President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to review the guest list and preparations for an upcoming White House dinner for Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Nixon expressed frustration with the inclusion of certain activist and State Department-recommended guests, ordering a more exclusive list that prioritized political allies and restricted White House staff attendance. Additionally, they discussed strategies for disseminating the President's welcoming remarks to ensure they were framed correctly in the press.
On November 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:28 pm to 6:47 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 614-024 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 614-24
Date: November 4, 1971
Time: 6:28 pm - 6:47 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
The President's previous meeting with Congressmen
-John Rousselot
Forthcoming White House dinner for Indira Gandhi
-Entertainment
-Ballet
The President's schedule
-Cabinet meeting, November 5, 1971
-The President’s role
28
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
-Vice President [Spiro T. Agnew]
-John A. Scali
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 6:28 pm.
Program for forthcoming dinner for Gandhi
-Guest list
Bull left at an unknown time before 6:47 pm.
Guest lists for White House dinners
-White House staff
-The President's conversation with Rose Mary Woods
-Military
-White House staff
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Arrival
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 6:28 pm.
Forthcoming dinner for Gandhi
Bull left at an unknown time before 6:47 pm.
-Guest list
-Woods
-State Department
-Advisory Panel on South Asian Relief
-Maxwell Rabb
-James A. Perkins
-Joseph E. Johnson
-Wife, Catherine D. W. (Abbot) Johnson
-Carnegie Foundation
-Alger Hiss
Guest lists for White House dinners
-Woods
-Charles W. Colson
The President's welcoming remarks for Gandhi
-Content
29
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 614-24 (cont.)
-US-India relationship
-Dissemination to press
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Kissinger
-Ziegler
-Scali
The President's schedule
-Leonard Garment
-Schedule
-Kissinger
-John C. Whitaker
-William E. Timmons
-Woods
Timmons
The President's schedule
-Dwight L. Chapin
-Guests' workload
-William P. Rogers
Forthcoming dinner for Gandhi
-Guest list
-Gandhi
-Charisma
-Indians
-Arthur F. Burns
-Frank F. Church
Guest lists for White House dinners
-Haldeman
-Alexander P. Butterfield
-Forthcoming conversation with Woods
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 6:28 pm.
Weather
Music box
30
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 614-24 (cont.)
Visitors to Oval Office
Forthcoming dinner for Gandhi
-Entertainment
-Ballet
The President, Haldeman and Sanchez left at 6:47 pm.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.