Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 763 › Conversation 763-007

Nixon, Colson & Bull on unemployment and Vietnam War

Monday, August 7, 1972 · 9:04 AM–9:32 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.; Bull, Stephen B.Conversation763-007 on Tape 763StartMonday, August 7, 1972 at 9:04 AMEndMonday, August 7, 1972 at 9:32 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 763-007 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon, Charles Colson, and Stephen Bull discussed the administration's record on unemployment, comparing figures from 1969 to 1972 and considering its relationship to the Vietnam War. They also touched upon public relations strategies, mentioning Clark MacGregor and George McGovern, and reviewed upcoming scheduling matters, including a meeting with Pat Nixon. The conversation also briefly referenced poll data from Gallup and Harris.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Why is it that if you're going to say you had any on-line approach, you've got to take what they were when you came in and what they were now, and the number would then be, so maybe it's too late.

What's the list?

Okay, that's my point.

Right.

It was pretty low then, around 3-4%.

But nevertheless, the point that I make is that you can't say we've added unemployment, that I meant the unemployment rolls, when actually the, we had, it was one thing that you can just relate that to the war.

That's the way it is.

Oh, I see.

Yes.

That was a total of one of these four athletes right now.

Yes.

I read the full paper this morning before you got me.

It's fun.

It's an amateur's job.

He uses...

Well, it's full of dishonesty, but it is not even professionally done.

And they're assigned with the same reaction.

They're all here.

This is the first time they've seen each other.

That's interesting.

I say, I'll have that scalloped.

It's been quite a weekend.

We'll leave it and just bring that here or something.

I have that, yes, sir.

We're leaving the whole floor.

Yes, yes, yes.

Waiting room.

Oh, yes, yes.

That's the one that's coming up.

Yeah, we can see that.

Okay.

I'm all ready, sir.

NARA Description

On August 7, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:04 am to 9:32 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 763-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 763-7

Date: August 7, 1972
Time: 9:04 am - 9:32 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

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

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

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

       Administration's record
           -Unemployment
                  -Comparison between 1969 and 1972
                  -Relationship to war in Vietnam
                  -Public relations
                         -Clark MacGregor
                         -George S. McGovern
                               -Herbert Stein

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 19m 14s    ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:04 am.

       The President’s Schedule
            -Forthcoming meeting
                  -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

Bull left at an unknown time before 9:32 am.

       Polls
               -George H. Gallup
               -Louis P. Harris

Colson left at 9:32 am.

Also recorded on August 7, 1972

029-032 8:20 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:20 am and 8:31 am.
763-001 8:20 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:20 am and 8:31 am.
763-002 8:20 AM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:20 am and 8:31 am.
029-033 8:31 AM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Harry F. Byrd, Jr. talked on the telephone from 8:31 am to 8:38 am.
763-004 8:31 AM · 57 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Harry F. Byrd, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:31 am to 8:38 am.
763-005 8:38 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:38 am and 9:02 am.
763-006 9:02 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:02 am to 9:04 am.
763-008 9:32 AM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Edwin Edwards, Mrs. Edwin Edwards, Albert E. Hole, Victoria E. Edwards, Stephen R. Edwards, David E. Edwards, Mrs. Errol Schwartzenberg, Lynn Diamant, Russell B. Long, Thomas C. Korologos, William E. Timmons, White House photographer, Manolo Sanchez, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:32 am to 10:04 am.

All 38 conversations from August 7, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 763-007, August 7, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/763-007 (accessed October 1, 2026).