] I wanted to get through that one piece of that.
[6:50] Let me get you a version of this.
[6:51] It's definitely a hard task, but we'll do it.
[7:06] Now, here's what we want to leave it up here.
[7:20] One of our friends, one of my local friends, here in here, one of them said, here's what we want to hear.
[7:38] And I, uh, so I give the title of the story.
[7:54] You're very glad to give it this time.
[7:55] That's right.
[7:55] Well, it's an honor to do this.
[7:56] And I go with that old joke.
[7:56] I mean, you can understand a lot of
[7:59] Thank you very much.
[8:28] Thank you very much.
[8:28] All right, sir.
[8:52] Thank you.
[8:52] Mr. President, we're bringing Senator Tapp down to the Capitol.
[8:53] I'll see you later, General.
[8:54] This is the Navy, in fact.
[8:54] Oh, I don't know where I'm going to sit.
[8:55] May I come in?
[8:56] This is the last man in his life.
[9:08] How are you?
[9:34] Are you?
[9:35] Now, let's see.
[9:45] One of the big pictures here is going to be this one.
[9:46] I told you.
[9:46] Let me see it now.
[10:09] Here we are.
[10:28] Look out this way.
[10:38] Hey, oh, hi.
[11:02] I can tell you're six when you're teething.
[11:03] Anybody that loses their shoes in the middle of the, uh, the middle of the year is six years old.
[11:05] Good boy.
[11:05] Thank you.
[11:05] Now, I want to give you something.
[11:06] What have we got here?
[11:06] Everybody's, uh, everybody's... You ever look at the movie shots?
[11:08] You don't see them on holidays?
[11:22] Well, here's the Apollo moonshot you should take a look at.
[11:23] What's up with that?
[11:24] Why, of course.
[11:24] And we'd like to have a little country for you.
[11:25] That's the seal of the presidency.
[11:26] Where is it?
[11:27] We like that he likes to come to folks a little bit.
[11:40] He's saying, Bob, you've got a metal band.
[11:41] He's a great, great musician.
[11:42] That's right.
[11:42] That's right.
[11:42] He's like, Johnny, I was in the theater last night.
[11:43] I was like, no, my dad had to leave.
[11:44] But Johnny, that's his mother.
[11:45] She was a tenor.
[11:45] She was a very nice lady.
[11:46] She was a great lady.
[11:47] uh
[12:11] Good to see you.
[12:26] Good to see you.
[12:27] All right.
[12:45] Charlie, how are you, President?
[13:06] How are you?
[13:06] Sorry to keep you waiting, but I ask you, how do you miss Northland?
[13:07] Who is Professor Scott Laird of the University of Santa Clara?
[13:09] Oh, President, well, I'm afraid that's not going to be my lifestyle.
[13:10] I'll tell you a bit about it in a minute here.
[13:11] It's one of my favorite parts of the country.
[13:12] It's where you listen to the Broncos.
[13:13] I can remember when the Broncos played in the Sugar Bowl.
[13:14] Do you remember?
[13:14] I certainly do.
[13:14] They were great.
[13:15] This gentleman has done something highly unusual.
[13:35] He's done a collection of paintings, which have been very national treasure.
[13:37] James Jr. is going to be contacting you and presenting them to the government to handle at which point.
[13:40] The West, the West part, yeah.
[13:59] Yeah, that's right.
[14:00] Actually, he did them in, uh, partly on location in Vietnam.
[14:01] In fact, that movie was while he was doing them.
[14:02] And it's the most fantastic thing I've ever seen.
[14:03] And we wanted him to meet you before you did it.
[14:04] Oh, my, my, my, my.
[14:04] Yeah, that's one of the years we didn't see him, huh?
[14:05] Not until I was in Vietnam.
[14:06] He is, uh, in Vietnam and all that stuff.
[14:07] Well, listen.
[14:07] Yes, sir.
[14:30] Yes, sir.
[14:30] Yes, sir.
[14:30] Yes, sir.
[14:31] Oh, it's great.
[14:46] I was going to say it once, I was going to say it this year.
[14:47] Greatest thing I've ever seen.
[14:48] Those boys are going by.
[14:49] That's the best thing I've ever seen.
[14:49] I love that.
[14:50] That's the best thing I've ever seen.
[14:50] Yeah.
[14:51] If you could be in the audience.
[14:51] Yes, Mr. Justice.
[14:52] I see.
[14:52] I'm not an expert in this thing, so I can't answer.
[15:10] I was the officer in charge of the combat artist, uh, right before World War II.
[15:12] I don't know who I know about this, but I'm pretty sure that this is General Brown, the Japanese, the Japanese, and this was written for us.
[15:15] This, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this.
[15:23] I was amazed at what happened to each of them.
[15:43] It was fantastic.
[15:44] We know you're running behind schedule.
[15:44] All right, let's just start it.
[15:48] Well, I'm delighted to meet you and to, uh, meet you, uh, very much.
[16:10] Can I, you got something to drink right now?
[16:11] I guess you ought to have a personal cup.
[16:12] There you are.
[16:12] There's another.
[16:12] Ah, all right.
[16:13] You can go down here.
[16:13] Put that to your wife.
[16:14] You're nice.
[16:14] All right.
[16:14] Thank you.
[16:16] Also, you have something for your wife.
[16:17] You a golfer?
[16:17] No.
[16:18] You are?
[16:18] Charlie, you're not.
[16:23] I like the spirit, you know.
[16:49] I remember Charlie from way back in the 60s, of course, 50s, like 50s.
[16:51] The thing that he did that he always had, which is impressing people, is I'm sorry, because he's the, what you call, he's the Q, the enthusiast, of course.
[17:13] So I hope he never loses it.
[17:13] You know, some people never have.
[17:14] And you see many young people who have strong enthusiasm.
[17:15] You see many older people who have a great deal.
[17:16] But this goes through, he's just full of beans.
[17:17] All I've got to do is believe in something, and I'll try to thrive.
[17:18] All right, thanks.
[17:19] I'm going to get up to your, try to get up to your part of the country, Charlie.
[17:21] Sometime, uh, maybe in, uh, in late August or September, if I'm in California.
[17:41] Really?
[17:41] I bet he wants to do some sort of a thing.
[17:43] I thought we ought to come back and go to San Jose or one of those places again.
[17:46] Wonderful.
[17:47] If you're around, I'll be there.
[17:47] Where are you?
[17:48] Steele, uh... Everybody rocked.
[17:48] That's right.
[17:48] Thank you.
[17:50] All right.
[18:16] Mr. President, Congressman Wiggs.
[18:16] Hi, Larry.
[18:17] How are you?
[18:17] Nice to see you.
[18:17] Nice to see you.
[18:18] You're always looking pretty good, I'll tell you.
[18:19] Remember that pink flower thing you brought me?
[18:31] I see.
[18:56] I see.
[18:56] Well, let me see.
[18:56] You helped her.
[18:57] Yeah.
[18:57] Of course, you taught her.
[18:57] Oh, you're good to make it.
[18:58] I just thought you had remade it, if you're sorry.
[18:59] .
[19:00] Well, where have you had all this time?
[19:12] We've had it all.
[19:13] We've had it all.
[19:13] We've had it all.
[19:29] It is?
[19:55] Yes.
[19:56] This explains it all?
[19:56] Yes.
[19:56] You have a Pennsylvania Westman in a long period of time.
[19:57] They always have a pastor.
[19:58] I'm scared of this man.
[20:07] I think, uh, he was just so rich, you know, when he walked out.
[20:16] And, uh, he died.
[20:16] I'm sure he made a lot of money out of it.
[20:17] He certainly did.
[20:17] He's got a lot of guts.
[20:18] He's got a lot of guts.
[20:21] He's never afraid.
[20:43] Never afraid.
[20:43] And that's what you need.
[20:44] Right?
[20:44] Well, that's it.
[20:44] Hey, you got, we brought in, you brought in somebody that you're a public relations expert.
[20:46] Yeah.
[20:46] Yeah, well, thank you.
[20:47] Thank you.
[20:47] Or let me get, I'm going to get you something while you're here.
[20:48] Now, let's see.
[20:49] Larry, there's another pair coming up for you.
[20:52] Your son, Ray.
[21:17] And this is a little probably a catalog, perhaps.
[21:18] I will let him hear it from your secretary.
[21:18] Are you an adult?
[21:19] Any of you adults?
[21:19] Your husband or your friend?
[21:20] Your friend.
[21:27] I don't know why it doesn't just pop.
[21:45] And there's one for you.
[22:08] And good job to whoever is the best in public, not regarding the office.
[22:09] I threw it on.
[22:10] Thank you.
[22:10] Thank you.
[22:10] Thank you.
[22:10] Thank you.
[22:11] Thank you.
[22:11] The president of PepsiCo is Donald Kendall, a very good friend of mine for many years.
[22:23] And they bought the Wilson Gold Company a year ago, and he wanted to do something nice for people who came in.
[22:31] So he just gave them a hold.
[22:31] He just makes these balls and gives them to the White House to be given out to people soon.
[22:33] We don't give them too many.
[22:36] I want to tell you what I can do with this.
[23:00] I want to feel as good as I am.
[23:00] I can, I can promise.
[23:01] I'll tell you that.
[23:01] I'll tell you that.
[23:02] I'll tell you that.
[23:02] I'll tell you that.
[23:02] I'll tell you that.
[23:03] I'll tell you that.
[23:03] I'll tell you that.
[23:27] Thank you very much.
[23:53] You're welcome.
[23:53] Oh, we'll look for any objects.
[24:18] Of course.
[24:18] .
[24:18] .
[24:18] .
[24:18] .
[24:18] .
[24:18] .
[24:18] .
[24:18] .
[24:18] .
[24:20] and the American Vice General coming four years to the city, and so forth and so forth.
[24:40] He said, I'm going to help this right here.
[24:41] They keep getting wet out there.
[24:41] They have a little thing here.
[24:42] Why don't we go over here and get a better picture?
[24:43] And that started in this canner area.
[24:44] And that's the road starting from there.
[24:45] And I keep that on my desk, and I do this.
[24:48] I mean, after the nomination.
[25:02] Yeah, well, they were such a happy future.
[25:03] Ah, well, now listen, let's get, uh, let's get...
[25:06] President, we, uh, we're not very profitable.
[25:26] If we get past this, it's, uh, more than we're going to do better.
[25:27] Uh, this little town gave you a little too much.
[25:28] Oh, I see.
[25:28] Exactly.
[25:28] We understand now.
[25:29] The main thing is you get it back.
[25:29] Massachusetts attorney.
[25:30] Well, it's their attorney.
[25:30] Well, I believe it was Mr. Cranston.
[25:31] Three of these things.
[25:32] We're going to get it back.
[25:32] Yes, sir.
[25:32] You better.
[25:33] I'd like to have it in the Senate, but that'll be another trial later each year.
[25:34] But we're working on it.
[25:35] Yeah.
[25:35] Have it go at the right time.
[25:36] You must not go back.
[25:37] Isn't that wonderful?
[25:55] The person I'm... Mr. Chairman, I'm a nice Italian.
[25:56] I'm from Maine.
[25:56] I went to Massachusetts, and I'd like to present to you, Mr. President.
[25:58] That's an honor.
[25:58] Yes, well, I'm very happy to have this.
[25:59] Well, Mr. President, the library, everybody's here.
[26:00] 200 years since you've been running this yourself.
[26:01] Correct.
[26:01] 24 years.
[26:01] That's close to a year.
[26:02] I'm sorry.
[26:02] How old are you, Mr. President?
[26:08] One for each, you know.
[26:31] I see you as the artist and the metal and also the white.
[26:32] You did it.
[26:32] That's right.
[26:32] And are you a part of the profession?
[26:33] No.
[26:33] You're just a...
[26:34] I couldn't draw a straight line.
[26:34] You're a ruler.
[26:35] Then on the other side is a straight line.
[26:40] I just don't know where she's at, girl.
[26:51] Must be loving it.
[26:51] It is?
[26:51] Good.
[26:52] Someday I'll come.
[26:52] Someday I'll be there.
[26:52] Good.
[26:53] This girl will love it.
[26:53] I don't know where it is.
[26:54] And Mrs. Hitchcock had a little book there, too.
[26:55] That is good.
[26:55] All right.
[26:56] You did all this at the time of the sanctuary.
[27:08] What is the population of the town?
[27:09] About more than 35.
[27:09] It's a small town.
[27:09] It's kind of creepy.
[27:10] Is that why I'm scared?
[27:10] No, I don't consider it a town.
[27:11] It's fine.
[27:11] You have your area.
[27:12] It's a little over there.
[27:20] That's beautiful.
[27:33] Beautiful.
[27:34] Well, George, they don't like this.
[27:57] This is the only good maple soup.
[27:57] Come on.
[27:58] We want you to have a few mementos, too.
[27:58] These are the presidential contracts.
[27:59] Let me show you what it is.
[28:00] It's the seat of the president.
[28:00] Oh, my.
[28:00] There you go.
[28:01] There you go.
[28:01] There you go.
[28:01] There you go.
[28:02] There you go.
[28:02] There you go.
[28:02] There you go.
[28:03] Oh, my goodness.
[28:06] The town is wonderful.
[28:06] Thank you.
[28:13] David and everyone else on the other, and send her a copy.
[28:34] You know the one we had, too.
[28:35] The official copy.
[28:35] Rose has one out here with the children in Canada.
[28:37] So they've been having that for a while, hasn't they?
[28:38] Yes, we have one that's like us, but after they were married.
[28:39] Wonderful.
[28:39] We all saw it at the wedding, Pastor.
[28:40] We love that.
[28:40] Yes, sir.
[28:40] Well, I'm just so glad to see you.
[29:05] That's the Rose Garden right out there.
[29:08] Yeah, yeah.
[29:33] President May is, uh, May is Hillary's birthday, but she hasn't stopped.
[29:56] She's, you and I are, uh, playing away in, uh, we're using her campaign.
[29:57] I've been moved away.
[30:01] All right.
[30:18] Goodbye.
[30:18] Good to meet you.