Conversation: 724-008
Prev: 724-007 Next: 724-009Start Date: Monday, May 15, 1972 9:16 PM
End Date: Monday, May 15, 1972 10:06 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); White House operator; Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan); Connally, John B.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Wallace, Cornelia; Kennedy, Edward M.; Rossides, Eugene T.; Butterfield, Alexander P.Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:16:09
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 04:07:00
NARA Description:
On May 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, John B. Connally, Ronald L. Ziegler, Cornelia Wallace, Edward M. Kennedy, Eugene T. Rossides, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:16 pm to 6:06 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 724-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 724-8
Date: May 15, 1972
Time: 5:16-6:06 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
President's schedule
-Cancellation of meeting with John N. Mitchell
-Meeting with John B. Connally
-Blue Room reception
-Press coverage
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon's presence
-President's presence
-Disadvantages
-Mrs. Nixon's presence
-Press coverage
-President's presence
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:16 and 5:21
pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8A]
[See Conversation No. 24-84]
[End of telephone conversation]
George C. Wallace
-Shooting
-News story
-Cornelia Wallace
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-Effect of Wallace shooting
-Connally announcement
-Possible postponement
-Pros and cons
37
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
Wallace
-Shooting
-Press coverage
-Effect on Vietnam coverage
-Bulletproofing
-Events
-Location
-Laurel, Maryland
-Bowie [Maryland] racetrack
-Secret Service protection
-Possible complaints
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Connally's decision
Connally
-Tenure
-George P. Shultz confirmation
-Future plans
-President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board [PFIAB]
-Latin America trip
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Brazil
-Support for the President
-Announcement
-Timing
-Democratic candidates
-Hubert H. Humphrey
The President talked with Mrs. Nixon between 5:21 pm and 5:23 pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8B]
[See Conversation No. 24-85]
The President conferred with Haldeman during the telephone conversation.
Connally's arrival
[End of conferral]
[End of telephone conversation]
38
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's presence
-Mrs. Nixon's advice
-Connally's views
Connally entered at 5:24 pm.
Greetings
Secret Service protection
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Connally's decision
-Announcement
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Reasons
-Connally's opinion
-Eugene T. Rossides
Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:24 and 5:30 pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8C]
[See Conversation No. 24-86]
[End of telephone conversation]
Secret Service protection
-Edward Kennedy
-Reasons
Wallace
-Condition
-Press reports
Connally
-Wounding in John F. Kennedy assassination
-Condition
-Location
-Connally
-Idanell Brill (“Nellie”) Connally
-Jacqueline (Bouvier) Kennedy
-Nellie Connally's view
39
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
-Location
-Connally
-John Kennedy
-Connally's actions
The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 5:24 and 5:30 pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8D]
[See Conversation No. 24-87]
Connally talked with Rossides at an unknown time between 5:24 and 5:30 pm.
[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8D]
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's presence
Connally conferred with the President and Haldeman during the telephone conversation.
Secret Service protection
-Shirley Chisholm request
-Duration
-Edward Kennedy
-Priority
-Candidates
-Wilbur D. Mills
-John N. Ashbrook
-Chisholm
-Edward Kennedy
-Request
[End of conferral]
[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8D]
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's presence
40
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
[End of telephone conversation]
Secret Service protection
-President's anticipation
-President's decision
-Duration
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Reduced coverage
-President's coverage while Vice President
-Caracas, Venezuela incident
-Wallace's coverage
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-Connally's advice
Ziegler entered at 5:30 pm.
Secret Service protection
-Announcement
-Ziegler
-Connally
-Edward Kennedy
-Chisholm
-Offer to others
-Reduced coverage
-Kennedy
-Debate
-Chisholm
-Request
-Announcement
-Ziegler
-Connally
-Ziegler
-Wording
-Edward Kennedy
-Chisholm
-Mills
-Analogy to Robert F. Kennedy shooting
-Presidential order
-Edward Kennedy
-Chisholm
-Possible questions
41
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
-Possible answers
-Need
-Edward Kennedy
-John W. Gardner
-Edward Kennedy
-Wallace
-Notification of Edward Kennedy's office
-Rossides
-James J. Rowley
-Advisory committee
-Members
-Hugh Scott
-Michael J. Mansfield
-Thomas Kuchel
-Carl B. Albert
-Gerald R. Ford
-Criteria
-Edward Kennedy's inclusion
-Legal opinion
-Judge Allin Hugh Pierce’s view
-Copies to Mansfield and other committee members
-Presidential decision
-Legal basis
-Precedents
-John Foster Dulles
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Edward Kennedy
-Notification of Edward Kennedy
-Call from Connally
-Notification of unknown person [Chisholm?]
-Call from Rowley
Haldeman talked with with White House operator at an unknown time between 5:30 and 5:38
pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8E]
[See Conversation No. 24-88]
[End of telephone conversation]
-Senate action
-Mansfield
42
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
-Resolution
-Decision-making authority
-Purpose
-Edward Kennedy protection
-House action
-Instructions for Rossides
The White House operator talked with Haldeman at 5:38 pm.
The President talked with Cornelia Wallace between 5:38 and 5:41 pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8F]
[See Conversation No. 24-89]
[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8F]
President's statement
Mrs. Nixon
Wallace shooting
[End of telephone conversation]
Wallace
-Shooting
-Call from Cornelia Wallace
-Effect on forthcoming election
-Condition
-Effect on Maryland primary
-Effect on Michigan primary
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's attendance
-Mrs. Nixon's attendance
-Clement E. Conger's role
-Effect of Wallace's condition
-Conversation with guests
-President's remarks
-Press coverage
43
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
-President's remarks
-Call from Cornelia Wallace
-Change in plans
-Press coverage
The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 5:41 and 5:45 pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8G]
[See Conversation No. 24-90]
[End of telephone conversation]
Edward Kennedy
-Location
-Georgetown
-Delay in protection
-Connally’s view
-Location
-New car
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-Press coverage
-President's remarks
-President's and Mrs. Nixon's attendance
-Appreciation to donors
Wallace
-Shooting
-President's statement for press
-Preparation
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
Ziegler left at 5:45 pm.
Connally
-Resignation
-Announcement
-Timing
-Effect of Wallace condition
Wallace
44
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
-Condition
-Reports
-Problems
-Dr. William M. Lukash
-Location
-Offer of services
-Bethesda Naval Hospital
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's remarks
-Call from Cornelia Wallace
-President's and Mrs. Nixon's attendance
-Receiving line
Wallace
-Condition
-Length of hospital stay
-The President’s view
-Cornelia Wallace
-The President’s view
-[Ruby ("Big Ruby") Folsom Ellis Austin]
-Connally’s view
-Call from the President
-Theodore Roosevelt assassination attempt
-Outcome of election
The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 5:45 pm and 5:52
pm.
Connally talked with Edward Kennedy at an unknown time between 5:45 pm and 5:52 pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8H]
[See Conversation No. 24-91]
[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8H]
Secret Service protection
-Edward Kennedy
-White House announcement
45
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
Ziegler entered at 5:52 pm.
[End of telephone conversation]
-Acceptance
-Duration
-White House announcement
-Connally's call to Edward Kennedy
Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:52 pm and 5:54
pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8I]
[See Conversation No. 24-92]
[End of telephone conversation]
-Duration
-President's orders
-Edward Kennedy's acceptance
-Necessity
The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 5:52 pm and 5:54
pm.
Connally talked with Rossides at an unknown time between 5:52 pm and 5:58 pm.
[Conversation No. 724-8J]
[See Conversation No. 24-93]
[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8J]
-Number of agents assigned
-Statement for the press
Ziegler left at 5:54 pm.
Wallace's condition [?]
Donald McI. Kendall
46
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
President's schedule
-Call from Haldeman
[End of telephone conversation]
Wallace
-Shooting
-Visit from Humphrey
-Visit from George S. McGovern
-Possible visit from the President
-Time
-Call
-Disadvantages
-Services offered by the President
-Lukash
-Condition
-Location of wounds
-Other victims
-Secret Service agent
-Wounds
-The President’s view
-Assassination attempt
-Compared with Robert F. Kennedy assassination
-Causes
-Compared with Abraham Lincoln assassination
-Effect on other victims
-Secret Service agent
-Condition
-Visit from Humphrey
-Time
-Visit from McGovern
-Location
-Condition
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 5:58 pm.
-Lukash's report
Butterfield left at 5:59 pm.
Connally's wounding
-Bleeding
47
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
-President's reading of reports
-Nellie Connally
-Location
-Care
-Details
-Surgeon
-Background
-Location
-Operation
-John Kennedy's condition
-Connally's awareness
-Nellie Connally
-Condition
-Surgeon
-Background
-Wound
-Severity
-Consequences
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's attendance
-Mrs. Nixon's knowledge
Connally's schedule
-Nellie Connally
-Arrangements to meet
-Location
President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's attendance
-Time
Connally left at an unknown time after 5:58 pm.
Connally
-The President’s view
-Domestic Council
President's schedule
-Blue Room
-President's preparation for reception
48
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)
Connally entered at an unknown time before 6:06 pm.
Blue Room
-Described
-Mrs. Nixon's role
Dining room
-Light fixture
-Change
-Described
-Tricia Nixon Cox
-Redecoration
-Light fixture
-Problem
Office
-Panelling
Dining Room
-Light fixture
-Change
-Time needed
-Alternative
The President, Haldeman, and Connally left at 6:06 pm.