Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 595 › Conversation 595-004
Nixon, Haldeman & Cox on Supreme Court appointments and Howard Baker
Monday, October 18, 1971 · 1:29 PM–2:32 PM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman to evaluate potential Supreme Court nominees, weighing the political implications and qualifications of figures such as Howard Baker, Caspar Weinberger, Hershel Friday, and Mildred Lillie. The discussion focused on selecting candidates who could secure Senate confirmation while adhering to the administration's philosophical goals and navigating regional and gender-based political concerns. Additionally, the President and his staff touched upon U.S. foreign economic policy, specifically assessing the performance of Peter G. Peterson regarding textile negotiations.
- Supreme Court appointments
- Howard Baker
- Caspar Weinberger
- Mildred Lillie
- Senate confirmation
- Peter G. Peterson
- US foreign relations
Audio
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 00:18:27 into the tape and ends around 00:29:14.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On October 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:29 pm and 2:32 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 595-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 595-4
Date: October 18, 1971
Time: Unknown between 1:29 pm and 2:32 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Greetings
The President talked with White House operator at an unknown time between 1:29 pm and 2:22
pm.
[Conversation No. 595-4A]
[See Conversation No. 11-106]
[End of telephone conversation]
US foreign relations
-Economic policy
-Peter G. Peterson
-Briefing
Supreme Court appointments
-Leonard Garment's recommendations
-Edward H. Levi
-Objectives in nominations
The President talked with Tricia Cox between 2:22 pm and 2:24 pm.
[Conversation No. 595-4B]
[See Conversation No. 11-107; one item has been withdrawn from the conversation]
[End of telephone conversation]
Supreme Court nominations
-Garment's recommendations
-Warren E. Burger
-Harry A. Blackmun
-Howard H. Baker
-Casper W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Hershel H. Friday
-Mildred L. Lillie
-Baker and Weinberger
-Garment’s view
-Lillie
-Garment’s assessment
-Baker
-School desegregation
-Tennessee
-John N. Mitchell, Elliot L. Richardson,
John D. Ehrlichman
-Friday, Lillie
-Baker
-South
-Weinberger
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Baker and Weinberger
-America Bar Association [ABA]
-Senate
-Weinberger
-Baker
-Senate
-Mitchell
-Jewish question
-Political consideration
-Israel
-Lillie
-Qualifications
-Garment’s view
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:24 pm.
The President's schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 2:32 pm.
US foreign relations
-Textile negotiations
-Peterson
-Performance
Supreme Court appointments
-Nominations
-Lillie
-Weinberger
-Political outlook
-Mitchell
-California
-William French Smith
-Lillie
-Chances of Senate confirmation
-Opposition to women
-Mitchell
Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:24 pm.
The President's schedule
-Wire photograph
-Jack Pardee
Haldeman and Bull left at 2:32 pm.Also recorded on October 18, 1971
- 594-007 12:37 PM · 8 min — George T. Bell, Thomas G. Walters, Mrs. Thomas G. Walters, Clarence M. Tarr, Mrs. Clarence M. Tarr, Arthur L. Sparks, Mrs. Arthur L. Sparks, Vincent G. Walkendifer, Mrs. Vincent G. Walkendifer, Gertrude G. Davis, Carleton J. Chace, James W. Stone, Mrs. James W. Stone, Ted R. Gardner, Mrs. Ted R. Gardner, Col. Glenn R. Johnson, F. E. O'Connor, Luther L. Miller, Joe G. Attebery, Mrs. Joe G. Attebery, Ed W. Meadows, Mrs. Ed W. Meadows, Ray Hillyard, Charles J. Turrisi, Mrs. Charles J. Turrisi, Ben W. Graybill, David M. Magee, Chris J. O'Neill, Judith E. Park, and Katherine G. Slade met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:37 pm to 12:44 pm.
- 594-008 12:44 PM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 12:46 pm.
- 594-009 12:44 PM · 57 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 12:46 pm.
- 594-010 12:46 PM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:46 pm to 1:15 pm.
- 595-001 12:46 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:46 pm to 1:15 pm.
- 595-002 1:15 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:15 pm to 1:29 pm.
- 595-003 1:29 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:29 pm and 2:22 pm.
- 011-107 2:22 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 2:22 pm to 2:24 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 595-004, October 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/595-004 (accessed October 14, 2026).