Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 627 › Conversation 627-003
Nixon, Haldeman & Kissinger on Tax Reform Act and European Security Conference
Wednesday, December 1, 1971 · 9:15 AM–10:05 AM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman, Henry Kissinger, and other staff to coordinate his upcoming trip to Chicago, address legislative priorities, and discuss sensitive foreign policy matters. The group strategized on managing tax bill negotiations with Wilbur Mills, navigating the political implications of campaign finance legislation, and handling diplomatic tensions regarding the European Security Conference and an upcoming meeting with Golda Meir. Additionally, they reviewed personnel changes involving Arthur Fletcher and confirmed the cancellation of Billy Graham's planned trip to Taiwan.
- Tax Reform Act
- European Security Conference
- Campaign Finance
- Golda Meir
- Arthur Fletcher
- Billy Graham
- Chicago Schedule
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 68.7 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 00:45:47 into the tape and ends around 01:07:14.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
NARA Description
On December 1, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 10:05 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 627-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 627-3
Date: December 1, 1971
Time: Unknown between 9:15 am and 10:05 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Schedule
-Chicago
-Conflict
-National 4-H Congress
-National Association of Farm Editors
-American Farm Bureau
-President’s speech to the National 4-H Congress
-Meet and greet
-National Association of Farm Editors and the American Farm
Bureau
-John C. Whitaker
-Earl L. Butz
-Whitaker’s talk with Roger Clements
-Possible photo opportunity at the meet and greet
-Recognition
Henry A. Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 9:15 am.
National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Allies
-Options
-European Security Conference
-William P. Rogers
-Preparatory meetings with the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics
[USSR]
-Berlin
-Agreement
-Western Deputy Foreign Ministers meeting
-Western position rectified
-Summit
-Exploratory talks
-Rogers
-Possible delay of explanatory talks
-Middle East
-USSR
-Rogers’ probable meeting with the President
-Golda Meir
-Joseph J. Sisco
-Yitzhak Rabin
-Los Angeles Times
-Proposal
-Agenda
-State Department
-USSR
-Negotiations
-Shift in US policy
-Rogers
-Lunch for Meir
-Meeting with Kissinger
Kissinger left at an unknown time before 10:05 am.
Chicago
-Schedule
-Problems
Clark MacGregor
-Tax bill
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Pressure
-Auto dealers
-Potential problems of tax bill
-Kevin P. Phillips
-Labor unions
-Control of Presidential elections
-Campaign check off
-Public attitudes
-John B. Anderson
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:15 am.
Rogers's schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 10:05 am.
MacGregor
-Foreign aid
-Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
-Appropriation
-Allen J. Ellender
-Trip to Africa
-Continuing resolution
-Butz
-Upcoming vote
Dr. Arthur A. Fletcher
-Resignation from the United Nations [UN] delegation
-United Negro College Fund [UNCF]
-Sense of helpfulness
-Importance in particular field
-Chairman of the Domestic Council Committee on Discrimination
-Post retained by Fletcher
-Letter to the President
-Negro colleges
-Ability to survive
-Black Professors
-White colleges
-Hiring tactics
-Criticism
Schedule
-Congress
-Kissinger
-Chicago speech
[Pause?]
American Pharmaceutical Association [?]
Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:15 am.
Schedule
-Chicago speech
Bull left and Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 10:05 am.
Pierre E. Trudeau dinner
-Guest list and table
Butterfield left at an unknown time before 10:10 am.
William F. (“Billy”) Graham's trip to Taiwan
-Trip cancelled
Trudeau dinner
Haldeman left at an unknown time before 10:10 am.Also recorded on December 1, 1971
- 627-001 9:15 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 10:05 am.
- 627-002 9:15 AM · 35 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 10:05 am.
- 084-015 9:57 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, Gen. George A. Lincoln, John N. Mitchell, Richard M. Helms, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, John N. Irwin, II, Martin J. Hillenbrand, David Packard, Philip J. Farley, Henry A. Kissinger, Col. Richard T. Kennedy, Philip A. Odeen, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr., William G. Hyland, and Lt. Col. Walter B. Ratliffe, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:57 am and 11:59 pm.
- 015-178 11:00 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 12:15 pm.
- 627-004 11:00 AM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and William P. Rogers met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:29 am.
- 627-005 11:29 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:29 am to 11:30 am.
- 627-006 11:30 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:30 am and 11:36 am.
- 627-007 11:36 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Richard W. Mallary, Raymond H. Nutter, Harry S. Dent, Alexander P. Butterfield, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:36 am to 11:42 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 627-003, December 1, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/627-003 (accessed October 9, 2026).