Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 765 › Conversation 765-006

Nixon, Ray & Schlesinger on Atomic Energy Commission and Women in government

Tuesday, August 8, 1972 · 10:31 AM–10:45 AM ET · Oval Office · 11 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ray, Dixy Lee; Schlesinger, James R. (Dr.); Raney, James; Larson, Clarence; Doub, William; Hyde, Dewitt S.; Reid, Marion; Franklin, Barbara H.; David, Edward E., Jr. (Dr.); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation765-006 on Tape 765StartTuesday, August 8, 1972 at 10:31 AMEndTuesday, August 8, 1972 at 10:45 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 765-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon hosted a meeting and swearing-in ceremony for Dixy Lee Ray, who was appointed as a commissioner to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). The event included the participation of several AEC officials, presidential aides, and members of the press to highlight the administration's commitment to appointing qualified women to high-level government positions. During the session, the President emphasized the importance of developing atomic energy for peaceful purposes and formally concluded the proceedings by distributing presidential gifts to the attendees.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 8% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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You would stand up right here, please.
Right here.
This wasn't you.
Dr. David.
This is great.
Stand right next to Dr. David, please, if you'd stand on the other side.
If you're in the corner, that's when you should come over to this side.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, we're here today as you know.
I just noted him looking over some of the statistics with regard to the number of women we have now.
This appointment is the first that's been made to the AEC for a whole year.
You don't want to try this out.
But what is really more important is the fact that this means that we are in government trying to find
women were thoughtful, not just the Secretary of the House, but they were always very important to the Congress.
And in this administration, we're very proud of the fact that we now have 116 top politicians.
We trust there will be more.
We have selected you, however, not because you have to be a woman, but we have selected you because you are a very important scientist.
That's going to be the greatest amount of slavery of those.
Seattle is going to be the one to see the lead in my right-hand corner.
Seattle, most of the colleges are in the game, and I should deserve a triple-A as well.
Also, they go to know the Washington area for bringing you away from there.
But certainly the state of Washington is lost, and Washington seems to be getting it.
And we are going to have to get, particularly in the area of China, where you are going to be,
development of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, which, of course, is one of the major trusts of our program, which we see very little of, perhaps, of, let's say, the two of you, maybe you, and I, and you, and I, and you, and you, and I, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you,
I speak to you today, solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to this name, that I take this obligation freely,
without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion, that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter.
So help me God.
I was so delighted to find that she had her channeling.
Go ahead.
Independent education channel.
Put her on college.
All right.
Good.
Good.
Mr. President, I'd like to get one picture of .
Well, we'll get one picture, shall we say, of the whole commission now, together. .
Now, this will be your formal picture.
All right.
I'm going to make copies.
And I'm going to make yours, too.
You, uh, you, John, want to spread it out, right?
Just make this, uh, you know, what you're saying.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
Really?
Hey.
Oh, that's great.
He lives in Seattle now.
Oh, yes.
Well, I hope that's true.
My brother lives there in Washington.
He lives in Washington.
Yeah, yeah.
As a matter of fact, he has his master's in zoology or biology, one of those things.
Oceanography and all that.
Well, let's see.
The lady should get one of those.
The Bible would get you one that's properly inscribed.
There's a pen that means there's some signs on it.
The judge, do you have one of the new copies?
Yeah, he should get one of those.
Thank you very much.
How many boys and girls?
Seven boys and four girls.
Seven boys and girls.
Well, we want something for .
I must say, I know that you kind of regret the weather .
But you'll get better.
But I mean very seriously .
I mean very seriously, Mr. Chairman.
You put a good on policy, don't you think?
No, I'm just kidding.
I once heard a predecessor of the people who were all talking about becoming married and all the exciting things that were going to happen in the non-volunteer area.
And we just don't know about the possibilities that are there.
And they were just spending all their money to blow up the world, of course.
And we were trying to make it.
But you'll get it wrong, right, sir?
All right.
Thank you.
Keep your budget within limitation.
All right.
Thank you.
Bye.

NARA Description

On August 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Dixy Lee Ray, Dr. James R. Schlesinger, James Raney, Clarence Larson, William Doub, Dewitt S. Hyde, Marion Reid, Barbara H. Franklin, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:31 am and 10:45 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 765-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 765-6

Date: August 8, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:31 am and 10:45 am
Location: Oval Office

Dixy Lee Ray, James R. Schlesinger, James Raney, Clarence Larson, William Doub, Dewitt S.
Hyde, Marion Reid, Barbara H. Franklin, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr. met; Stephen B. Bull and
members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting.

       Swearing-in ceremony
            -Arrangements
                  -Schlesinger
                  -David
                  -Reid

Members of the press entered at an unknown time after 10:31 am.

The President entered at 10:33 am.

       Introductions
             -Ray

       Swearing-in ceremony
            -Ray
                  -Atomic Energy Commission [AEC]
            -Women in government
                  -AEC
            -Ray's background
                  -Pacific Science Center
                  -University of Washington
            -Women in government
                  -Appointments to decision-making positions

                         -The Administration's record
             -Ray's qualifications
                   -Seattle Post-Intelligencer
             -Ray’s area of interest
                   -development of atomic energy for peaceful purposes

       Oath of office

       Ray’s previous appearance on educational television

       Photographs
            -Entire commission
            -Ray’s family

       Washington State
           -Seattle
                 -The President's brother [Edward C. Nixon]
                        -[Master’s degree in geology]

       Presidential gifts
             -Pins
                   -Presidential seal
             -Bible
             -Pen
             -Cuff links
             -Bow pins

       Weather in Washington compared to Washington, DC

       Ray’s appearance on television
            -The President’s view
            -Atomic energy
                  -The President’s previous hearing of talk by Hartley Rowe [?]

       AEC budget

Ray et al left at 10:45 am.

Also recorded on August 8, 1972

  • 765-001 10:11 AM · 14 min — Hugh Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Richard K. Cook, Herbert G. Klein, Thomas C. Korologos, and President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:11 am to 10:25 am.
  • 765-002 10:25 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:25 am and 10:30 am.
  • 765-003 10:30 AM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Hugh Scott, and Herbert G. Klein met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:30 am to 10:31 am.
  • 765-004 10:31 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:31 am and 10:33 am.
  • 765-005 10:31 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:31 am and 10:33 am.
  • 765-007 10:45 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:45 am and 10:58 am.
  • 765-008 10:45 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:45 am and 10:58 am.
  • 765-009 10:45 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:45 am and 11:23 am.

All 79 conversations from August 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 765-006, August 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/765-006 (accessed October 12, 2026).