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

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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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 01:11:50 into the tape and ends around 01:24:17.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
1:12:11Thank you.
1:12:11Thank you.
1:12:46Thank you for listening and have a great weekend.
1:13:14That's my boy.
1:13:20Yes, it is.
1:13:47Thank you.
1:14:36Ladies and gentlemen of the president.
1:14:37Ladies and gentlemen of the president.
1:14:39Ladies and gentlemen of the president.
1:14:40Ladies and gentlemen of the president.
1:14:42Ladies and gentlemen of the president.
1:14:43Ladies and gentlemen of the president.
1:14:44Ladies and gentlemen of the president.
1:15:16As I have been trained in the military service of the Army quite often, I will attempt to press forward on all the methods and several actions I have seen, and I will try not to use any of them.
1:15:23One, I have been trained in the military service of the Army quite often, and I will try not to use any of them.
1:15:28Two, despite that great presence of the military service, I have been trained in the military service of the Army quite often, and I will try not to use any of them.
1:15:42Once he starts on the track, he's working on it until he gets it out of hand.
1:15:48And third, he's a man of great luck.
1:15:51He plays very well.
1:15:54I know that he moves around the country and looks into these problems.
1:16:05He will make recommendations to all of us in the department as to what we should do about the problems.
1:16:16Whenever he believes that we're not good enough, and he believes in his own, he won't count it as more effective than that quite effective way to do this.
1:16:26I think that we already have him, one who very effectively represents
1:16:33It's part of you that needs to be represented here in the highest office of the line, as he does.
1:16:39And also, I believe we have him, a man who has experience in the background, to take this interpretation, to analyze it in all its parts, and make recommendations, not for the sake of their baby.
1:17:00It's pretty hilarious for our seniors to cross the line.
1:17:04I hope to have this right in the ceremony.
1:17:09I hope so.
1:17:10I hope so.
1:17:19Hi, I'm on the edge of London.
1:17:21I'm on the edge of London.
1:17:23It's all in the square.
1:17:27It's all in the square.
1:17:29It's all in the square.
1:17:34Constitution of the United States, and I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies warring against us, against all enemies warring against us, and I will bear true faith and allegiance to the state, and I will bear true faith and allegiance to the state, and I will take the sonnigation freely, and I will take the sonnigation freely, and I will take the sonnigation freely, and I will take the sonnigation freely,
1:18:00Well, I think this is going to do.
1:18:02Well, I think this is going to do.
1:18:04Well, I think this is going to do.
1:18:08Well, I think this is going to do.
1:18:22You have other occasions when you've been brought to greater length, but now you're recognized for what you've done.
1:18:27Mr. 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.
1:18:33I'm very, very grateful for the opportunity to in this way become a part of your democracy.
1:18:49You make very clear to me the duties and responsibilities of this position.
1:18:54I feel that our nation must accept the concept of the dignity and worth of every older citizen.
1:19:03And I think it must reflect the acceptance of that concept by what we do rather than by what we say.
1:19:09And it is in that spirit that I accept
1:19:15The position which you appointed me, I will, it is an expert that I will endeavor to discharge the duties and responsibilities of the office.
1:19:23I make that confession and I'm happy to have the opportunity.
1:19:38Yes, I know that.
1:19:40And this is the loser.
1:20:01And this is Carl.
1:20:03And that's John.
1:20:06Now this will be the plumbing.
1:20:08If you're here, let's say hello to them.
1:20:30Other people here, Elliot, how are you?
1:20:34This is Dan Todd, who was my executive director all through the company.
1:20:41He said that's a terrific job for you.
1:20:44He's gone over to 1701.
1:20:49Ah, yes, yes, I am.
1:20:53Thank you very much.
1:20:57Yes, sir, he did.
1:20:57Yeah, he did that.
1:20:57Oh, sure, yeah.
1:20:58Yeah, he did a great job on that.
1:20:58I'm sorry about that.
1:20:59I'm sorry about that.
1:21:25That's all I'm used to.
1:21:32Well, let's see.
1:21:34You've got a pair of cockpits.
1:21:39You've got a pair of cockpits.
1:21:42You've got a pair of cockpits.
1:21:45You've got a pair of cockpits.
1:22:04I'm very excited about this work.
1:22:05Okay.
1:22:17We've got a lot of man following that.
1:22:47great, favorable companies.
1:22:54That's right.
1:22:55Well, it would become more of a best partnership.
1:22:59That's right.
1:23:00That's right.
1:23:54No, I don't know anything.
1:23:56I don't want to give you anything, but I think that's what I'm going to do.

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.

Also recorded on January 11, 1972

  • 645-005 12:16 PM · 5 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 · 10 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 · 36 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 · 28 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 34 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 September 29, 2026).