Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 741 › Conversation 741-014

Nixon, Rumsfeld & Stein on Economic Policy and Hurricane Agnes

Friday, June 23, 1972 · 3:00 PM–4:22 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Rumsfeld, Donald H.; Stein, Herbert; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Bull, Stephen B.; Spiegel, Edward R.; Hogan, Harry; Roland, Fritz; [Unknown person(s)]; Ehrlichman, John D.; Finch, Robert H.; Sanchez, Manolo; White House operatorConversation741-014 on Tape 741 (tape position 03:48:27–05:02:43)StartFriday, June 23, 1972 at 3:00 PMEndFriday, June 23, 1972 at 4:22 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 741-014 ↗

President Nixon held a wide-ranging series of meetings with advisors and staff to discuss economic policy, pending legislation, and emergency disaster responses. Key discussions included plans to reduce government stockpiles, the political implications of food prices and busing legislation, and the federal government's mobilization efforts following Hurricane Agnes and the Rapid City flooding. The session also incorporated administrative coordination for upcoming film projects involving the President and members of the Wolper Organization.

Audio for this conversation has not been released by the National Archives.

No transcript is available because the audio has not been released.

On June 23, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Herbert Stein, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Edward R. Spiegel, Harry Hogan, Fritz Roland, unknown person(s), John D. Ehrlichman, Robert H. Finch, Manolo Sanchez, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:00 pm to 4:22 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 741-014 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 741-14

Date: June 23, 1972
Time: 3:00-4:22 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Donald Rumsfeld and Herbert Stein.
[This recording began while the conversation was in progress]

     Stockpiles
          -Metals
          -Value
          -George A. Lincoln
          -Henry A. Kissinger
          -The President’s instructions
                -Reduction
                     -Timing
                -Caspar W. Weinberger
                -National Security Council [NSC]
          -Vested interests
          -Food subsidies
                -Food prices
                     -Rumsfeld
                -George P. Shultz
                -Administraiton action
                -Earl L. Butz
                -Administration action
                     -Subsidies
                -Farmers
                     -Income
                     -Political outlook
                          -George S. McGovern

The President left at an unknown time after 3:00 pm.

H. R. Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Edward R. Spiegel, Henry Hogan, Fritz Roland and unknown
members of the Wolper Organization, Inc. entered at an unknown time after 3:00 pm.

[General conversation]

     Cameras

The President entered at an unknown time after 3:00 pm.

     The President's movements during forthcoming filming

     Instructions for the President

John D. Ehrlichman entered at an unknown time after 3:00 pm.

     Filming logistics

Pending Congressional legislation
    -Federal funding provision for localities
          -Local property taxes
               -Problem
    -Busing
          -Equal Educational Opportunity bill
               -Congressional actions
          -Richard K. Cook’s view
          -Moratorium
          -House and Senate action
          -Busing moratorium
               -Possible passage
               -The President’s view
               -Emanuel Celler
          -Detroit example
          -Kindergarten children
               -Effect
          -Parents' feelings
          -Effect on children's social life
          -Equal education opportunity bill
          -Effect of court action
          -Social planners
          -Purpose and effect
          -Harvard professor
               -Study on the effects of busing
          -Racial tension
    -Wilbur D. Mills bill on aid to private schools
          -Administration position
               -Tax credits

Hurricane Agnes
     -Disaster declaration
           -Possible effect
                -Claims
                     -Office of Emergency Preparedness [OEP]
                     -Small Business Administration [SBA]
                     -Federal Housing Administration [FHA]
           -South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia
           -Virginia, Maryland, East Coast states
           -Extent
           -Need for supplemental bill

          -Extent of disaster
          -Robert H. Finch
               -Visit to Rapid City, South Dakota

     Filming logistics

     John W. Byrnes

Finch entered at an unknown time after 3:00 pm.

     Finch’s trip to Rapid City, South Dakota

     Byrnes
         -Spending bill
              -Payroll taxes
                   -Administration policy

     Rapid City disaster
         -Extent of damage
                -Finch’s assessment
         -Looting
         -National Guard
         -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon's parents

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:00 pm.

     Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 4:07 pm.

     Hurricane Agnes
          -Response to warnings
               -Rapid City disaster
          -The President's experience in Florida
               -Palm trees

     Rapid City disaster
         -National Guard
                -Purpose
                -Role in Rapid City
         -Weather
                -Amount of rain

      -Letter from Governor [Richard F. Kneip] to the President
            -Tourism

Disasters
     -California earthquakes
           -Rapid City disaster
           -Peruvian earthquake

Hurricane Agnes
     -National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]
           -Robert H. White
                -Theodore H. White
           -Advanced warning
                -Previous hurricane (Hurricane Camille?)

Filming logistics

Hurricane Agnes
     -Fundraising drive
     -Red Cross
           -The President's uncle
     -Salvation Army
     -Ehrlichman's conversation with John W. Dean, III
           -Potomac River
                -Flooding

Filming logistics

Unemployment rate
    -California
    -Washington state
          -Supersonic transport [SST], Boeing Aircraft Company
          -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson and Warren G. Magnuson
    -American-made aircraft in use

SST
      -Necessity
      -The President’s pointer
            -The President’s flights in the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China
                 [PRC]
      -Environment
      -Importance of speed

          -Space race
                -Great Britain, France, Soviet Union
          -Balance of payments
          -Program for Congress
          -Environment
                -Cost-benefit analysis

     Response to Kneip
         -Finch

     Stockpiles

     [General conversation]

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:00 and 4:07
pm.

[Conversation No. 741-14A]

[See Conversation No. 26-1]

[End of telephone conversation]

     [No conversation]

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:00 and 4:07
pm.

[Conversation No. 741-14B]

[See Conversation No. 26-2]

The President talked with George P. Shultz between 4:07 and 4:13 pm.

[Conversation No. 741-14C]

[See Conversation No. 26-3]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Instructions for the President
           -Bull

           -Photographs
                -Executive Office Building [EOB]
                -Oval Office
                -Ronald L. Ziegler

The President talked with the White House operator at 4:14 pm.

[Conversation No. 741-14D]

[See Conversation No. 26-4]

[End of telephone conversation]

      Photographs

      Gifts for film crew

      Haldeman [?]

The President, et al. left at 4:22 pm.
  • 343-036 2:20 PM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, White House operator, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:20 pm to 2:45 pm.
  • 025-135 2:22 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 2:22 pm to 2:34 pm.
  • 025-136 2:29 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:29 pm.
  • 741-013 2:56 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, Donald H. Rumsfeld, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Herbert Stein, Edward R. Spiegel, Harry Hogan, Fritz Roland, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:56 pm and 3:00 pm.
  • 026-001 3:00 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:00 pm and 4:06 pm.
  • 026-002 3:00 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:00 pm and 4:07 pm.
  • 026-003 4:07 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 4:07 pm to 4:13 pm.
  • 026-004 4:14 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:14 pm.

Conversation 741-014, June 23, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/741-014 (accessed September 30, 2026).