Conversation 625-020

TapeTape 625StartMonday, November 29, 1971 at 11:20 AMEndMonday, November 29, 1971 at 11:49 AMTape start time03:39:28Tape end time04:06:54ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose Mary;  Lonstreth, William Thacher;  White House operator;  MacGregor, Clark;  Rooney, John J.Recording deviceOval Office

On November 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, William Thacher Lonstreth, White House operator, Clark MacGregor, and John J. Rooney met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:20 am and 11:49 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 625-020 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 625-20

Date: November 29, 1971
Time: 11:20 am - unknown before 11:49 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.
     The President's schedule
          -William Thacher Longstreth
               -Possible call from the President
               -Invitations to White House

The President dictated a letter to Longstreth at an unknown time between 11:20 am and 11:25

     Letter to Longstreth
           -Betty [Surname unknown]
           -Previous mayoral election in Philadelphia
                -The President's previous experience

[End of dictation]

     Forthcoming White House dinner
          -Unknown man
               -John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 04/11/2022.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[625-020-w001]
[Duration: 10s]

     Forthcoming White House dinner
          - John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy

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     White House dinner
          -Unknown man

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/06/2023.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[625-020-w002]
[Duration: 42s]

     Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
          -Event [?]
               -The President’s opinion
               -Rose Mary Woods’ opinion
*****************************************************************

     Woods's schedule
         -The President’s foreign travel
The White House operator[?] talked with the President at an unknown time between 11:20 am
and 11:25 am.

[Conversation No. 625-20A]

     [Unintelligible]

[End of telephone conversation]

     The President's schedule

The President talked with Clark MacGregor between 11:25 am and 11:26 am.

[Conversation No. 625-20B]

[See Conversation No. 15-148]

[End of telephone conversation]

     The President's schedule
          -Woods

The President talked with John J. Rooney between 11:27 am and 11:28 am.

[Conversation No. 625-20C]

[See Conversation No. 15-149]

[End of telephone conversation]

     The President's schedule
          -Woods
          -Henry A. Kissinger
          -California
                -The President's conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                -Alexander P. Butterfield
                      -Dwight L. Chapin
                      -Secretaries
                       -Stephen B. Bull
                -James D. (“Don”) Hughes
                -Staff
                -Unknown woman
          -Presidential travel
                -Staff
                     -Size

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/06/2023.
                                                                     Conv.
3m 21s segment cleared for release with three segments of 1m 12s, 1m 26s, andNo.
                                                                              5m625-26
                                                                                 33s (cont.)
remaining closed as 625-020-w003 and 625-020-w005, and 625-020-w006 respectively.]
[Personal Returnable]
[625-020-w003]
[Duration: 3m 21s]

       Conversation with Mamie G. D. Eisenhower on 11/28/1971
            -Travel to California
                  -Helicopter
                  -Time traveled

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[625-020-w003]
[Duration: 1m 12s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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     The President’s schedule
          -Previous trip to California [?]
               -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
                      -Dinner
                            -Potatoes

     Weather

     Park [?]

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[625-020-w005]
[Duration: 1m 26s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************

     Briefcase

     The President’s sweater

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[625-020-w006]
[Duration: 5m 33s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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

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

     Pending legislation
          -Tax Bill
               -Possible veto
               -MacGregor

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 04/11/2022.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[625-020-w004]
[Duration: 37s]

     The President’s health

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

Woods left at an unknown time before 11:49 am.

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.

Probably, sir, because you caught the other thing.
I caught it, but they didn't have to call it, because I don't follow signs, and so forth, but I didn't notice.
You've got to notice, sir.
Oh, we've had to make it back.
There's no time for that.
There's no time for that.
There's no time for that.
There's no time for that.
There's no time for that.
How much does your vacation have to earn?
Strengths?
Can they?
Okay.
Work?
You?
Okay.
If you work, it's very honest.
Thank you.
Come along, come along.
You.
There, don't move up.
Don't move up there.
We got your needs.
All right.
All right.
There's some go that way.
You compare him to Jack O'Neil, you don't get harassed by anything.
Well, like, a lot of other stuff.
In fact, Jack was horrible at it, too.
He had to give him that much love.
And there he is, in truth.
I mean, it's just really nice to look at him.
I think one is nice, but he just... Oh, he's an insecure, black person.
He just needs to be seen.
He has to have that lower eye, I mean.
There's a headless child coming here.
They had a region that would play one number two or something before five minutes, so then that would be out of the way.
Yeah, it's too bad we haven't really picked some.
I don't know.
I think they're better than that.
That must be boring.
When you know whether you can go out on any trips, could I go?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Thank you.
Hello?
John, I did want to have one of your old colleagues go and clear back of the idiot that missed your birthday.
Yeah, I know that you already have a go for a big match at such a match, so go home at half-past, okay?
Now, I want to spend a little time with you.
Yeah, well, good to talk to you.
We'll wish you the best of luck, okay?
Many happy returns, Bob.
See ya.
I'm saying what I think you'd better throw.
I just don't know what, for example, may come up while I'm on the trip.
I might have to make up some damn statement or something.
It won't be what I think you'll do.
I don't get that.
We don't have to go and slice down their staff situation.
I mean, so that you don't have to do some of the things that they're all doing.
You know, it wasn't really an extent of what we were concerned.
We had another one involved, you know, that they were on the sides.
the size of the group was very distinct.
I got that idea in California.
I checked that office situation, and I said, I don't know who's in these offices.
He said, well, they've got to argue with that one.
Where the hell is Ryan's office?
Right outside there, sir.
Well, Butterfield's never was there.
Butterfield didn't used to go.
Then, when Butterfield came, he and Steve used to both occupy the office.
And then, for some reason or other, they thought they had been in his way, like a gnome.
I don't know whose idea it may have been.
Well, I think it's still a real secret that it's a secret.
It's a secret.
Because they're, you know, the...
They may not have people they can count on.
But... Now you've got, you see, you've got Butterfield, you've got Dwight, you've got, you've got...
They go on there.
They go to work in the military.
Well, they're up in the antebellum and all that.
The A's, the A's, it's there.
Don, here's Pat's office.
Now, the A's, the office actually is up in the antebellum.
But...
That's fairly small.
But on the other hand, on these trips, I'm a military aide.
I've got all these other people who've got that much.
Well, a lot of the people I've dealt with, Rickman is not there either, as you well know.
There's hardly anybody in the office at any time.
Maybe you could look at it.
At least I've been in one of those offices for an hour a day.
Nobody's been out of town.
I don't know what the use of that is.
For example, wasn't there a priest that should be known as the Lord of the Wind of the Christ?
Sir, you shouldn't think I'm a priest, but before that grapevine, it just looked like a dance floor.
I had somebody walking in there, and I was trying to think who they were calling out.
I don't know.
I'm going to have all these good gentlemen.
I'm going to have all these goddamn people.
I think it's going to happen a lot.
And he was like, well, I don't have anybody there to go in and say, get the hell out of here.
Man, I have to go out there and talk to you.
I mean, I've got a aide, and I've got a secret service man, and I've got a military aide.
Man, I'm trying to get you in here, but when you have a free, nobody lives in here.
They live in their home.
They all want to live in there, but nobody has any responsibility.
And the only thing I can do is wait for someone to do this.
And you go very, very far.
It really is.
It really is.
I agree.
When you go, unless you're going to have a lot to do.
When there's a big schedule and a big schedule, they have to be able to take.
I would always have been for a smaller rather than a larger staff.
But I think, really, people do more when they're pushed a little.
Not pushed hard.
I mean, it's not going to be a thunder.
You know, I was going to say, and I called it.
She couldn't believe we were there.
We got there in time.
Yeah, I think, I think it worked out very well.
And I ordered it up.
I ordered it to pass, ordered the whole den, and then ordered a side, and then an additional side order and stuff.
Potatoes, they had some mashed potatoes.
I think it got a thank you feel at that time, she got home and said,
Yes, it was quite a little today.
I don't know what such a beautiful place.
What about free space for you?
Go back.
I don't have much.
I don't have much.
I don't have much.
I don't have much.
I don't have much.
When I was over there, I thought...
I think when I was over there, I may have occurred to you, you know...
I've got it.
What's going on today?
I'm going to take this place out today.
I feel like this is going to be cool.
This is making sense.
All right.