Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 683 › Conversation 683-006

Nixon, Whitman & Pierce on Council of Economic Advisers

Monday, March 13, 1972 · 12:02 PM–12:17 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; [Unknown person(s)]; Whitman, Marina von Neumann; Whitman, Robert (Dr.); Whitman, Malcolm; Whitman, Laura; Pierce, Josephine; Stein, Herbert; Solomon, Ezra; Shultz, George P.; Safire, William L.; Franklin, Barbara H.; McArdle, Paul; White House photographerConversation683-006 on Tape 683 (tape position 02:39:53–02:54:00)StartMonday, March 13, 1972 at 12:02 PMEndMonday, March 13, 1972 at 12:17 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 683-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon hosted a ceremony in the Oval Office for the swearing-in of Marina von Neumann Whitman as a member of the Council of Economic Advisers. The participants included Whitman’s family, members of the Council, and other White House staff. The conversation featured personal pleasantries, photographs, a discussion about the importance of accessible economic reporting, and lighthearted commentary on White House history and decor.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.7 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 168.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 164.4 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 02:39:53 into the tape and ends around 02:54:00.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
2:39:49Oh, I have something I want to tell you, my son.
2:39:56As you can catch me squeezing down.
2:40:01OK?
2:40:02Have a good rest of your day.
2:40:05Get ready.
2:41:14Yeah, yeah.
2:41:48Just a moment.
2:41:52Miss Whippen, you stand right here, please.
2:41:56Right here, thank you.
2:41:57Right here, thank you.
2:41:58Miss Whippen, stand right next to me.
2:42:00Go ahead, check your throat.
2:42:04Stand right here.
2:42:08And right over on the side here.
2:42:11Stay with the rest of your family.
2:42:37Thank you.
2:42:54Yeah.
2:43:31They're all in the same room.
2:43:37Ready to go.
2:43:37Perfect.
2:44:03I, uh, have a revival for you.
2:44:04All right.
2:44:48that I will bear his face and allegiance to his name, that I take the time of his execution, that I take his validation freely, without any mental reservation, without any mental reservation, or purpose for his name, that I do as well
2:45:08But I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am vacuumed.
2:45:15So help me God.
2:45:24I wonder if anybody could get us some pictures or something.
2:45:25Oh, yeah, I think they do.
2:45:51No, this is Malcolm Whitman.
2:45:53You're number one.
2:45:54No, this is Malcolm Whitman.
2:45:55You're number one.
2:45:57Yes.
2:45:57And Laura is number two.
2:45:58Laura, let's see.
2:46:00Let me set this up right here.
2:46:09Right here.
2:46:16Why don't you stay?
2:46:17Why don't you stay right over here?
2:46:22There you go.
2:46:23We'll be looking out there.
2:46:35We'll give you all a copy of this picture.
2:46:38Now, if we could have all of the family step out and let's get the council panel in.
2:46:44We've got the whole council in this way.
2:46:56Press the button.
2:47:00I'll take one of the council loans.
2:47:09So you can have a .
2:47:12Do you want to be in the middle or should you be in the middle?
2:47:20I should be in the middle.
2:47:23Everything's coming up except for .
2:47:28Now you've got everything here.
2:47:32Do you want to get one of them, George?
2:47:34And if you'd like to get this one, George, you don't have to stand up.
2:47:42Now we've covered everybody.
2:47:48Well, first of all, so now we've got it.
2:47:52We've got an extra arm.
2:47:53We've got to get it out there a couple times.
2:47:56And I'm trying to get the wire to seal it.
2:47:59Right.
2:48:00And here's for you.
2:48:05Well, Mr. Covenant, you don't have to wear it, though, but if you do want to wear it some day, if you do, that's a little less presidential seal, a little bolder than you can wear it.
2:48:16And it's worth losing the part of it.
2:48:19But I'm sure it's going to be different.
2:48:21You've got this for loaning her to us.
2:48:26I love that.
2:48:28You will be good.
2:48:29You're going to be here in Washington, right?
2:48:32Yes, I will.
2:48:33Good, good, good.
2:48:36We're talking about that.
2:48:38Thank you.
2:48:44Listen, just get the council's reports in a kind of language I can understand right here.
2:48:56Do you understand?
2:49:01Well, I'll tell you a story.
2:49:03There's one thing that was snuck into that.
2:49:07My grandmother's favorite animal was an elephant.
2:49:12So somewhere, even among all the grasses on it, is an elephant.
2:49:22An elephant?
2:49:23That's right.
2:49:24Well, that's right.
2:49:25We'll find that elephant.
2:49:28You know, it's going to be looming.
2:49:33I heard a pretty good voice this morning.
2:49:36Oh, yeah.
2:49:38That's the .
2:49:38These trees are .
2:49:41The ones down there are .
2:49:44One of the greatest .
2:49:51And the garden is planted here.
2:49:55The tulips are planted.
2:49:58The tulips are planted.
2:50:01We'll bring them back .
2:50:06This is an interesting thing here.
2:50:11It's for Anne Heard, the ambassador to Paris.
2:50:15This makes it seem as interesting as it seems to me.
2:50:26It's one of those .
2:50:28You know that .
2:50:39Oh, is that the beautiful building on the street?
2:50:45It's really impressive.
2:50:46If you go on there and you look back at the building, or you look back at the fountain, that's a stupid place to live.
2:50:52That's where they let me sit.
2:50:53Someday we're going to my yard and go back and see it.
2:50:56We've been to the building.
2:50:58Well, good to see you.
2:51:00You did a good job here.
2:51:01Thank you very much.
2:51:02What we call our first stage.
2:51:04All right.
2:51:04Now next, she's got to be chairman.
2:51:06Oh!
2:51:06When you get ready, sir, I'm gonna rule you out.
2:51:07You understand?
2:51:07What are your policies with that group of sirs that you're acting towards moving out?
2:51:10Oh, yeah.
2:51:10Take a look at their walk-in.
2:51:11That's it.
2:51:11Bye.
2:51:47That's a little cruel word to do against the day of the election.
2:51:52Oh, yes, I remember reading that.
2:51:52That's the only person I remember.
2:51:55Did you say that one?
2:51:56Would you remember the person?
2:52:02No.
2:52:02I don't remember that one.
2:52:03And that's the White House.
2:52:04Gears met the British years ago before the winds were put off.
2:52:08The river was much closer.
2:52:10That's more than worth it.
2:52:12This wing was put on by Theodore Roosevelt.
2:52:16The other wing was put on before that.
2:52:18And it's weird to see it right up there.
2:52:21Where did it go?
2:52:22The long ball.
2:52:25The long ball.
2:52:26And they cut it off with a great head.
2:52:29And then they filled in.
2:52:35This little, this little tree came from Pete King.
2:52:36Oh, this little tree came from Pete King?
2:52:38Yeah, yeah.
2:52:38Oh, it's really enjoying it.
2:52:39It's part of the thing.
2:52:40They are, they are.
2:52:40Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:52:42Of course not.
2:52:42Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:52:44Of course not.
2:52:44Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:52:46Of course not.
2:52:46Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:52:48Of course not.
2:52:49Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:52:50Of course not.
2:52:51Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:52:52Of course not.
2:52:52Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:52:54Of course not.
2:52:54Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:52:56Of course not.
2:52:56Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:52:58Of course not.
2:52:58Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:53:00Of course not.
2:53:00Have you ever been to the Washington Zoo in the morning?
2:53:02Of course not.
2:53:02Have you
2:53:05There are only, at the present time, two pandas.
2:53:08One in London and another in the other European city.
2:53:14A lot outside of China.
2:53:17Only two in the world.
2:53:19They only tear pandas off.
2:53:21They have one Russian, one Russian, one Russian, one Russian, one Russian, one Russian, one Russian, one Russian, one Russian, one Russian,
2:53:39Good to see you.
2:53:41Oh, thank you.
2:53:44That's right.
2:53:45All right.
2:54:06All right.
2:54:07Do you want to leave that student class up here?
2:54:09Yeah, I'll leave it there for a while.
2:54:11For a while, yeah, go ahead.

NARA Description

On March 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, unknown person(s), Marina von Neumann Whitman, Dr. Robert Whitman, Malcolm Whitman, Laura Whitman, Josephine Pierce, Herbert Stein, Ezra Solomon, George P. Shultz, William L. Safire, Barbara H. Franklin, Paul McArdle, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:02 pm and 12:17 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 683-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 683-6

Date: March 13, 1972
Time: Unknown after 12:02 pm until 12:17 pm
Location: Oval Office

Stephen B. Bull met with unknown people.

     Preparations for swearing-in ceremony

Marina von N. Whitman, Dr. Robert Whitman, Malcolm Whitman, Laura Whitman, Josephine
Pierce, Herbert Stein, Ezra Solomon, George P. Shultz, William L. Safire, Barbara H. Franklin
and Judge Paul McArdle entered at an unknown time after 12:02 pm; the White House
photographer and members of the press were present.

     Swearing-in ceremony
         -Positions
               -Marina Whitman
               -Robert Whitman
               -McArdle
               -Shultz
               -Solomon

     [General conversation]

The President entered at 12:05 pm.

     Swearing-in ceremony
         -McArdle
         -Oath of office
               -Whitman

     Malcolm and Laura Whitman

     Photographs
          -Copies
          -Family
          -Council of Economic Advisors [CEA]

     Economy
         -Prices
         -Unemployment

     Photographs
          -Shultz

     Gifts
             -Cufflinks

     CEA
             -Reports
                   -Wording
             -Stein

     Whitman’s mother
         -Elephants

     Washington, DC
         -Weather
         -Trees
              -Magnolias
              -Crab apples
         -Tulips

     Gift [“Star of the President”]
           -Walter H. Annenberg
                 -Ambassador
                       -France
                       -Steuben glass

     CEZ
           -Whitman
                -First woman
                -Chairman

     Oval Office
          -Paintings
                -George Washington
                      -Rembrandt Peale
                           -Father
                                 -Charles Wilson Peale
          -Crewelwork
                -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
          -Paintings
                -White House
                      -Wings
                           -Theodore Roosevelt
          -Tree
                -Peking

     Pandas
          -Washington National Zoo
          -Outside the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                -London
                -Another European city
          -Pair
          -Soviet Union

     Bean birds
          -Gift

Whitman, et al. left at 12:17 pm.

     The President’s schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting with Ronald S. Berman

     Steuben glass [“Star of the President”]

Bull left at 12:17 pm.

Also recorded on March 13, 1972

  • 021-050 11:16 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Croby S. Noyes talked on the telephone from 11:16 am to 11:21 am.
  • 021-051 11:21 AM · 7 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:21 am and 3:50 pm.
  • 021-052 11:21 AM · 2 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Constance M. Stuart talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:21 am and 3:50 pm.
  • 021-053 11:21 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:21 am and 3:50 pm.
  • 683-005 12:02 PM · 1 min — Stephen B. Bull, Alexander P. Butterfield, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:02 pm and 12:05 pm.
  • 683-007 12:18 PM · 50 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald S. Berman, Leonard Garment, William J. Powell, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:18 pm to 1:07 pm.
  • 683-008 1:07 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:07 pm and 1:10 pm.
  • 683-009 1:10 PM · 51 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Clark MacGregor, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:10 pm to 2:02 pm.

All 72 conversations from March 13, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 683-006, March 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/683-006 (accessed October 3, 2026).