Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 718 › Conversation 718-005

Nixon & Ehrlichman on White House Press Corps and Public School Enrollment

Wednesday, May 3, 1972 · 10:50 AM–10:54 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation718-005 onTape 718 (tape position 00:58:54–01:02:17)StartWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 10:50 AMEndWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 10:54 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 718-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discuss public messaging strategies regarding the school enrollment choices of White House correspondents. They deliberate on how to frame survey data to minimize controversy, while also addressing scheduling conflicts related to a funeral. Ultimately, the President decides to abandon a specific plan of action to avoid potential political friction.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.5 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 60.1 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 00:58:54 into the tape and ends around 01:02:17.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

59:02but if you could have the whole thing on that you can't say that would be good you could say out of it we've made the surveys that's made out of the 800 members of the white house correspondents in other words you remember how they can't prove disproved there are only eight that have sent their choice of district schools yeah well
1:02:05There seems to be some confusion on this.
1:02:07I can't do the fire.
1:02:09Of course.
1:02:11You understand why.
1:02:12There's a funeral, isn't there?
1:02:14Yes, there is.
1:02:14Well, if I say, Jolly, what can I do about it?
1:02:15She'll speak to her husband and call him.
1:02:17She hasn't had a chance.
1:02:19She hasn't had a chance to pray.
1:02:20Yeah, since God made this.
1:02:21Let's not do it at all.
1:02:22I'm sure that's being changed out there.
1:02:24Just haven't had a chance to pray.
1:02:26And then we didn't, uh...

NARA Description

On May 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:50 am and 10:54 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 718-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 718-5

Date: May 3, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:50 and 10:54 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

     White House correspondents
          -Children
               -Number attending public schools

Also recorded on May 3, 1972

  • 718-002 10:06 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:06 am to 10:19 am.
  • 718-003 10:19 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 10:20 am.
  • 718-004 10:20 AM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:20 am to 10:50 am.
  • 718-006 10:54 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:54 am to 10:56 am.
  • 718-007 10:56 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:56 am and 10:59 am.
  • 718-008 10:56 AM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:56 am and 10:59 am.
  • 718-009 10:59 AM · 1 hr 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:59 am to 12:11 pm.
  • 718-010 12:14 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:14 pm and 12:18 pm.

All 63 conversations from May 3, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 718-005, May 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/718-005 (accessed September 18, 2026).