Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 598 › Conversation 598-003

Nixon, Voss & Etherington on Volunteerism and Community Development

Thursday, October 21, 1971 · 11:45 AM–12:06 PM ET · Oval Office · 17 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Voss, Ruth; Etherington, Edwin D.; McLane, James W.; Scott, Stanley S.; Bull, Stephen B.; Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation598-003 on Tape 598 (tape position 00:02:22–00:19:08)StartThursday, October 21, 1971 at 11:45 AMEndThursday, October 21, 1971 at 12:06 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 598-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Ruth Voss and representatives Edwin Etherington, James McLane, and Stanley Scott to discuss her volunteer initiatives in Cincinnati, particularly programs supporting local youth and community development. The conversation centered on the logistical and financial challenges of securing federal support through government agencies like ACTION. Nixon expressed interest in these volunteer efforts and provided directives to his staff to coordinate with administrative officials to address the project's funding needs.

  • Volunteerism
  • Community Development
  • Federal Funding
  • ACTION
  • Cincinnati
  • Public Policy

Audio

Download MP3 · 23.1 MB

This clip was extracted from the full tape recording by Easy Nixon.

Listen to the full tape segment

Position in tape: 00:02:22 – 00:19:08

2:20

598a.mp3

NARA Description

On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Ruth Voss, Edwin D. Etherington, James W. McLane, Stanley S. Scott, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 12:06 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 598-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 598-3

Date: October 21, 1971
Time: 11:45 am - 12:06 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ruth Voss, Edwin D. Etherington, James W. McLane, and Stanley S.
Scott.
[The White House photographer was present at the beginning of this meeting]

Salutations

Seating arrangements for photographs

Volunteerism
    -Cincinnati Enquirer
    -Cincinnati experience
           -Community house
    -House for girls
           -Voss's experiences
                 -Federal funds
                      -John D. Ehrlichman
                      -ACTION
                 -Family life
                 -Relationship with Cincinnati Enquirer
                      -Frank Dale
                 -Financial needs
                      -The President's directive
                            -Ehrlichman
                            -Casper W. Weinberger
                            -ACTION
                            -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
                      -ACTION
                            -Upper Volta
                      -Peace Corps
    -Poor people
           -Africa, Asia, Latin America
           -United States

Voss's experiences
     -University of Cincinnati
           -Oscar Robertson

The President's attendance at All-Star game
Show the rest of the log (36 more lines)
Cincinnati
     -William J. Keating
     -Robert A. Taft, Jr.

The President's viewing of the Cincinnati-Cleveland football game on television
     -Paul Brown

     Cincinnati
          -Hockey
          -Royals basketball team
          -Columbus
          -Cleveland

     Federal funds for Voss's project

     The President's schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting with foreign diplomats

     Gift presentation

Stephen B. Bull and Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 12:00 pm.

     Gifts
             -Presidential seal

     Dale

     Voss

     Henry Ford II

Voss et al. left at 12:02 pm.

     The President’s schedule

The President and Butterfield left at 12:06 pm.

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

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Well, well, well, well, well, well, well,
I know.
You do that, too, don't you?
You do that, too.
That's, uh, that's, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh,
I want to ask you to tell us for four weeks about the one volunteer group in Cincinnati called Cincinnati Springs.
They've really done a miraculous job in community health and serious health about this group, Cincinnati Springs.
And I know you decided to do this project.
You run another sub-medicine in that one.
And I really want you to see it.
And I hope you have time to read it and get it scheduled.
Sure they do.
Yes, I've heard about it.
All right.
on the front of each of our motels about this kind of thing.
The series was written by the director of the state government.
It's telling exactly what they do, and some of the information about a group like this, you have to produce the knowledge that's being done in our area.
So that's one of the things that we really have, and we talk to our janitors.
It's really good things that the kids are doing.
You don't have your own agency and so forth.
How about that?
I don't know that.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
No, it was the kids' idea.
You know, I just wanted to find a lockdown with their idea.
How did you get involved in it?
Because it's one of your children's?
No, I just wanted to help.
I knew they wanted to do something, and I'm in a perfect position to help them.
I'll say.
Yeah.
Excuse me.
.
.
.
really done a marvelous thing.
And in case we'll open it next week, we've won $24,000 in things which have all been privately raised.
We've tried for four years to get federal or state funding, and haven't been able to.
And it's something that we really have a full time on because it's so important.
These young ones have no place to live, you know?
And they're going to go back to homes that are so dead that they can't go back to them.
That's why they're doing so many things.
No, I haven't heard about this need until just this moment.
Just tell her I'm going to find it.
Take it out of that action agency.
They have a lot of people over there that are too heavily
Uh, they have, they're too heavily staffed that they, uh, at the top level, and just move a few people out of the staff and the mine program, you know, cutting back on personnel and put it in here.
Okay?
Sir?
Uh, you're getting the money.
I understand.
I'm gonna report on this at the end of the day.
Tell everyone it's to come out of action.
That's what I tell you.
It's not coming out of them.
They're supposed to be doing this sort of thing.
So we just tell them to take it out of their overhead and put it into doing something for people.
That's it.
Not the people that are working there, but they don't have to go and go out and work for themselves.
They can.
Tell me, what is the... Do you have a...
I'm going to hear your voice.
Oh, yes, sir.
They really are.
The problem is he's telling them about girls.
They're much harder to read.
12 and 16.
Well, those are ages that are particularly 16.
That is a little bit of a problem for girls.
And that's really hard to tell.
It's really hard to tell.
Uh, what is your, uh, you must get very good support from the paper.
Yes, sir, I do.
The whole group, they don't have much in there at all.
They support you strongly, do they?
Yes, sir.
You know, when we started this section six years ago, it was the longest-running tabloid in the country, specifically for teenagers.
And it doesn't carry itself every time, you know?
It doesn't carry itself every time.
No, I didn't see much of it.
They feel very strong, and most people need their own protection.
There's only good things they're doing.
And I don't think they care one bit, ever, Peter.
And what is the amount that you need for this project?
How much?
And don't get me too big a figure, because I want to be sure that this is not something you can't buy.
I would be afraid to give you anything.
We have $24,000 in the bank, which is enough to pay several staff people for almost a year.
Well, what are we doing?
Oh.
Well, we're doing it on a minimum basis, you see.
There's no other reason to start.
I would say a minimum of $30,000 a year we could operate.
We have $100,000.
$50,000.
And I expect to report to my desk by 4 o'clock.
I think it's legitimate.
This is the kind of thing we want to support.
We don't do enough of it.
In government, we tend to become too much concerned about staffs and all the rest and big tables of organization.
critical paths and all that nonsense.
It doesn't do anything for animals.
You know, there are a dozen girls sitting inside your range, which is Ohio's correctional institution for girls, that can't be released.
Technically, they should be released.
They can't, because they have no basis.
And now, when we open next week, they'll have a fund.
$50,000 is nothing.
That's right.
Nothing for this sort of thing.
for the whole year.
Which sounds like it would carry over a second year.
Yeah, well, let me get you to start, and you can take that and go out and tell some of the people out there to pick up some themselves, you see, so that they can expand it.
Do you follow?
Well, he's gone.
He's in New York.
Why never go right to the budget?
Just to come out of action.
I think maybe, if I may, I'll defer to Jamie because I don't know whether they want me or not.
I have no trouble getting them to help us.
Our program is good.
I do have a 4 o'clock date at about 3 o'clock.
I don't get it.
because he has to go down for the rest of the season.
This is tough, tough going.
You just follow up and get it done.
$50,000 a year out of action.
Fair enough.
We're gonna go.
And it doesn't come out of action.
It's not one action.
Well, one of the things we're trying to do is to transfer some of our volunteer activities, well-intentioned but unsuccessful operations abroad, to
very, very important operations at home.
You know, everybody thinks that, my God, all the poor people are in Africa or Haiti or Latin America and so forth.
Well, we have a few.
And we want to help those people as much as we can.
But many of their countries are very proud.
They don't want it.
And our people, because the bureaucracy wants to stay, won't give up.
Well, we're not going to do it that way.
Well, tell me this.
You're...
You've been, you've been how much longer in the Enquirer?
Thirteen years.
I'm always in this kind of work.
Oh, yes.
You go back to the...
I say back to, too far back in the days of Oscar Robertson.
He was playing.
That's right.
More lonely than Oscar Robertson.
He was prettier, too.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Of course, he made it.
He made it.
Cincinnati's so famous.
It takes a great player like him to do it.
They don't.
I wish you'd come.
It's really... Oh, I imagine.
I saw the All-Star game.
And, uh...
to make an issue and they'll come back.
They're young.
They're young and they've got issues.
I think the best thing about our city is there are so many people that really are concerned about our city.
Are they really?
They really are.
It's considered to be rather a state conservative city, but that's not true.
Oh, but the people are still warm.
Are they?
And I feel so fortunate to be in this position here to help people that want to help, especially young people.
In other words, the idea that Cincinnati just sort of sits there.
Oh, that's right.
She doesn't move, it's not true.
Boy, the talkers seem to know him.
He's a very good friend of mine.
I must say, there are bloodthirsty bunch out there.
I saw a little of that Cincinnati Cleveland game on television.
It's the Boston game, the hardest track that came out of person.
Paul Brown is a very rugged coach.
A marvellous coach.
Fundamental.
He's all the way.
We have four professional sports teams, and that speaks well for the team.
That's right.
You've also got a hockey team.
Hockey, basketball, and the Senators.
Those are my fellow Royals.
And now the hockey team.
And the rest.
Baseball, basketball, and the Senators.
For example, Columbus is bigger.
Well, if they have any that you're scared of, or if he rubs off on them, why, that's great.
Thank you.
We're very proud that you're done.
Yes, so many people, you know, we do really miss you, for example.
He picked two of us, the one that really deserved the recognition.
You know, we don't want to recognize everybody, of course, but the way you do it in this case, and the least we can do here is to try and get you $50,000.
$50,000 should be done, and that's one of the few things that we can't, we normally can't.
I never say anything, you know, like this.
We run it all through bureaucracy, but I can sense immediately what the problem is here.
It's just a question of many good things.
This is a good thing you checked on me, Mr.
I know a lot of other things that are in agencies that they're dabbling around in, so I'm just checking.
I think it'll be used very well.
If I agree, absolutely.
Well, I've got to go over to the foreign ambassador now.
All right.
And let's see.
We'll give you a little trinket here for your...
That's the presidential seal, which will be of interest to you.
You're going to be the president of the election.
There you are.
You probably have some.
There's yours.
Fine.
Let me see what we can give to your children.
They're all going to give us the same thing.
That's all right.
The same thing.
The same thing.
The same thing.
How many?
How many children?
Eight.
Do you do that?
It's a thing, isn't it?
You bring in expensive people.
I can't do that.
You can't do something to one without the other.
Eight children.
Eight.
And so I think it's the best part.
If you didn't hand her the bookmarks, I'm sure they'd like the best.
The bookmarks might be better.
Let me see what you do.
All right, let me show you what the bookmark is.
This will get them to study it, you see.
It has the presidential seal on it also.
That's the bookmark.
that they were encouraged to read.
The reason that we, the presidential signalers, is the mark of this union.
There it is.
It's here.
So now all the kids are telling me I gotta read books, not look at that TV.
TV's a waste of time.
So I'm right then.
It must be called a reading inquirer in books, fair enough.
Well, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Well, I appreciate your name to the letter.
Oh, thank you very much.
Thank you so much.
Well, thank you very much.
Glad you're out there.
Just keep that old spirit.
I see many people coming through.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.

Also recorded on October 21, 1971

  • 012-034 10:52 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 10:52 am to 11:04 am.
  • 281-026 10:55 AM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, John B. Connally, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:55 am to 11:40 am.
  • 012-036 11:04 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 11:04 am to 11:14 am.
  • 012-037 11:14 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:14 am and 12:39 pm.
  • 598-001 11:42 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 11:45 am.
  • 598-002 11:42 AM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 11:45 am.
  • 598-004 12:06 PM · 1 min — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:06 pm and 7:28 pm.
  • 281-027 12:36 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:36 pm to 12:38 pm.

All 128 conversations from October 21, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 598-003, October 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/598-003 (accessed November 13, 2026).