Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 618 › Conversation 618-025

Nixon alone in the Oval Office on Harry S. Truman and George E. Allen

Monday, November 15, 1971 · 12:50 PM–12:57 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation618-025 on Tape 618 (tape position 04:41:22–04:42:59)StartMonday, November 15, 1971 at 12:50 PMEndMonday, November 15, 1971 at 12:57 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 618-025 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon recorded a memorandum to memorialize a recent discussion with George E. Allen regarding the political dynamics of the Harry S. Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt administrations. Allen characterized Truman as a well-meaning but impressionable leader whose policy direction was heavily influenced by intelligent advisors like Dean Acheson. The conversation also detailed the historical maneuvering by Democratic party figures to successfully remove Henry A. Wallace from the 1944 presidential ticket by controlling access to Roosevelt.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 72% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I had a fascinating conversation with George Allen in which he reminisced about his relations with Truman.
He said that, quote, Truman really wasn't very smart, that he was a very kind man, and hard, and had said many things publicly in a partisan way that he really didn't mean.
He said that an individual who was intelligent but who got to Truman in the last could usually affect his decisions.
That was the reason that Acheson, who was a very intelligent man, very persuasive, had such enormous influence on policy while he was president.
Acheson had influence which was, for the most part, the Marshall Plan, etc., for the good.
He told Tom, he had Ed Flynn, the other guy in writing, leaders,
all got together and determined that whoever was nominated as vice president in 1944 would be the next president, and that Henry Wallace couldn't be the man.
The way they handled the thing was to control the appointments with Roosevelt through Watson, who was an appointment secretary, so that the only people who saw Roosevelt could talk politics were people
get rid of Walsh.

NARA Description

On November 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:50 pm and 12:57 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 618-025 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 618-25

Date: November 15, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:50 pm and 12:57 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President dictated a memorandum for the file.

*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 04/07/2022.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[618-025-w001]
[Duration: 1m 30s]

       The President's previous conversation with George E. Allen
            -Harry S Truman
                  -Intelligence
                  -As a politician
                  -Dean G. Acheson
                         -Influence on Harry S. Truman
                         -Marshall Plan
            -Edward J. Flynn and George E. Allen
                  -Meeting with Democratic leaders
                         -Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1944
                               -Potential next President
                               -Henry A. Wallace
                               -Franklin D. Roosevelt's schedule
                                     -Appointments secretary, Watson [first
                                     name unknown]
                                     -Removal of Henry A. Wallace

*****************************************************************

Also recorded on November 15, 1971

  • 618-023 12:18 PM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George E. Allen, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:18 pm to 12:50 pm.
  • 618-024 12:50 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:50 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 618-026 12:57 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:57 pm to 1:16 pm.
  • 618-027 1:16 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:53 pm.
  • 618-028 1:16 PM · 57 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:53 pm.
  • 618-029 1:16 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:53 pm.
  • 618-030 1:16 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:53 pm.
  • 618-031 1:16 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:53 pm.

All 57 conversations from November 15, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 618-025, November 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/618-025 (accessed October 12, 2026).