Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 697 › Conversation 697-008

Nixon, Rudd & Woods on Oval Office and Courtesy Visit

Thursday, March 30, 1972 · 11:34 AM–11:39 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Rudd, Oliver W., Jr.;  Rudd, Oliver W., Jr. (Mrs.);  Rudd, Alice D.;  Rudd, Caroline M.;  Woods, Rose Mary;  White House photographerConversation697-008 onTape 697 (tape position 02:01:45–02:06:20)StartThursday, March 30, 1972 at 11:34 AMEndThursday, March 30, 1972 at 11:39 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 697-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon held a brief, informal social meeting in the Oval Office with Oliver W. Rudd, Jr., his wife (known as Julia Meade), their children, and Rose Mary Woods. The primary purpose was a courtesy visit that included a formal photograph session and discussion of the family's children and their schooling in New York. Before the group departed for tours of the White House and the Capitol, the President shared pleasantries and offered lighthearted advice regarding their upcoming visit with William “Fishbait” Miller.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.9 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 167.8 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 141.2 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 02:01:45 into the tape and ends around 02:06:20.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.

2:01:59Well, how are you?
2:02:02Nice to see you.
2:02:03Yes, nice to see you.
2:02:06Hi, how are you girls?
2:02:08Nice to see you.
2:02:12They're changing girls, aren't they?
2:03:00You might be interested to know that we wrote the letter that got these two little girls in.
2:03:04Yes, sir.
2:03:06Now in New York.
2:03:09Why are you going to take them?
2:03:11In New York, take them.
2:03:12Oh.
2:03:12Why is that?
2:03:13And they're so grateful they love them.
2:03:16They're so grateful.
2:04:01Well, how are you?
2:04:03Nice to see you.
2:04:03Yes, nice to see you.
2:04:05Thank you.
2:04:05This is Alice Ross.
2:04:07Hi, how are you, Alice?
2:04:08Nice to see you.
2:04:09I'm Carolina.
2:04:10Yes, they're changing girls, aren't they?
2:04:13They are changing girls.
2:04:15Yes, I go to art school, get stuff all the time.
2:04:19Yes.
2:04:19But they work.
2:04:20Yes, I was in the wedding party.
2:04:23Nice to see you.
2:04:24Well, but you like it, don't you?
2:04:26And how long have you been there?
2:04:30Fourth grade.
2:04:31Fourth grade.
2:04:33The seventh grade.
2:04:33And if you're putting, it must be about the second grade.
2:04:42But you like it, don't you?
2:04:44Pretty good.
2:04:46You do?
2:04:47Well, good.
2:04:48I was just telling you, I was going to sign the other next year.
2:04:52Oh, I know, I know.
2:04:53Let's get over here.
2:04:56We've got a better picture.
2:04:59Thank you very much.
2:05:20Well, let's see.
2:05:21That will be .
2:05:22There we are.
2:05:23Then we have a little bit more balance.
2:05:25How's that?
2:05:37There you go.
2:05:38That's right.
2:05:39Now you're going to go see, what, the Capitol or the White House or what?
2:05:44The fish bait yard.
2:05:46Fish bait.
2:05:46Have you seen the White House?
2:05:48Yes.
2:05:48And the fish bait, oh well.
2:05:50You can get a little cute kiss over there.
2:05:52All right.
2:05:52If he doesn't kiss you, you understand, tell him that you're being discriminated against.
2:05:56All right.
2:05:57Don't look forward to it.
2:05:59If he doesn't kiss you, do you want to kiss him?
2:06:05You don't need to be concerned about fish baits getting on it.

NARA Description

On March 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Oliver W. Rudd, Jr., Mrs. Oliver W. Rudd, Jr., Alice D. Rudd, Caroline M. Rudd, Rose Mary Woods, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:34 am to 11:39 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 697-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 697-8

Date: March 30, 1972
Time: 11:34 am - 11:39 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Mr. and Mrs. Oliver W. Rudd, Jr. ["Julia Meade"], Caroline M. Rudd,
Alice D. Rudd, and Rose Mary Woods; the White House photographer was present at the
beginning of the meeting.

     Greetings

     Introductions

     Children
          -Grade school, New York
               -Chapin School

     [Photograph session]

     Schedule
          -Tour of the White House
          -Tour of the Capitol
               -William M. (“Fishbait”) Miller

     Gifts

     Oval Office
          -Presidential Seal
          -Dwarf tree from the People's Republic of China [PRC]

     Photographs taken in the PRC
          -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins

     Steuben Glass [“Star of the President”]
          -Walter H. Annenberg

     Julie Nixon Eisenhower

     Jesus Christ Superstar

"Julia Meade" et. al. left at 11:39 am.

Also recorded on March 30, 1972

  • 022-049 11:28 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:28 am.
  • 022-050 11:28 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:39 am.
  • 697-006 11:30 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:30 am to 11:32 am.
  • 697-007 11:32 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:32 am and 11:34 am.
  • 022-051 11:39 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 11:39 am to 11:42 am.
  • 697-009 11:39 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:39 am.
  • 697-010 11:39 AM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:39 am.
  • 697-011 11:39 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:39 am to 11:42 am.

All 48 conversations from March 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 697-008, March 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/697-008 (accessed September 18, 2026).