Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 604 › Conversation 604-008

Nixon & Shultz on Pay Board and Executive Order

Wednesday, October 27, 1971 · 5:27 PM–5:29 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Shultz, George P.Conversation604-008 onTape 604 (tape position 01:05:29–01:07:32)StartWednesday, October 27, 1971 at 5:27 PMEndWednesday, October 27, 1971 at 5:29 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 604-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and George P. Shultz discuss the inaugural meeting of the Pay Board and concerns regarding the necessity of allowing members to appoint proxies during absences. Due to the potential impact of pending economic discussions, including issues related to gold, Nixon instructs Shultz to coordinate with the Board to amend the executive order to authorize these proxy arrangements. This decision ensures continuity in board operations despite the impending unavailability of key members.

Audio

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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 01:05:29 into the tape and ends around 01:07:32.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

1:05:59He was calling me about the first meeting with the pay board.

1:06:03He said it went very well.

1:06:05He said that the pay board meeting, they had agreed, and he went through the reasons that the principals could have owners if the principals were away on something.

1:06:17He pointed out that he had to be away for two weeks or three weeks, or a hundred and twenty-seven.

1:06:22That's when his conventions are.

1:06:28to act for them.

1:06:28He said that they agreed on that this morning.

1:06:32Judge Golden called me tonight and said, well, the legislation might allow that the executive order not provide for that sort of thing.

1:06:46And he says that it's very important that this

1:06:55Well, I... Well, I...

1:07:08I wouldn't think that would be the case, but you see, as I told him, I said, well, I can see your point of view, because obviously, if he knew your pulse, he wouldn't have the pulse.

1:07:19He said, that's exactly the point.

1:07:20He said, the two of us are going to be away, and the very important thing is we're going to be talking about the gold hold.

1:07:25So, I said, we can get at it.

1:07:28So, what I'm asking you to do, if you will talk to the boat, and change the order to what's necessary, will you do that, please?

NARA Description

On October 27, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:27 pm to 5:29 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 604-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 604-8

Date: October 27, 1971

Time: 5:27 pm - 5:29 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with George P. Shultz
[This recording begins at an unknown time while the telephone call is in progress]

[See Conversation No. 13-22]

Also recorded on October 27, 1971

604-001 1:32 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:32 pm and 2:53 pm.
604-002 1:32 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:32 pm and 2:53 pm.
604-003 1:32 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:32 pm and 2:53 pm.
604-007 3:45 PM · 49 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:48 pm.
081-002 3:48 PM — President Richard M. Nixon and budget advisors, including John D. Ehrlichman, John N. Mitchell, John B. Connally, George P. Shultz, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Charles W. Colson, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Edwin L. Harper, Lewis A. Engman, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 3:48 pm to 5:22 pm.
013-022 5:27 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:27 pm and 5:29 pm.
604-009 5:29 PM · 44 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Stephen B. Bull, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:29 pm to 6:14 pm.
604-010 6:14 PM · 53 sec — Manolo Sanchez and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 24 conversations from October 27, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 604-008, October 27, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/604-008 (accessed September 18, 2026).