Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 720 › Conversation 720-012
Nixon, Rockefeller & Olivarez on Population control and Abortion
Friday, May 5, 1972 · 12:19 PM–12:32 PM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon met with John D. Rockefeller III and members of the Commission on Population Growth and the American Future to discuss the commission's work and the administration's stance on population policy. While acknowledging shared goals, Nixon highlighted his fundamental disagreement with the commission regarding the sensitive issue of abortion. The participants agreed to establish a follow-up citizens' committee, involving figures such as Daniel P. Moynihan, to continue the commission's efforts and provide a report to the President by the end of the year.
- Commission on Population Growth and the American Future
- Population control
- Abortion
- Public policy
- Daniel P. Moynihan
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 168.2 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 145.3 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 02:06:23 into the tape and ends around 02:18:27.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
NARA Description
On May 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Rockefeller, III, Grace Olivarez, Dr. Christian N. Ramsey, Jr., Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Raymond J. Waldeman, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:19 pm to 12:32 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 720-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 720-12
Date: May 5, 1972
Time: 12:19 pm - 12:32 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with John D. Rockefeller III, Grace Olivarez, Dr. Christian N. Ramsey, Jr.,
Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., and Raymond J. Waldmann; the White House photographer was present at
the beginning of the meeting.
Greetings
-Rockefeller
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Olivarez
-Ramsey
Photographs
-Arrangements
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
-Arrangements
Father Theodore S. Hesburgh and Father Edmund Patrick Joyce
-President's acquaintance
(rev. Jan-02)
Commission on Population
-Dorothy Buffum Chandler
-Discussion with the President on population problems
-Rockefeller's commission [Commission on Population Growth and the
American Future]
-Beginning
-President's population message to Congress
-Daniel P. Moynihan
-Abortion issue
-Sensitivity
-Differences between commission and the President
-President's message
-Goals
-Means
-Bureau of the Budget
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Report
-Service of commission
-Abortion issue
-Handling
-Population problem
-Scope
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Legislation
-Latin America
-Urban areas
-Rio De Janeiro
-Sao Paolo
-Buenos Aires
-Africa
-India
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Japan
-PRC
-India
-Difficulties
-Political leadership
-Indira Gandhi
-Studies
-Speeches
-Citizens committees
-Moynihan's role
-Bill Draper
(rev. Jan-02)
-Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Richardson
-Recommendations
-Citizens committees
-Representation
-West Coast
-Chandler
-Nationwide
-Youth and minority representatives
-Population problem
-Gandhi's problems
-US problems
-Minority and younger members
-President's leadership
-Reports
-Follow-up report
-Work with Cole, Ehrlichman
-Richardson
-The President’s view
Gifts
-Cuff links
Walter H. Annenberg gift
-Steuben piece [“Star of the President”]
Gifts
-Bow
Commission
-Work
-President's appreciation
Doctors, lawyers
Rockefeller, et al., left at 12:32 pm.Also recorded on May 5, 1972
- 720-008 12:09 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Delbert L. Latta, Delbert Springer, John E. Nidecker, Jill Springer, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:09 pm to 12:15 pm.
- 720-009 12:15 PM · 45 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:15 pm and 12:16 pm.
- 720-010 12:16 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Dr. Jerome H. Jaffe, Mrs. Jerome H. Jaffe, Miriam Jaffe, Celia Jaffe, Ari Jaffe, Egil ("Bud") Krogh, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:16 pm to 12:18 pm.
- 720-011 12:18 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:18 pm and 12:19 pm.
- 720-013 12:32 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:32 pm and 12:34 pm.
- 720-014 12:32 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:32 pm and 12:34 pm.
- 720-015 12:34 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:34 pm to 12:41 pm.
- 720-016 12:41 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:41 pm and 12:43 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 720-012, May 5, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/720-012 (accessed September 18, 2026).