Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 759 › Conversation 759-008

Nixon & Woods on Watergate and Republican National Convention

Wednesday, August 2, 1972 · 11:47 AM–12:33 PM ET · Oval Office ·8 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose MaryConversation759-008 onTape 759StartWednesday, August 2, 1972 at 11:47 AMEndWednesday, August 2, 1972 at 12:33 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 759-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, discussed various administrative and political matters, including the handling of a note for Hubert Humphrey and the vetting of potential guests for the Republican National Convention. Woods expressed concerns regarding the attendance of individuals linked to the unfolding Watergate scandal, specifically recommending the exclusion of Robert C. Odle, Jr. from the President’s box. The pair also addressed the logistics of a sensitive CIA report, domestic remodeling projects, and the handling of personal gifts.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I didn't comb it up yesterday.
I don't know if Humphrey wasn't there, maybe.
Yeah, because Humphrey said that.
Maybe he just said that.
Humphrey called him after that.
I don't know if he called him last year.
Maybe he meant that he had it since he had talked to Andrews last night.
I could give you a date.
No, it went immediately.
I don't care about that.
I think it came back and was delivered or something.
Well, I didn't have any doubt about it, except that I thought that maybe it was delivered or something.
No, no, it went out immediately.
And I think one name they put in it, I was like, maybe I shouldn't bother about this, but you continually hear rumors about who, unless an indirectly director was involved in that stupidity of the National Committee.
One name that I've heard who might be involved is Rob Oden.
Is he over there?
No, he's over there.
Now, he is also someone that either Julie or Trish, I suppose Trish doesn't know, he was at their wedding.
If there is even the slightest suspicion that he could be involved, he should never be in your box at the convention.
And I don't know who to say that to.
Not mentioned at all.
He knows it was Jim.
I don't think that he used to get called or that sort of thing.
Well, they're questioning everybody, I think.
But I just want to see why I'm saying that.
Well, I mean, it's the night of the weapons.
That's what you mean.
They're questioning everybody.
That's the question.
They're attacking people.
Okay, well, see, I just don't know what's trying to protect.
I wouldn't want anyone who was called who was maybe trying to be indicted to be in your box.
That's right.
Well, there's no object in that box.
There's no object in that box.
There's no object in that box.
There are a couple of set-point eye things and the kitchen thing here.
Your kitchen, the remodeling of the kitchen.
That we might like to look at.
This is the C.I.A.
report that he gave to you because of its sensitive nature.
Because I can't report to you, this is to you directly because of the unusual vulnerability of the sources involved.
You want me to just call him back and say that he's dead?
Okay.
Okay.
Did we ever get anything?
I don't know.
I thought we did.
I thought we did get anything.
Maybe an ashtray or a couplet or a money clipper, really.
Well, I would say that I do both.
He came down to the National Committee to give his annual money clip.
Well, I don't give him money.
I give him money, but couplets and an ashtray, because he's not enough cheese to buy all that stuff for us.
Then you've got the water.
That's what he brought in to me.
But I'm not going to let him see it.
He brought it in to me.
His name is Knox.
And they didn't throw that out.
That jelly was spoiled.
Did that come in?
It was.
Sure.
It went over to your house and it looked like it was on fire.
They put it in some kind of plastic bag or something like that.
But don't give this cheese beetroot out because it's good.
I've got it in my house.
And I don't give you all the crowns or anything.
That's right.
We can get that in there.
I told him, I just left.
I told him that he would go in here.
Well, if he's still out there, I could accept that.
I could bring him in and shake hands and have the kids right here.
If he's still there, I will.
I'll get the kids and put them in there.

NARA Description

On August 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:47 am and 12:33 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 759-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 759-8

Date: August 2, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:47 am and 12:33 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.

            Woods's appearance

            Camp David
               -Movie projector operator
                   -Forthcoming certificate from the President

            Handwritten note from the President
               -Hubert H. Humphrey
               -Timing of delivery

                                      (rev. Nov-03)

                   -Dwayne Andreas
                   -Humphrey

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 12s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

          Potential invitees with possible Watergate involvement
              -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
              -Robert C. Odle, Jr.
                   -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                   -Tricia Nixon Cox
                   -Possibility of attendance in the President's box
                        -Republican National Convention
                   -Haldeman
              -Possible indictments
              -Committee to Re-elect the President

          Remodeling of kitchen

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 57s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

                                      (rev. Nov-03)

*****************************************************************

            Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] report
                -Henry A. Kissinger
                -Woods’s forthcoming conversation with an unknown person [Richard M.
                Helms?]
                     -John D. Ehrlichman
                -Seizure of opium

            Kitchen remodeling
                -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

            Letter from Donald McI. Kendall

            Woods's schedule
               -Previous conversation with Harvey J. McFarland
                    -Picton, Ontario
                    -Gifts
                         -Cufflinks
                         -Ashtray
                         -Cufflinks
                         -Money clip
                         -Cheese
                             -Spoilage
                                  -San Clemente
                         -Crown Royal
                    -Possible meeting with the President

Woods left at an unknown time before 12:33 pm.

Also recorded on August 2, 1972

  • 759-005 10:34 AM · 55 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:34 am to 11:47 am.
  • 759-006 11:47 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:47 am and 12:33 pm.
  • 759-007 11:47 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:47 am and 12:33 pm.
  • 759-009 11:47 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:47 am and 12:33 pm.
  • 759-010 12:33 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Harvey J. McFarland met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:33 pm to 12:38 pm.
  • 759-011 12:38 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), White House operator, Henry A. Kissinger, George D. Aiken, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:38 pm to 1:17 pm.
  • 028-042 12:54 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:54 pm and 12:59 pm.
  • 028-043 12:59 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, George D. Aiken, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 12:59 pm to 1:08 pm.

All 29 conversations from August 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 759-008, August 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/759-008 (accessed September 18, 2026).