Conversation: 640-005
Prev: 640-004 Next: 640-006Start Date: Wednesday, December 22, 1971 4:03 PM
End Date: Wednesday, December 22, 1971 4:33 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Powell, Lewis F., Jr.; Smith, Richard S.; Sumner, Christopher; Powell, Lewis F., III; Rehnquist, William H.; Rehnquist, James; Rehnquist, Janet; Mitchell, John N.; Johnson, Wallace H.; Ehrlichman, John D.; Krogh, Egil ("Bud"), Jr.; Moore, Richard A.; Colson, Charles W.; Klein, Herbert G.; Shepard, Geoffrey C.; White House photographer; Bull, Stephen B.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Powell, Lewis F., Jr.; Smith, Richard S.; Sumner, Christopher; Powell, Lewis F., III; Rehnquist, William H.; Rehnquist, James; Rehnquist, Janet; Mitchell, John N.; Johnson, Wallace H.; Ehrlichman, John D.; Krogh, Egil ("Bud"), Jr.; Moore, Richard A.; Colson, Charles W.; Klein, Herbert G.; Shepard, Geoffrey C.; White House photographer; Bull, Stephen B.Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:18:32
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:51:59
NARA Description:
On December 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Richard S. Smith, Christopher Sumner, Lewis F. Powell, III, William H. Rehnquist, James Rehnquist, James Rehnquist, John N. Mitchell, Wallace H. Johnson, John D. Ehrlichman, Egil ("Bud") Krogh, Jr., Richard A. Moore, Charles W. Colson, Herbert G. Klein, Geoffrey C. Shepard, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:03 am to 11:33 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 640-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 640-5
Date: December 22, 1971
Time: 11:03 am - 11:33 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Mrs. Josephine Powell, Mrs. Richard S. Smith, Mrs.
Christopher Sumner, Lewis F. Powell, III, William H. Rehnquist, Mrs. Natalie Rehnquist, James
Rehnquist, Janet Rehnquist, Nancy Rehnquist, John N. Mitchell, Wallace Johnson, John D.
Ehrlichman, Egil G. (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr., Richard A. Moore, Charles W. Colson. Herbert G.
Klein, Geoffrey C. Shepard; the White House photographer and members of the press were
present at the beginning of the meeting.
[General conversation]
-Introductions
Formal ceremony
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Press coverage
[General conversation]
-Certificates
-Civil War
Presentation of commissions
-Powell
-Remarks by the President
-Rehnquist
-Remarks by the President
-Senate confirmation
-President's law experience
-Duty to the law
-Politics
[General conversation]
-Picture
-Powell family with the President
-Rehnquist family with the President
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 640-5 (cont.)
-Gifts
-Cufflinks
-Presidential seal
-Mike Reynolds
-White House tour
-“A Day in the Life of the President”
-Football
-Mitchell
-Larry Johnson
-Performance
-Rehnquist vote
-Charles E. Hughes
-Louis D. Brandeis
-Johnson
-Roman L. Hruska
-Unknown person
-Annapolis
-Unknown dinner
-[David] Dwight Eisenhower II and Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Age
-Gifts
The President’s remarks
Shepard [?]
-Health
-Schedule
-Ehrlichman
-Revenue sharing
-Welfare reform
Powell, et al. left at 11:21 am.
Yeoman Charles E. Radford
-Polygraph
Adm. Robert O. Welander
-Forthcoming meeting with Ehrlichman
-Henry A. Kissinger's letter
Alger Hiss
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 640-5 (cont.)
Whitaker Chambers
Jack N. Anderson
-Possible blackmail of yeoman
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 15s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**************************************************************************
-Re-interrogation of Radford
-Polygraph
Radford
-Compared to Daniel Ellsberg
-Knowledge
-Strategy
-Threat of prosecution
-Welander's involvement
-Kissinger
-Transfer
-Meeting with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Interrogation of Welander
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS] involvement
-Possible admission from Welander
-JCS
-Maj. Gen. James D. (“Don”) Hughes's successor
-Welander
-Difficulties
-Effect on career
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 640-5 (cont.)
Anderson
-Relationships within the government
-Compared to Drew Pearson
-Walter J. Hickel
-Sources
-William L. Safire
-Hidden sources
-Check of columns
-Young
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:21 am.
The President’s schedule
-Cabinet Room
Bull left at an unknown time before 11:33 am.
Justice Department staff
-Wallace H. Johnson
-Eisenhower
-John W. Dean, III
-Donald E. Santarelli
-Johnson
-Duties
-Hruska
-Congress
-Eisenhower
-Dealing with Congress
-Campaign reform legislation
-Letter from the President
-Congratulations
Radford
-Instructions to Mitchell
-Methods
-JCS
-Kissinger
-State Department
-Leaks
-William P. Rogers
-Security officer
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 640-5 (cont.)
-Briefing from Young
-Memorandum from Young about incident
-Espionage
Chairman of Commission on Financial Structure and Regulation
-Address
-Washington State
-Tacoma
The President, Mitchell, and Ehrlichman left at 11:33 am.