Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 566 › Conversation 566-003

Nixon, Ford & Griffin on Economic policy and Legislative scheduling

Tuesday, August 17, 1971 · 1:10 PM–1:14 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsFord, Gerald R.; Griffin, Robert P.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation566-003 on Tape 566 (tape position 01:26:36–01:30:05)StartTuesday, August 17, 1971 at 1:10 PMEndTuesday, August 17, 1971 at 1:14 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 566-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Gerald Ford and Robert Griffin to briefly discuss the administration's national economic program and legislative scheduling. Following this brief policy exchange, the focus shifted to a ceremonial visit by members of the Oakland Athletics baseball team. Nixon presented gifts, including golf balls, to the athletes to commemorate their recent on-field achievements.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 169.3 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 171.7 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 8.1 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 01:26:36 into the tape and ends around 01:30:05.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
1:26:55Thank God I made my speech schedule after this next Sunday.
1:26:57Of course, I would never have said that.
1:26:58I didn't know what I was going to do, but I was sure to do it myself.
1:26:59I was trying to do as far as I could.
1:27:00Full-scale program.
1:27:00But as they say, I think every part has to be acted on.
1:27:47Yes, they just completed a tour of the new cabin room.
1:28:17Over at this side of the building, there was a prison.
1:28:18We call to your attention to cover the people who were with the flight of the Loom this 10th, 22nd game.
1:28:2110th and 11th, yeah.
1:28:2110th and 11th, yeah.
1:28:22Last one pitch, a perfect baseball game.
1:28:23Happened to them three years ago.
1:28:23Ah, what do we have here?
1:28:24We have the golf balls here.
1:28:257-12.
1:28:25They're all at me.
1:28:25They're all at me.
1:28:26I don't know who they are.
1:28:26Our golfers said they had plenty.
1:28:27All searched here.
1:28:51No.
1:29:06There were a couple of points that might have been interesting.
1:29:43Thank you.

NARA Description

On August 17, 1971, Gerald R. Ford, Robert P. Griffin, President Richard M. Nixon, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:10 pm to 1:14 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 566-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 566-3

Date: August 17, 1971
Time: 1:10 pm - 1:14 pm
Location: Oval Office

Gerald R. Ford met with Robert Griffin.

     National economy
          -President's program
                -John W. Byrnes's schedule
                      -Griffin’s schedule
                -Democrats
                -Unknown man
                      -Credit

The President and Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:10 pm.

     President's schedule
          -Oakland A's
                 -Number
                 -Location
                       -Cabinet Room
                 -Vida Blue
                 -Jim (“Catfish”) Hunter
                 -Presentation of gifts by President
                       -Golf balls
          -Griffin, Ford

Ford and Griffin left at 1:14 pm.

           -Oakland A's
                -Bert (“Campy”) Campaneris
                -Reggie Jackson

Bull left at 1:14 pm.

Also recorded on August 17, 1971

  • 070-002 12:54 PM · 8 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:54 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 566-002 12:55 PM · 15 min — Stephen B. Bull, Roger Robb, Dr. James R. Schlesinger, Cora Schlesinger, Charles Schlesinger, Ann Schlesinger, William Schlesinger, Emily Schlesinger, Thomas Schlesinger, Clara Schlesinger, Laura Martin, William O. Doub, Joseph Doub, Albert Doub, Albert A. Doub, Mrs. Albert A. Doub, Mrs. George M. Radcliffe, George M. Radcliffe, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Gerald R. Ford, and Robert P. Griffin met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:55 pm to 1:10 pm.
  • 566-004 1:14 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles O. Finley, and Dick Williams met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:14 pm and 1:29 pm.
  • 566-005 1:14 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 1:14 pm and 1:29 pm.
  • 566-006 1:29 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:29 pm to 1:32 pm.
  • 566-007 1:32 PM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Robert P. Griffin, Alexander P. Butterfield, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, and George P. Shultz met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:32 pm to 2:12 pm.
  • 566-008 2:12 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:12 pm and 2:23 pm.
  • 566-009 2:23 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:23 pm to 2:25 pm.

All 48 conversations from August 17, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 566-003, August 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/566-003 (accessed October 12, 2026).