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Conversation 006-053

TapeTape 6StartWednesday, June 30, 1971 at 2:40 PMEndWednesday, June 30, 1971 at 2:42 PMTape start time01:04:05Tape end time01:05:19ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Davies, John S.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and John S. Davies discuss the optics of an under-attended White House social event, noting a significant number of empty seats. Nixon expresses concern over the poor visual presentation and instructs Davies to see if nearby tourists can be recruited to fill the space. The conversation highlights the President's personal involvement in event management and his reluctance for First Lady Pat Nixon to appear at an sparsely attended gathering.

White House social eventsPublic relationsEvent managementPat NixonVisual optics
AudioNARA Description

On June 30, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John S. Davies talked on the telephone from 2:40 pm to 2:42 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 006-053 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 6-53

Date: June 30, 1971
Time: 2:40 pm - 2:42 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John S. Davies.

[See Conversation No. 532-23C]

     Tourists to fill seats for unknown White House social event
          -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
Transcript (AI-Generated)

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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

Hello?
Mr. Davies?
Hello, Mr. President.
Uh, John.
Yes.
I was looking out there in this thing here and noticing that there...
about, you know, how many people there, but why don't we get the tourists in there to fill those seats?
You know, this is a great thing to hear that sort of thing.
Yes.
Well, now, of course, the visiting hours close at 12.
Yeah.
So I don't have any easy source to tap at this point.
Let me see what I can do if there are any people, you know, just outside.
The doors close, of course, at 12.
How do they make up this crowd?
Well, frankly, I don't know.
This was handled entirely by the social office, and so we were not involved in the people attending.
I wish we had been, frankly.
But let me see if there's any source at all that we can tap.
Well, take a look.
I agree with you.
It looks to me like it's just about 200 or 300 blacks and 800 empty seats, and that's ridiculous.
Right, of course.
To have everybody go out there.
Sure.
All right.
uh you know uh and in fact i don't think uh pat ought to really go out she's supposed to go out right they ought to fill the place up let me see what i can do right fine
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