Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 675 › Conversation 675-013

Nixon, Peterson & Atkins on Oath of office and Senate confirmation

Tuesday, February 29, 1972 · 1:28 PM–1:37 PM ET · Oval Office · 10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Peterson, Peter G.; Peterson, Jim; Peterson, Holly; Peterson, Michael; Rogers, William P.; Connally, John B.; Laird, Melvin R.; Mitchell, John N.; Morton, Rogers C. B.; Hodgson, James D.; Richardson, Elliot L.; Romney, George W.; Volpe, John A.; Kennedy, David M.; Shultz, George P.; Bush, George H. W.; Lynn, James T.; Lynn, James T. (Mrs.); Sweitzer, Brandon W.; Braden, Jean; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Walker, Ronald H.; Reilly, Gerald; Atkins, Oliver F. ("Ollie")Conversation675-013 on Tape 675 (tape position 02:21:08–02:33:49)StartTuesday, February 29, 1972 at 1:28 PMEndTuesday, February 29, 1972 at 1:37 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 675-013 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon held an Oval Office meeting with Peter G. Peterson, his family, and members of the Cabinet to commemorate Peterson's recent Senate confirmation. The event served primarily as a formal ceremony for the administration of the oath of office and a subsequent photograph session with White House photographer Ollie Atkins. The interaction concluded with informal social conversation regarding Camp David and scheduling logistics.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Do you want me to take place a year from now?

No, I don't want to give you that.

It's a half of a night here.

I'll be in.

uh... uh... uh...

Well, why do you think that's a good idea?

I don't know.

Thank you.

Yes.

Yes, sir.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Well, I hope you have a good night.

I hope you have a good night.

You raise your right hand and repeat after me.

I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I,

But I take this obligation freely, and I take this obligation freely, without any mental reprimand, or evidence, or evasion, without any mental reprimand, or evasion, or evasion.

that I will well and thankfully judge the doings of the office on foot and above.

Thank you.

I will well and thankfully judge the doings on foot and above.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

One, two, three, four, go.

Let me see.

Good one, Ollie.

Come on.

Now wait.

Let's see what Ollie's got.

Why don't you step over and, you know, you've got a cat.

Yes, there is a cat.

Now, the cat's been, can come up and officially congratulate the guy.

I mean, that's an L.A. cat.

I mean, he just got through the Senate of the State.

There you go.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

We'll see you again tomorrow.

in case the date falls.

I'm not going to believe you.

I was up at Camp David and I couldn't have figured it out.

What?

Michael, let's go, buddy.

First thing, if our budget is still up, we'll have it by the end of the night.

We're going to work both nights.

You don't hear anything.

Yep, let's go.

That's worse.

Come on, get it out of here.

Get it out of here.

All right.

It's over.

All right.

Oh, my God.

I don't understand.

NARA Description

On February 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Peter G. Peterson, Jim Peterson, Holly Peterson, Michael Peterson, William P. Rogers, John B. Connally, Melvin R. Laird, John N. Mitchell, Rogers C. B. Morton, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, David M. Kennedy, George P. Shultz, George H. W. Bush, James T. Lynn, Mrs. James T. Lynn, Brandon W. Sweitzer, Jean Braden, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald H. Walker, Gerald Reilly, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:28 pm to 1:37 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 675-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 675-13

Date: February 29, 1972
Timing: 1:28 pm - 1:37 pm
Location: Oval Office

Stephen B. Bull met with Mr. and Mrs. Peter G. Peterson, Jim Peterson, David Peterson, Holly
Peterson, Michael Peterson, William P. Rogers, John B. Connally, Melvin R. Laird, John N.
Mitchell, Rogers C. B. Morton, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney,
John A. Volpe, David M. Kennedy, George P. Shultz, George H.W. Bush, Mr. and Mrs. James
T. Lynn, Mr. and Mrs. Brandon Switzer, Jean Braden, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, Ronald H.
Walker, and Judge Gerald Reilly.

     General conversation
         -Rogers
         -National Rifle Association [NRA]

The President entered at an unknown timing after 1:28 pm.

     Oath of office

     General conversation

Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins entered and left at an unknown time before 1:37 pm.

     [Photograph session]

     Cabinet
          -Photograph
          -Peterson’s Senate confirmation
     General conversation
         -Camp David

Bull, et al. left at an unknown timing before 1:37 pm.

Also recorded on February 29, 1972

675-012 1:20 PM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 1:28 pm.
675-014 1:38 PM · 56 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald L. Ziegler, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:38 pm to 2:42 pm.
322-001 2:42 PM · 59 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 2:42 pm and 2:48 pm.
322-002 2:42 PM · 5 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 2:42 pm and 2:48 pm.
322-003 2:42 PM · 12 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 2:42 pm and 2:48 pm.
322-004 2:42 PM · 4 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 2:42 pm and 2:48 pm.
322-005 2:48 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Clark MacGregor met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:48 pm to 2:50 pm.
020-118 2:50 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 2:50 pm to 2:53 pm.

All 51 conversations from February 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 675-013, February 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/675-013 (accessed October 10, 2026).