Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 645 › Conversation 645-004

Nixon, Flemming & Parker on Appointment ceremony and Older citizens

Tuesday, January 11, 1972 · 12:02 PM–12:16 PM ET · Oval Office · 13 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Flemming, Arthur S.; Flemming, Bernice V. (Moler); Flemming, Harry S.; Parker, John; Parker, Susan H. (Flemming); Parker, Elizabeth; Parker, Charles; Parker, John, Jr.; Richardson, Elliot L.; Martin, John B.; Cole, Kenneth R., Jr.; Garment, Leonard; McLane, James W.; Evans, L. John; Todd, Webster B., Jr.; Flannery, Thomas A.; Bull, Stephen B.; White House photographerConversation645-004 on Tape 645 (tape position 01:11:50–01:24:17)StartTuesday, January 11, 1972 at 12:02 PMEndTuesday, January 11, 1972 at 12:16 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 645-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Arthur S. Flemming, his family, and various administration officials in the Oval Office to mark Flemming's appointment to a federal position focused on the needs of older citizens. The ceremony included formal introductions, the presentation of gifts, and a brief photograph session with the White House press corps. Flemming expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and affirmed his commitment to championing the dignity and welfare of the nation’s elderly population.

Audio

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Position in tape: 01:11:50 – 01:24:17

1:11:48

645a.mp3

NARA Description

On January 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Arthur S. Flemming, Bernice V. (Moler) Flemming, Harry S. Flemming, John Parker, Susan H. (Flemming) Parker, Elizabeth Parker, Charles Parker, John Parker, Jr., Elliot L. Richardson, John B. Martin, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Leonard Garment, James W. McLane, L. John Evans, Webster B. Todd, Jr., Thomas A. Flannery, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:02 pm and 12:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 645-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 645-4

Date: January 11, 1972
Time: 12:02 pm - unknown before 12:16 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Arthur S. Flemming, Bernice V. (Moler) Flemming, Harry S. Flemming,
John Parker, Susan H. (Flemming) Parker, Elizabeth Parker, Charles Parker, John Parker (Jr.),
Elliot L. Richardson, John B. Martin, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Leonard Garment, James W.
McLane, L. John Evans, Webster B. Todd, Jr., Thomas A. Flannery and Stephen B. Bull; the
White House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the
meeting.

     Arrangements

     [General conversation]

[A transcript of the following portion of the conversation can be found in Public Papers of the
Presidents, Richard M. Nixon, 1972, p. 28-29]

[End of transcribed portion]

     Photograph session
          -Flemming family
               -Introductions
          -Arrangements

     Greeting and introduction of guests
          -Unknown person’s health

     Presentation of gifts by the President

     Mail
            -Contents

     [General conversation]

Flemming, et al., except Bull left at 12:15 pm.

     Previous ceremony

     The President’s schedule
          -Forthcoming trip to Camp David

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:16 pm.

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

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Yes, I can hear you.
Yes, I can hear you.
I can hear you.

— 1 min 3 s with no transcribed speech —

... ... ... ... ... ... ...
As I have been trained in this area for many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many,
Once he starts on the track, he's working on it until he gets to the top.
And third, he's a man of great minds.
He believes very deeply in himself.
I know that he moves around the country and looks into these problems.
You know, he will make recommendations to all of us in the department as to what we should do about the problems.
Whatever he believes, we're not good enough.
We won't count it as more effective than that, quite a question.
I think that we already have one who very effectively represents
a point of view that needs to be represented here in the highest office of the law, as he does.
And also, I believe we have him, a man who has experience and background, to take this interpretation, to analyze it in all its parts, and make recommendations, not to take their basis
It's pretty hilarious for our seniors to cross the line.
I don't know who has the right in ceremony.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I am on the edge of my seat.
I am on the edge of my seat.
I am on the edge of my seat.
Constitution of the United States.
And I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies supporting it in the West.
Against all enemies supporting it in the West.
And I will bear true faith and allegiance to the state.
And I will bear true faith and allegiance to the state.
And I take this obligation freely.
And I take this obligation freely without any kind of reservation from all countries of the nation.
Without any kind of reservation from the purpose of the nation.
Well, thank you for joining the duties.
All right.
Well, thank you for your security duties on the office on which I'm about to enter.
The office on which I'm about to enter.
So help me God.
So help me God.
President, first of all, may I express to you my very deep appreciation for the opportunities that you are affording me to work on behalf of the older citizens of this country.
I'm very, very grateful for the opportunity of in this way becoming a part of your democracy.
You have made very clear to me the duties and responsibilities of this position.
I feel that our nation must accept the concept of the dignity and worth of every older citizen, and I think it must reflect the acceptance of that concept by what we do rather than by what we say.
And it is in that spirit that I accept
The position which you appointed me, I will, it is an expert that I will endeavor to discharge the duties and responsibilities of the office.
I make that confession and I'm happy to have the opportunity.
Yes, I know that.
It's our son-in-law.
This is Elizabeth.
And this is Carl.
And that's John.
Now this will be the clutch.
If you're here, let's say hello to them.
Other people here, Elliot, how are you?
This is Dan Todd, who was my executive director all through the company.
He said that's a terrific job for you.
He's gone over to 1701.
Ah, yes, yes, I am.
Thank you for having me.
Yeah, you're welcome.
But it's simple.
Yeah, that's what we like to do.
So that's the clue.
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We use that.
Oh, sure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's all I need to know.
Well, let's see.
The, uh, you've got to be careful.
You've got to be careful.
You've got to be careful.
You've got to be careful.
You've got to be careful.
You've got to be careful.
You've got to be careful.
I'm very excited about it.
We're okay.
We're good.
Good job, Paul.
Good job.
Good job.
Well, we're good.
Yeah.
Thank you.
We've had a lot of bands.
Great, favorable conversation.
That's right.
We want to use that.
Yeah.
Okay, I agree.
.
.
.
.
No, no, I don't know anything, and I don't want you to give me anything, but I need to know what I'm doing.
All right, I think you're doing it.

Also recorded on January 11, 1972

  • 645-005 12:16 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:16 pm to 12:21 pm.
  • 018-063 12:21 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:29 pm.
  • 312-018 12:21 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:29 pm.
  • 312-019 12:21 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:29 pm.
  • 312-020 12:21 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:29 pm.
  • 645-006 12:21 PM · 39 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 645-007 12:21 PM · 31 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 018-064 12:29 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 12:29 pm to 12:35 pm.

All 30 conversations from January 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 645-004, January 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/645-004 (accessed November 13, 2026).