Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 774 › Conversation 774-014

Nixon, Woods & Bull on 1972 Olympics and Olympic protests

Monday, September 11, 1972 · 11:40 AM–12:02 PM ET · Oval Office · 9 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose Mary; Bull, Stephen B.Conversation774-014 on Tape 774StartMonday, September 11, 1972 at 11:40 AMEndMonday, September 11, 1972 at 12:02 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 774-014 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull discussed the 1972 Olympics, specifically praising ABC's coverage and expressing strong disapproval of American athletes who protested during the medal ceremony. The conversation transitioned into personnel management and administrative matters, including the handling of job requests and the vetting of individuals seeking White House positions. Nixon also reviewed ceremonial gift-giving protocols, focusing on the distribution of presidential mementos such as watches and ashtrays to visitors.

Audio

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NARA Description

On September 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:40 am to 12:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 774-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 774-14

Date: September 11, 1972
Time: 11:40 am - 12:02 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 8m 59s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

         Television coverage of 1972 Olympics
            -American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
            -The President's call to Chris Schenkel
                 -ABC's coverage
                     -The President's view
            -US Olympic Committee action
                 -US runners [Wayne Collett and Vince
                  Matthews]
                     -The President's view

                    -International Olympic Committee
                    -Soviet Union
                    -Internationalism
                         -National pride

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 33s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

        Presentation from George P. Shultz
           -Dollar bills
Show the rest of the log (30 more lines)
                -Years of the President's election campaigns

        Appointment and personnel management
          -Unknown man
          -Unknown woman
               -The President's view
          -William L. Taub [?]
               -Work
                   -The President's view
                   -Richard A. Moore
          -Gifts
               -John A. Mulcahy
          -Thelma C. ("Pat") Nixon
               -The President's view

        Ceremonial visits to the Oval Office
              -Presidential gifts
              -Unknown people
              -Watches
              -Ashtrays

                  -Dwight D. Eisenhower coin

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time before 12:02 pm.

          The President's schedule
             -Joseph T. De Silva
             -James R. Mann

Bull and Woods left at 12:02 pm.

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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Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

We got part of the report as a spy.
Well, apart from that, they deserved it.
They set it up in the United States, and we've been kicked around.
ABC did a good job.
They did a good job.
I agree.
And I thought our Olympic Committee was dead wrong.
They said that those two blacks that failed to shoot solos, you know, and turned their back on the flag, should not have been disqualified.
The international officers called them our Olympics.
They were nuts.
But you agree?
I agree.
I had to run right out on the team.
I would say that the international people took them up on them.
They've got more pride in their country.
Well, every country.
I think the Russians should be disqualified.
This internationalism is not the way for the future.
All the numbers I was like.
1946, this is from Schultz.
1950, 1952, 1956, 1968, and 1972.
Oh, how nice.
That's a very good one.
and she got very thoughtful playing with him too.

— 1 min 14 s with no transcribed speech —

Now, now.
But you don't need anybody to do it.
I have an insurance there.
I'm going to get one of them.
I'm going to do that.
I'm going to do this.
I'm going to do that.
I'm going to do that.
I'm going to do that.
I agree.
I agree.
There are a lot of things.
I don't know.
He didn't need stuff.
A water deal that occurred.
A water deal.
A building block deal.
I don't agree with that.
A housing deal.
Every time you hear on some of the deals, and they all come in, it's just not your fault.
You shouldn't keep anything on them.
I mean, because they never know.
Well, you just never know when he's going to be right.
Then he'll stop.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
And that's, that's all they've got this time, these stupid antics of other people.
And I just like to hear them.
It just can't help it.
The cat is nice, that boy.
Her husband's a nice boy.
What happened?
Is his sperm dissolved or something?
He lost his job.
Well, I know Dick Moore called me a long time ago and said the boy wanted a job.
He said, I don't think you should do anything for him here.
And I said, no.
Because I did it because of that husband of mine.
Oh, Christ.
You just can't have rain in that house.
Rain in that house.
Rain in that house.
uh it's just a little bit and of course that's the irish
You know, I mean, you could go to dinner or something with them.
And I can't blame the kids.
She's seen this all along.
But the thing to do is not to put her in a position to be able to hurt her.
But I just think what you do with those young kids is try to keep them out of the position of being able to do it.
So you don't bring them back and put them
and in the path of all the promoters who are around to talk a big game.
Because a lot of people haven't been given the character to know the difference, or something, of promoters and others.
Your kids have, because they
I'm not sure I remember that one.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
She's older.
That's a good question.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
We've got to do something more than we've ever done before.
We haven't done it.
We've got to give it a first try.
Yeah.
But there was a new thing that came out.
See, they're proud.
Watches.
We've given watches.
We've given them some watches.
Watches, ashtrays, those eyes on our dollars.
We haven't given them the watches.
I think what I would feel proud to do is send out boxes.
Congressman here.
Yes, sir.

Also recorded on September 11, 1972

  • 774-009 11:18 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:18 am to 11:22 am.
  • 774-010 11:23 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Russell E. Train, Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:23 am to 11:34 am.
  • 774-011 11:38 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:38 am.
  • 774-012 11:39 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:39 am.
  • 774-013 11:39 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:39 am.
  • 774-015 12:03 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, James R. Mann, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:03 pm to 12:04 pm.
  • 774-016 12:04 PM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:04 pm and 12:05 pm.
  • 774-017 12:05 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Joseph T. DeSilva, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Charles W. Colson, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:05 pm to 12:24 pm.

All 36 conversations from September 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 774-014, September 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/774-014 (accessed November 2, 2026).