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Conversation 685-001

TapeTape 685StartTuesday, March 14, 1972 at 8:24 AMEndTuesday, March 14, 1972 at 9:03 AMTape start time00:09:35Tape end time00:11:37ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ehrlichman, John D.;  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman reviewed a draft of an upcoming speech on school busing prepared by Raymond Price. Nixon emphasized the need to modify specific segments, particularly arguing against the characterization of black schools as inherently inferior and questioning the effectiveness of including numerous anecdotal examples. The meeting also included a brief administrative update from Stephen Bull regarding the President's schedule and an upcoming meeting with Henry Kissinger.

BusingSchool DesegregationPresidential SpeechwritingRaymond PriceDomestic Policy
AudioNARA Description

On March 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:24 am and 9:03 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 685-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 685-1

Date: March 14, 1972
Time: Unknown between 8:24 am and 9:03 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman [?].

       Busing speech
            -Draft
                  -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                  -Editing
                        -Black schools
                             -Inferiority

An unknown person [Stephen B. Bull?] entered at an unknown time between 8:24 am and 9:03
am.

       The President’s schedule
            -Forthcoming meeting with Henry A. Kissinger [?]

The unknown person [Bull?] left at an unknown time between 8:24 am and 9:03 am.

                  -Examples
                       -Elliot L. Richardson
                             -Supplemental paper
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I wrote over an eighth draft in the race.
Left last night and made that, I mean, I was reading basically the editorial notes and had a few changes, and it's been a challenge coming along.
Well, that's funny, but I want to do the, if you've got somebody, make sure I know who you're working with.
So, he left out this time.
What I wrote was a very effective paragraph in one of the 32nd drafts, or a few sentences.
about that black schools are not necessarily inferior.
You know, I don't mean a part where he's going through all the examples for a black school.
The word he says, it reverses.
You remember that very hard line, which I want to end.
Ah, good, good.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I think that he's come around to the other things.
He's done an awfully good job.
Yeah.
And he doesn't, he seems to want to leave in all those examples, but I don't think they added up a lot.
Yeah.
Well, he's already, he's already turned a lot, turned a lot.
You know, the thing that I think about it is that it loses momentum.
If you see it, it's going along at a pretty good pace, and then you start giving examples of this happening in California, and this happening in Connecticut, and this happening in Florida, and so forth and so on.
That is not, that's just how crazy the car is actually.
I'm going up to New York today to meet the Chinese ambassador in the afternoon to set up all these
I'm lunching with the Wall Street Journal.
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