Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 621 › Conversation 621-012

Nixon & Colson on James D. Hodgson and AFL-CIO

Saturday, November 20, 1971 · 8:09 AM–8:37 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation621-012 on Tape 621 (tape position 00:20:50–00:25:42)StartSaturday, November 20, 1971 at 8:09 AMEndSaturday, November 20, 1971 at 8:37 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 621-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Charles W. Colson to dictate a memorandum regarding a potential speech to be delivered by Secretary of Labor James D. Hodgson to the AFL-CIO. The discussion focused on crafting the appropriate tone and content of the speech, specifically reflecting on the President's past experiences with union leadership, including George Meany. Nixon aimed to refine the administration's strategic approach to labor relations through carefully selected phraseology in Hodgson’s remarks.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 168.5 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 168.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 168.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 4) · 60.0 MB

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 00:20:50 into the tape and ends around 00:25:42.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
20:56Mr.
20:56Member Adam Coulson, os ydyn nhw'n penderfynu gwneud rhywfaint o adroddiadau i'r cyfarfodydd cyffredinol o'r cyfnod arbennig, dyma ychydig o feddwliaethau y gallech chi eu canolbwyntio arnyn nhw.
21:15Mae'n rhaid i Chris ysgrifennu'r ffordd nad ydw i'n cyfeirio i'w wneud hyn.
21:22Mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd hwn yn unig ac mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd hwn yn unig ac mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd hwn yn unig ac mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd hwn yn unig ac mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd hwn yn unig ac mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd hwn yn unig ac mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd hwn yn unig ac mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd hwn yn unig ac mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd hwn yn unig ac mae'n rhaid i chi ddechrau'r fywyd
21:56Rydw i wedi cyflawni fy holl bywyd o flynyddoedd i ffyrdd cymdeithas gwaith.
22:08Rydw i wedi gwneud hynny.
22:10Rydw i wedi gwneud hynny.
22:11Rydw i wedi gwneud hynny.
22:14Rydw i wedi gwneud hynny.
22:19Rydw i wedi gwneud hynny.
22:21Rydw i wedi gwneud hynny.
22:26ac rwy'n credu ei fod wedi cael ei gyflawni'n American.
22:33Mae hynny'n rhywbeth nad ydw i'n gallu ei ymddygiadu amdanynt, p'un a yw cyfarfodydd y Cenedlaeth neu siaradau ar draws y wlad yma neu ar wlad eraill.
22:45Ar ddiwrnod diwrnod diwethaf, diwrnod diwrnod diwrnod diwrnod diwrnod diwrnod diwrnod diwrnod diwrnod diwrnod diwrnod,
22:57Bladers, Produs, Ours.
23:03Ystraddoch.
23:10Dwi ddim wedi dweud hynny.
23:15Dwi'n dweud hynny.
23:17Dwi'n dweud hynny.
23:20Dwi'n dweud hynny.
23:24Dwi'n dweud hynny.
23:29Fe wnaeth y Prif Weinidog yng Nghymru yn ymwybodol mwy am chi na'i wneud amdano, llawer mwy am chi na'i wneud amdano.
23:37Felly, gadewch i mi ddarganfod rhywbeth am y dyn hwn.
23:42Fel y gwelwch, rwy'n ddemograff.
23:43Mae hi'n rhywbeth iawn.
23:48Dydw i ddim yn gwybod hynny'n dda, ac rwy'n gorfod gofyn i unrhyw brif weinidog.
23:53Yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, rwyf wedi dod i'r brif weinidog.
23:59Mae'n un o'r pethau mwy sy'n canolbwyntio'n fawr.
24:02Dwi ddim wedi cael fy mhrofiad i ddweud hynny.
24:05Dwi wedi cymryd cymaint o ddiddordebau a chyflawniwyd meddyliadau.
24:09Dwi ddim wedi clywed unrhyw un o'r rhain.
24:12Dwi ddim wedi clywed unrhyw un o'r rhain.
24:14Dwi ddim wedi clywed unrhyw un o'r rhain.
24:19Dwi ddim wedi clywed unrhyw un o'r rhain.
24:21Dwi ddim wedi clywed unrhyw un o'r rhain.
24:22Dwi ddim wedi clywed unrhyw un o'r rhain.
24:26Dwi ddim wedi clywed unrhyw un o'r rhain.
24:29Mae'n ffermwr a dyn dda.
24:37Yr unigolion, yr unigolion, mae'n eich ffrind.
24:49Yn ei gair.
24:49Nid oedd unrhyw un wedi dod i'r Prifysgol.
24:53Oedden nhw'n gweithio'n fach na'i wneud.
24:54Nid oedd unrhyw un yn y Prifysgol.
25:00Mae hynny wedi bod yn fwy gwirioneddol ac yn fwy sylweddol i'w sefydlu na'i bod wedi'i gwneud.
25:03Gwerth.
25:03Mae hynny'n ymwneud â'r rhwydwaith hyn.
25:12Ac mae'n dweud, dwi ddim yn hoffi'r hyn rydych chi'n ei ddweud amdanynt, ond dwi'n hoffi'r hyn rydych chi'n ei ddweud amdanynt.
25:22Mae'r dyn rydw i'n credu wedi cael ei hanes yn un o'r preswylion gwych Cymru, ac un o'r ffrindiau gorau Llywodraeth Cymru.
25:29Dyma'r diwedd hwnnw.

NARA Description

On November 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:09 am and 8:37 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 621-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 621-12

Date: November 20, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:09 am and 8:37 am
Location: Oval Office

The President dictated a memorandum to Charles W. Colson.

     James D. Hodgson's possible speech to American Federation of Labor-Congress of
         Industrial Organizations [AFL-CIO]
          -President’s previous speech at AFL-CIO convention
                -George Meany
                -Treatment of the President
          -The President's role in preparation
          -Content and phraseology
                -The President's relations with labor and labor leaders

Also recorded on November 20, 1971

  • 015-055 8:09 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:09 am and 8:37 am.
  • 621-010 8:09 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:09 am and 8:37 am.
  • 621-011 8:09 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:09 am and 8:37 am.
  • 621-013 8:09 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:09 am and 8:37 am.
  • 621-014 8:09 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:09 am and 8:37 am.
  • 015-056 8:37 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at 8:37 am.
  • 621-015 8:37 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:37 am and 8:45 am.
  • 621-016 8:37 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:37 am and 8:45 am.

All 41 conversations from November 20, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 621-012, November 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/621-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).