Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 615 › Conversation 615-012

Nixon, Heinz & Cook on Election and Washington D.C. real estate

Friday, November 5, 1971 · 11:00 AM–11:04 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Heinz, H. John, III; Heinz, Teresa (Simoes-Ferreira); Cook, Richard K.Conversation615-012 on Tape 615 (tape position 02:54:03–02:57:23)StartFriday, November 5, 1971 at 11:00 AMEndFriday, November 5, 1971 at 11:04 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 615-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with newly elected Congressman H. John Heinz III, his wife Teresa Heinz, and Richard K. Cook for a brief, informal introductory meeting. The discussion focused on Heinz's recent electoral victory, his age, and the political landscape of his district. Nixon also offered personal advice to the young congressman regarding the financial benefits of investing in Washington, D.C. real estate.

  • H. John Heinz III
  • Election
  • Washington D.C. real estate
  • Investment
  • Congressional politics

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
You were sworn in.
Let's have a vote right away.
I think I did.
Our people responded.
They voted for you.
Let's get over here and get a picture.
Come on.
You, I'll snap to you.
I don't need you.
That's easy.
You're the only one that can separate what a buyer needs from a buyer.
Oh, that's great.
I had a picture taken of Edgar a lot, it seems like, years ago when we were in.
But you had an marvelous campaign.
You won much bigger than we did.
What was your number?
What was your number?
Sixty-eight hundred percent.
Sixty-five, sixty-eight hundred percent.
Sixty-eight hundred and three to forty-nine.
How old are you?
Thirty-three.
If we did Congress, what would the issue be, Bob?
Or something else?
After last night.
The river's going, the river's going around.
No, no, no, no, it's wonderful because from that time, the march in this first district, nobody run again.
What they're going to do is they're going to change minister.
They're going to take away about 60% of it.
You'll steal it.
You'll steal it.
You'll steal it.
Well, I think I just, I gave you comments before.
Yes, but they're very wrong.
No, I didn't say that.
Are you paid off for the science?
What are you doing now?
I don't get it.
I only intend to get it.
But you live where?
Don't worry, there's nothing around here.
But anyway, they're all, I mean, it's funny, but you live all right.
Let me just make a suggestion.
At your age, I'm pretty boy, my wife and I are,
Washington real estate is something that always goes up.
Always, always, always.
It's worth buying.
And I know it's a terrible thing that you can address, but buy it.
And whatever you want to do, you can sell it or so forth.
Washington real estate is enormously good buy.
I mean, it's an investment.
You know, you better invest something in there.
And as a congressman, you're going to have this problem.
You're going to watch.
The worst thing people say is directly that you can get so much better place than you got.
Even if you buy a condominium.
Why?
I heard you talk about that.
Yeah.
It'll be long to know that I'm only 40 years.
All right.
Thank you.
You might ask your dad.
I will.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On November 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. John Heinz, III, Teresa (Simoes-Ferreira) Heinz, and Richard K. Cook met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:00 am to 11:04 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 615-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 615-012

Date: November 5, 1971
Time: 11:00 am - 11:04 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H[enry] John Heinz III, Teresa (Simoes-Ferreira) Heinz and Richard K.
Cook; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

      Heinz's election

      Arrangements for photograph

      Heinz's election
           -Margin of victory
           -Heinz’s age
           -District

      Presentation of gifts by the President

      Housing
           -Real estate in Washington, DC
                -Value

      Heinz's father, Henry John Heinz II

Heinz, et al., left at 11:04 am.

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

Also recorded on November 5, 1971

  • 013-150 11:04 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:04 am and 11:06 am.
  • 615-013 11:04 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:04 am and 11:06 am.
  • 615-014 11:04 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:04 am and 11:06 am.
  • 013-151 11:06 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:06 am.
  • 013-152 11:07 AM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone from 11:07 am to 11:09 am.
  • 615-015 11:07 AM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:07 am to 11:09 am.
  • 615-016 11:09 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:13 am.
  • 615-017 11:09 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:13 am.

All 53 conversations from November 5, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 615-012, November 5, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/615-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).