Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 744 › Conversation 744-016

Nixon, Evans & Ziegler on Baseball and Sports history

Friday, June 30, 1972 · 11:38 AM–11:50 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Evans, Clifford;  Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation744-016 onTape 744 (tape position 02:44:38–02:56:29)StartFriday, June 30, 1972 at 11:38 AMEndFriday, June 30, 1972 at 11:50 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 744-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Clifford Evans and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to discuss the President’s recent writing on baseball history and legends. The conversation centered on Nixon’s personal admiration for iconic players like Lou Gehrig, Red Schoendienst, and Sandy Koufax, as well as his perspective on the 'team concept' in sports. Additionally, the group shared historical anecdotes regarding figures such as Floyd Patterson, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. funeral.

Audio

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

Transcript (AI-generated)

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

NARA Description

On June 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Clifford Evans, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:38 am to 11:50 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 744-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 744-16

Date: June 30, 1972
Time: 11:38-11:50 am.
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Clifford Evans and Ronald L. Ziegler.

     The President’s schedule
          -Tailor

     The President's article on baseball greats
          -Stan Musial

                                        (rev. Feb-02)

           -Evans's question
           -The President's methodology
                -[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II
                -The President's interest in sports
                -Team concept
           -Most courageous baseball players
                -Lou Gehrig
                      -Movie [The Pride of the Yankees]
                      -Mrs. Gehrig's letter to the President
                           -Vietnam
                -Red Schoendienst
                      -The President's late brother [Harold Nixon]
           -Greatest event
                -Bill Mazeroski's home run in 1960 World Series
                      -The President's conversation with Pittsburgh Pirates' owner
                           -Pie Traynor
                -Bobby Thompson's home run in 1951
           -Sandy Koufax's strike-out record

     Floyd Patterson
          -Memories of conversation with the President
                -Funeral of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
                     -Wilt Chamberlain

Ziegler and Evans left at 11:50 am.

Also recorded on June 30, 1972

  • 744-010 11:26 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:26 am and 11:28 am.
  • 744-011 11:28 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Emil ("Bus") Mosbacher, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:28 am to 11:34 am.
  • 744-012 11:34 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:34 am.
  • 744-013 11:34 AM — President Richard M. Nixon, Cecelia D. Bellinger, Ann M. Morgan, and Raymond K. Price, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:34 am to 11:36 am.
  • 744-014 11:36 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:36 am and 11:38 am.
  • 744-015 11:36 AM — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:36 am and 11:38 am.
  • 744-017 11:50 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:50 am and 12:10 pm.
  • 744-018 11:50 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:50 am and 12:10 pm.

All 43 conversations from June 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 744-016, June 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/744-016 (accessed September 18, 2026).