Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 717 › Conversation 717-012

Nixon, Walters & Tamm on CIA and Swearing-in ceremony

Tuesday, May 2, 1972 · 11:42 AM–11:50 AM ET · Oval Office · 8 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Walters, Vernon A.; Tamm, Edward; Jones, Lauren; Walters, Frederick J.; Walters, James; Walters, Vincent C.; Walters, Vincent C. (Mrs.); Walters, Richard; Adams, Peter; Helms, Richard M.; Woods, Rose Mary; Tkach, Walter R.; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Hartley, Muriel; Ovellette, Nancy; White House photographerConversation717-012 on Tape 717 (tape position 00:47:02–00:54:54)StartTuesday, May 2, 1972 at 11:42 AMEndTuesday, May 2, 1972 at 11:50 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 717-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon hosted a ceremony in the Oval Office for Vernon A. Walters to mark his promotion and official swearing-in as Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Joined by Walters's family, Judge Edward Tamm, and CIA Director Richard Helms, the President administered the oath of office and acknowledged Walters's 31 years of military service. The meeting concluded with a photography session and the distribution of presidential gifts to the attendees.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Well, that's where you are.
You're that third star, huh?
I want to make sure .
Thank you very much.
of Europe, left hand on the Bible, raise your right hand, and repeat the oath after me.
I, Bertrand A. Walters, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, that I will well
I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter, and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter.
So help me God.
So help me God.
Congratulations.
You'll be able to know that the generals
Today is not only having officially his promotion recognized in his new position as foreign enemy, but it's an anniversary for us that 31 years ago today, he entered the service of this country as a Muslim man.
And look how hard it is for him.
Thank you for all his service to the countries and under his presence.
We do battles together, including the Battle of Caracas, as I recall.
And we know that he'll be a great friend to the CIA, as he has been to these other very, very important scientists in this country.
Do you have anything to say to them?
We've got one here.
Let's see, you sit on that.
Yeah, you be on that side.
No, no, I should be in the middle.
That's good.
You got it to work yet?
All right.
All right.
I'm going to have as fast a picture as I can.
What should I do?
I guess over here.
No.
Let's have a little later.
All right.
I don't think you're going to be able to do that.
You've got to do what you've got to do, which is not correct.
You've got to do what you've got to do.
You've got to do what you've got to do.
You've got to do what you've got to do.
President, this is my sister-in-law, Terry, my brother Vincent, my nephew Peter.
They get bigger every generation.
My brother and his wife.
Their son Jimmy is going to be commissioner of the Navy on the 2nd and 3rd.
And here's Lyle, appropriately described to you.
You might read his very interesting book.
I do, yes.
Yeah, you can probably read it in seven languages, I think.
Yes, we have a presidential conference for men.
We always give out a little presidential seal.
Ladies, first of all, you can have it.
I hope it's in the kitchen.
Yeah, that would be very nice.
Oh, he's right.
I see.
Well, Mr. President, I'm happy to get to meet you.
Yeah, it's always good to see you.
Well, I'm glad to see you, Mr. President.
Hey, great loss to us today.
Well, we've got another strong man.
Yes, sir.
God bless you, sir.
Thank you, sir.
We wish you the best.
Thank you.
We're glad to have such fine people in service, sir.
We're glad to have a strong judge.
Don't need to worry about the message.
Thank you very much.

NARA Description

On May 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Vernon A. Walters, Edward Tamm, Lauren Jones, Frederick J. Walters, James Walters, Vincent C. Walters, Mrs. Vincent C. Walters, Richard Walters, Peter Adams, Richard M. Helms, Rose Mary Woods, Walter R. Tkach, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Muriel Hartley, Nancy Ovellette, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:42 am to 11:50 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 717-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 717-12

Date: May 2, 1972
Time: 11:42-11:50 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     President's schedule

           -Signing of document

Vernon A. Walters, Judge Edward Tamm, Mrs. Laureen Jones, Mrs. Frederick J. Walters, James
Walters, Vincent C. Walters, Mrs. Vincent C. Walters, Richard Walters, Peter Adams, Richard
M. Helms, Rose Mary Woods, Major General Walter R. Tkach, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Mrs.
Muriel Hartley and Nancy Ovellette entered at 11:43 am; the White House photographer was
present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Meeting with President
          -Arrangements

Bull left at 11:44 am.

     Vernon A. Walters's promotion

     Photographs

     Swearing-in ceremony
         -Instructions
         -Oath

     Walters's promotion
          -Anniversary of military service

     Walters's career
          -President's trip to Caracas
          -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]

     Photograph session
          -Arrangements
               -Helms

     Introductions

     President's gifts
          -Cufflinks
                 -Rose Mary Woods

     Walters
          -New job at CIA

[General conversation]

Walters, et al., left at 11:50 am.

Also recorded on May 2, 1972

  • 023-110 11:17 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:17 am and 11:27 am.
  • 717-010 11:19 AM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander P. Butterfield, unknown person(s), and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:19 am to 11:40 am.
  • 717-011 11:40 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:40 am and 11:42 am.
  • 717-013 11:50 AM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:50 am to 11:51 am.
  • 717-015 11:51 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 11:57 am.
  • 717-016 11:57 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Erik Emborg, Marshall Frederics, Borge Rosing, Christian Castenskjold, Jens Nicolaisen, J. U. Kari-Neilsen, Hein Christensen, Marius Anderson, Holger Larsen, Ancher Nelsen, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:57 am to 12:06 pm.
  • 717-017 12:06 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:06 pm and 12:08 pm.
  • 717-018 12:06 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:06 pm and 12:08 pm.

All 67 conversations from May 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 717-012, May 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/717-012 (accessed October 23, 2026).