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Conversation 766-002

TapeTape 766StartThursday, August 10, 1972 at 4:46 PMEndThursday, August 10, 1972 at 5:07 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose Mary;  Ehrlichman, John D.;  Brown, Jim;  Wilkes, John L.;  Scott, Stanley S.;  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office
AudioNARA Description

On August 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, John D. Ehrlichman, Jim Brown, John L. Wilkes, Stanley S. Scott, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:46 pm to 5:07 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 766-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 766-2

Date: August 10, 1972
Time: 4:46 pm - 5:07 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.

      Woods's health

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 59s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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                                        (rev. Nov-03)

       Public relations
             -R. Sargent Shriver
                    -Robert F. Kennedy’s alleged wiretapping
                         -Lyndon B. Johnson
                    -Appointment as Ambassador to France

       Personnel
            -Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
                   -1960 campaign
                         -Unknown person’s handling of International Telephone and Telegraph
                         [ITT] funds
                               -John F. Kennedy and Johnson
                         -Joseph P. Kennedy’s view
                   -IRS staff
                         -Woods’s view

       Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
            -Unknown person

       1972 election
            -Campaign financing
                   -List of contributors to George S. McGovern’s campaign
                          -Possible strategy
                              -Woods’s conversations with Robert H. Finch and Jeremiah
                              Milbank
                                -April 7, 1972 reporting deadline
                                -Amount of contributions
                                -Possible leak
                                -Max Palevsky

John D. Ehrlichman entered at 4:50 pm.

       The President’s forthcoming meeting with Jim Brown
            -Brown's appearance

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                                        (rev. Nov-03)

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 43s        ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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      A letter from Allen J. Ellender's staff
            -The President's trip Ellender’s funeral

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 17s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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      A letter from Mary [?] Hendricks
            -Shreveport Times
            -William E. Timmons
            -Shreveport Times
                  -Ewing family
                  -Compared to William Loeb [Manchester Union Leader]

      Department of Treasury medallions
           -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

      [Dictabelts?]
            -Wodds’s possible transcription
            -An unknown person's suggestion
            -Possible accidental destruction

                                        (rev. Nov-03)

Brown, John L. Wilkes, and Stanley S. Scott entered and Woods left at 4:56 pm.

       Greetings

       Brown's movies

       The President's previous meeting with Brown
            -Brown’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
            -1960

       Photograph session

       Brown's activities
           -Physical fitness
           -Minority business

       Minority businesses
            -Washington, DC
                  -Car dealerships
            -Government aid
                  -Peter G. Peterson
                  -Ehrlichman
                        -Domestic council
                  -Leon H. Sullivan
                  -Urban League
                  -Wilkes
                  -Robert J. Brown
                  -Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.

       Gifts
               -Cuff links

       John N. Mitchell
            -Jim Brown's previous conversation with Mitchell
                  -Ed Walsh
            -Brown’s view
            -Health
                  -Golf

                                          (rev. Nov-03)

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:56 pm.

       Photograph session

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:02 pm.

       Jim Brown's physical condition
            -Weight

       Ollie Matson
             -Football career

       Football from 1969 Pro Bowl

       Washington Redskins

       The President's thanks for Jim Brown's support

       Herbert G. Klein
            -Introduction to Jim Brown

       Robert F. Kennedy Stadium

Jim Brown, Wilkes, and Scott left at 5:02 pm.

       Peterson
             -Bull
                     -Forthcoming meeting between Peterson and Brown

       Jim Brown
            -Lifestyle
                  -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s conversation with the President
                        -Edward M. Kennedy
                  -Compared to Al Capp
                  -The President’s view
            -Ehrlichman’s view
                  -Example for young blacks
                  -Support for the President

                                         (rev. Nov-03)

             -Assistance for Jim Brown

       Blacks
            -Patois
                  -Ehrlichman’s view

       George W. Romney
            -Forthcoming meeting with the President
            -Ehrlichman's previous talk with Leonore L. Romney
            -[George Romney’s trip to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania]
                  -Television appearance
                  -Ehrlichman’s previous talk with Leonore Romney

Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:02 pm.

       [The President’s forthcoming meeting with the Cost of Living Council [COLC]]

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:07 pm.

       Food prices
            -The President's forthcoming meeting [with the COLC]
                   -Ehrlichman’s view
                          -Briefing by the COLC
                                -View of the COLC
            -Ehrlichman’s view
                   -Camp David
                   -Public relations issues
            -John B. Connally's proposals
            -Arthur F. Burns's proposals
                   -Herbert Stein's view
                   -Political acumen

       George Romney
            -Forthcoming meeting with the President
                  -[Situation in Wilkes-Barre]
                        -Milton J. Shapp
                        -Military
                  -Additional employees for the Department of Housing and Urban
                  Development [HUD]

                                         (rev. Nov-03)

                         -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger

The President and Ehrlichman left at 5:07 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hi.
Hi.
How are you feeling?
Any better?
Oh yeah, I'm good.
It's too late for a song.
I can't stop singing.
But he also said that Shriver is the one who tipped off LBJ that Bobby was tapping his phone.
That's usual.
LBJs.
That's where, where, why the Kennet, probably the Kennet thing, I don't know.
Well, Shriver took the LBJs.
Shriver, and that's how I got to be a ambassador to France.
Well, well, let's don't do it yet.
Oh, I mean, only if we get, uh, if I could, uh.
Let's wait until we get something.
If I could hold out.
Well, and he's going to go see him.
And then he said that in the 1960 campaign, he personally handled the bundled case from ITT with Kennedy and Johnson.
Sure.
And the old Joe Kennedy said, see, and this is, of course, part of the problem.
Joe Kennedy talked about, if you just get in and control the Attorney General and the IRS, anyone can run the country.
We've got control of all of them.
Of course, we've got any control of the IRS.
That's the worst mess we've ever been in.
The first thing we did was fire the whole bunch that are fireable.
Yeah, they were in there.
Oh, they were in there.
Well, they had one, but they don't have it.
That's a whole agency.
One gun.
And, at any rate, he'll meet any time, any place, any time of day, and so forth.
He's really cranked up.
And I tried speaking, and I gave him a...
Well, I finished the suggestion and I talked to Jerry Romney and I said, I think we have to take all these people who have defected, instead of listening to all this, after being on the defensive about all the money that was collected prior to April 7th, I think we need to get all these ones who have now defected from the government, find out from them how much they gave.
First check how much their listings are getting, find out how much they gave.
and then have somebody who is more capable talk to either the governor or his top guy and just say, now look, we have this information.
If there's one more word for any of you on this, this is where there's no reason.
What's that all about?
I think that one guy that had a lot of years on the board, he has a lot more in the show.
Anyway, I've talked to two or three people about that.
That's a very good point.
Yeah, well, that, we've got to go, we've got to be able to.
We can work it out.
That way, rather than.
I know.
I know.
I don't think so.
Somebody had a ruffled shirt up there.
Eligious death.
Did they age all the parents?
Did they want to be in prison?
Did they want to be in prison?
Did they want to be in prison?
Did they want to be in prison?
Mrs. Henry thanked you for a letter she had received from you.
She was the Shreveport Times.
I think they said you made a note that she got another letter.
She already received another letter.
Well, that's what she was so pleased about.
Somebody had mentioned it to me.
Yeah.
And she's very good.
What I think we should do is just put her on the White House list or some other country.
There's nothing else we can say.
And she's very good.
She's the only Democratic child in the U.S. that controls the streets like other papers.
That's why.
She's one of the most conservative papers in America.
Bill Hogan is crazy.
You know, I have a set of those treasury medallions that I think are so much better.
Yeah.
And I've got the frame.
All right.
No sir.
You're putting those perfectly there.
They can't be destroyed with that thing.
Command!
Oh no, I don't think so.
What I mean is they don't do this that great.
Alright.
Sir, how are you?
Good to see you.
Good to see you.
Well, first of all, you know, you're a hero on your movies, aren't you?
Well, I always do.
We, uh, I've never been good at it.
I've mentioned it to people when I started the whole thing, but, uh,
The first time was after I was elected.
I remember was in the auditorium, you know?
Oh, I remember.
We lost that.
I remember.
What we needed was a way to make those last three inches.
Let's turn around and get a little two years on the line.
We might want to use it in art.
You're in great shape.
Tennis.
You play basketball all the time, right?
All right.
You're working with the kids, too, I know.
Oh, yes.
I saw that.
Well, that's unbelievable about the last seven years.
That's a way to wrap it up.
I know.
Are we helping?
Yes, you are.
We are, but, you know, you get out these guys.
I won't be able to get out the parents in that area.
No, no, no.
The area's the area.
But, you know, I know when I first came in, I checked particularly on the whole building.
And I'll always have faith in you.
There are millions of people, black parents, home doctors, and there are only two automobile dealerships now.
So this is another question.
That's why, in fact, I know one of the individuals, right?
But I think that is the way, and that's the reason I'm coming forward.
Well, I appreciate it very much.
We'll try to, on our side, we can solve what we can.
But you keep in touch with our office there to be sure that, you know, that Peter's,
This is, uh, this is, uh, this is, uh, this is, uh, this is, uh, this is, uh, this is, uh,
There's, you know, we're helping several places, various things.
They aren't solid ground.
Yeah, they're early.
Right.
But, you know, they've got a lot of different tools working on them.
I've got a lot of my head in this operation.
You know, John Wilkes and Bob Brown have been cooperating.
That was great before, so this is very good.
You know, it's okay to talk about that.
Well, I know you're a good dancer here, but I don't want to make that job check your seat.
I can do something simple first, you know what I mean?
Well, Jordan doesn't leave us alone either.
Oh, that's right.
Oh, that's good.
Oh, that's good.
Now, let's get the usual piece of the presidential complex with the car.
Yeah, that's good.
I was sitting here talking to him.
Yeah, John.
Yeah.
Oh, sure.
Of course he did.
Yes, of course he did.
He knew your coach, too.
That's right.
He told me all about that.
The coach that you mentioned.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
Oh, sure, sure.
Yes, sir.
You know, that really isn't very good for football, is it?
These guys are good.
Except for... Yeah, but even running backs are not good.
I had a...
I like that.
I don't know.
I looked at...
And, you know, he is not a big man, you know.
And he said, well, today it would be hard for him to, you know, all he could really find is out an eager loser.
And he threw it out like that.
So did you.
Well, it drove me.
Well, take one of them.
I've got an old football.
I don't know.
I didn't know I had it at the time.
West one back here.
It's a softball.
Well...
I appreciate your help, and I'm going to try to work with some of our guys tonight.
And we'll watch the movie soon.
Oh, that's good.
You know, we're flying out there, aren't you?
We're flying.
Secretary Peterson's next door and I'm going to have a seat.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
This is a guy who every young black kid wants to be like.
It's still cool for sure, for sure.
And they copied his hairstyles, they copied his clothes styles.
And this is a real coup against this guy.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, there's a real pathway in a black community.
You can sit there and only understand about a fourth of what they said.
We're all set to see Robin tomorrow.
Okay.
I talked to his wife a little while ago, and I banged on her straightened out, settled down, and so on.
He had held a television shop last night.
I thought it was great.
And now he realizes it was smart for him to go, you've got to go fight with somebody.
Well, she was concerned that he had told her some things about the circumstances of his being sent that were not true.
And I think I got her to calm down and say, yeah, my food prices ain't here.
My suggestion would be that you avoid making any comment.
I know it's a briefing paper suggestion.
They'll give you a little briefing and they'll pitch you that you ought to stick with the status quo, which should be pretty much the opinion.
I'll be coming at you tomorrow with some specific suggestions.
My analysis is that there's a problem with PR and perception.
I've got a few ideas and I'll come at you tomorrow and I'm waiting for a few more numbers.
Arthur Birch was very constructive.
He had some good ideas, which I know he would.
Whatever it's called.
And they're a little unorthodox, and they bother Stein.
That's the reason I want to be sure.
Stein, how about Birch in your case?
I don't know.
I don't know.
He attended some of these.
And he said damn good on this.
He did a lot of hard work on it and thought it through.
And actually, of all the people that I've been around talking to, I think he was the best in terms of the politics of the fight.
I didn't expect it would be.
So that's really all I have here.
Just keep your options open with this crowd.
I can't do that.
He's going to come in and he'll rant and roar about how great everything is up there and how he sent the military all straight around and this and that.
He'll pitch it for 750 additional employees.
But I don't want him to think we're overruled as a body.
Well, that's right.
That's right.
So I'll say that John recommended it.
Yeah, I'll say that.
Okay.
← 766-001766-003 →