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Conversation 685-015

TapeTape 685StartTuesday, March 14, 1972 at 3:25 PMEndTuesday, March 14, 1972 at 3:31 PMTape start time05:32:14Tape end time05:38:13ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Wright, Debbie;  Mahon, George H.;  Schafer, Raymond L.;  Edwards, Macon T.;  Hazelwood, James T.;  Nidecker, John E.;  White House photographerRecording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon held a brief, informal meeting in the Oval Office with Debbie Wright, Congressman George H. Mahon, and several associates to host a photo session and discuss personal matters. The conversation touched upon Debbie Wright’s academic studies at Texas Tech University, her upcoming international travel, and recent diplomatic developments regarding the gift of pandas from the People’s Republic of China. The meeting served primarily as a social engagement and a photo opportunity for the guests.

Debbie WrightGeorge H. MahonGiant pandasWhite House photographyTexas Tech University
AudioNARA Description

On March 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Debbie Wright, George H. Mahon, Raymond L. Schafer, Macon T. Edwards, James T. Hazelwood, John E. Nidecker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:25 pm to 3:31 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 685-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 685-15

Date: March 14, 1972
Time: 3:25pm - 3:31 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Debbie Wright, Mr. and Mrs. George H. Mahon, Raymond L. Schafer,
Macon T. Edwards, James T. (“Terry”) Hazelwood and John E. Nidecker; the White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

        Greetings

        Places visited by Wright

        Hazelwood

        Schafer

        [Photograph session]
             -Positions

        California

[General conversation]

        [Photograph session]
             -Positions

        School
             -Wright
                  -Studies
                        -Texas Tech University

        Presentation of gifts
             -Mahon
                    -Previous gift from the People’s Republic of China [PRC]

        Pandas
             -Washington National Zoo
             -Others outside of Peking
                  -Moscow
                  -London

        White House tour

        Wright’s forthcoming travel
             -Tokyo
             -Europe

Wright, et. al. left at 3:31 pm.
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 thought that they might, in their future stories, watch that and work the correction into that, which is a big deal.
I don't know.
I think what they're trying to do is divert attention a little bit and not get very far off the other thing they may have.
Let me just think.
I'm just thinking that this may be a time.
This is a...
This conference...
This conference...
Rather than spanning all of it, this Congress is, unless it gets down to business, working on it, I mean, where can the President's program go?
We started out in Michigan as the Smear Day Congress.
Why don't you try that?
Would I then?
Well, the problem with that would be taking them to court for instance, and a lot of our supporters up there would say, let's, let's leave you here for a while.
So many upset them all.
I think it would be funny if somebody else would say, you've got to put a higher reason on the planet, or you're going to go very hard, you know, under this thing together.
I don't believe you're breathing.
You think of anything else you can do?
Oh, thank you.
No, I think of, I say, we have, we have, we have, we have, we have, we have, we have, we have, we have, we have, we have, we have,
consumer groups, business groups, labor groups, religious groups, education groups, people of color, we hear our critics as well as our colleagues in civil rights, and the men and women, you could say, the men and women in the president's staff, have an obligation to listen to all groups.
And the question is, the presidential, that's what the president said, does he conduct himself as a president?
And you could say he's planning on some honest, dedicated, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,
Those that are so loose with their smears, what does that mean, with their smears?
Those that are so loose with their smears, they're going to come off the nail, and I acknowledge you, and we would do the same.
And they've been in one instance.
They've been in one instance.
I'd just like to go for a quick minute.
I'd like to ask you to introduce a new student, a four-and-a-half-year-old child.
Yeah, it's Jessica.
She might just come over right after the commencement.
The commencement?
Yes, the second year of the school.
That's Johnston's daughter?
Yes, sir.
Yeah, I got you on the cards.
Mrs. May, I was with the commencement, and this may have got you decorated.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
That's right.
That's very well said.
The, uh, the, uh, she's, she's just coming along.
You're okay, dude.
Just wanted to talk to you.
She'd be impressed with you.
What a great partner.
Yeah, wonderful.
You've been to all these places?
No, we haven't.
You haven't been once?
No.
Oh, really?
No.
How about Steve?
Have you heard of him?
Oh, yeah.
Mr. Hayford was.
And Ray Hayford, who worked with him before we began.
I can't even remember his name.
I can't even remember his name.
I can't even remember his name.
I can't even remember his name.
Come on, let's get a picture.
How do we want to set this up?
Well, let's see here.
First, you ought to have two, three of us.
Three of us.
Yeah.
All right.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, you want to be sure over and down.
Have you got a good one?
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