Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 775 › Conversation 775-011
Nixon, Hickel & White House photographer on 1972 Presidential Campaign
Tuesday, September 12, 1972 · 12:28 PM–1:15 PM ET · Oval Office ·25 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Walter Hickel, Clark MacGregor, and John Ehrlichman to discuss campaign strategy and the political climate leading up to the 1972 election. Hickel shared insights from his domestic travels, emphasizing the need for a strong electoral mandate to overcome Congressional gridlock and implement domestic reforms, particularly regarding urban development and transportation. The participants also explored foreign policy issues, including potential future diplomatic visits to China and the Soviet Union, and strategic concerns regarding resource competition in Asia.
- 1972 Presidential Campaign
- Domestic Policy
- Foreign Policy
- Transportation Reform
- Congressional Relations
- Urban Development
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
NARA Description
On September 12, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Walter J. Hickel, White House photographer, Clark MacGregor, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:28 pm to 1:15 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 775-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 775-11
Date: September 12, 1972
Time: 12:28 pm - 1:15 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Walter J. Hickel.
[The White House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the
meeting.]
Greetings
Refreshments
(rev. Oct-06)
Photograph
-John D. Ehrlichman's and Clark MacGregor's schedule
The President's wardrobe
-The President’s trip to the Soviet Union
-James H. Duff
Duff
Herman Welker
-Arrival in Senate with the President in 1950
Harry S. Truman
Carey Estes Kefauver
Hickel's schedule
-Arrival at White House
-Northwestern air strike
MacGregor and Ehrlichman entered at 12:31 pm.
[General conversation]
1972 Presidential campaign
-Contributions
-MacGregor
-Don S. Hewitt
-George S. McGovern policies
-Businessmen
-Hickel
-Visits through US
-Tone of feeling in US
-Domestic situation
-Hickel’s views
-Retired persons
-Financial community
-Industrialists
-Vietnam War as a factor
(rev. Oct-06)
-Possible mandate
-Effect on America
-Unemployment
-Compared to Depression era
-Factors
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
-Department of Transportation
-Department of Interior
-Foreign policy
-Public opinion
-Hickel’s travels
-South
-University of San Diego
-The People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Soviet Union
-Vietnam War
-Domestic concerns
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 18m 53s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
-Hickel’s travels
-Questions and answers
-Audience response
-Inflation
-Unemployment
-Taxes
-Foreign policy
-Vietnam
(rev. Oct-06)
-PRC
-Soviet Union
-Middle East
-Preview of issues
-The President's administration
-Positive actions
-Productivity
-Rise in Gross National Product [GNP]
-Decrease in unemployment
-Earnings on rise
-Georgia
-Mass transit
-Issues
-Revenue sharing
-Welfare reform
-Environment protection
-Transportation
-Housing
-Government reorganization
-Congressional support
-Need for mandate
-Effect on Presidential actions
-Domestic proposals
-Compared to foreign policy
-Administrative reorganization
-Department of Transportation
-Highway Trust Fund
-Congressional support
-The President's State of the Union Address in 1971
-Policies of reform
-Congressional response
-McGovern’s allies
-Governmental responsiveness
-Positive effect of reforms
-Welfare reform
-Executive reorganization
-Revenue sharing
-Initiative on health services
-Publicity
-Colleges
(rev. Oct-06)
-Cities
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 12s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
The President's administration in review
-Gains in foreign policy
-Arms control
-Environmental control, health
-Soviet Union
-Domestic policy
-Continued Congress support
-New Congress initiative
-Transportation
-Urban development
-Support from American people
-Changes in economic America
-Transportation
-Urban development
-Present compared to future
-Eric Hoffer
-Hickel’s view
-Transportation problems
-John A. Volpe
-Vietnam War
-Hickel’s view
-Domestic policies
-Cities as new monument
-Transporation
-Washington, DC
(rev. Oct-06)
-Subway system
-The President’s policies
-Support from residents
-Hickel's talk with John C. Whitaker
-Composite transportation system
-New opportunities compared to 1950s
-Anti-trust laws
-Deregulation in system
-Railroads
-International Brotherhood of Teamsters
-New laws
-Congress action
-Government regulations
-Need for improvement
Foreign policy
-Hickel
-Arctic
-Soviet Union
-PRC
-Possible visits
-The President’s view
-Dean Rusk, Stewart Udall, Luther Hodges
-1961 trip to the Soviet Union
-Japan and Siberia
-Indonesia
-Singapore
-Hong Kong
-Mediation between US and PRC
-Hong Kong
-Malaysia
-Singapore
-Hickel’s view
-Natural resources
-Admiral Padown (?)
-Source of resources
-Japan
-Exports from Alaska
-Canada
-Soviet Union
(rev. Oct-06)
-Sea of Japan
-Vladivostock
-Japanese technology
-Singapore and Hong Kong
-Human resources
-Indonesia
-Article in Readers' Digest written by Hickel
-Request by Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
-Bob R. O’Brien
-Alaska
-Importance
Presentation of Presidential gifts
-Janice (Cannon) Hickel
-Peking
-Watch
Hickel, McGregor and Ehrlichman left at 1:15 pm.Also recorded on September 12, 1972
- 775-007 12:10 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Dr. Anne Kibrick, Carol Eady, Dr. Dr. Issac Beckes, A. J. Gaston, Margaret E. Walsh, Helena M. ("Obie") Shultz, Jennie (Benedetto) Volpe, Jane (Dalton) Weinberger, James H. Cavanaugh, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:10 pm to 12:18 pm.
- 775-008 12:18 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:18 pm to 12:19 pm.
- 775-009 12:19 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John Jarman, John E. Nidecker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:19 pm to 12:27 pm.
- 775-010 12:28 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:28 pm.
- 775-012 1:15 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 1:17 pm.
- 775-013 1:15 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 1:17 pm.
- 359-005 1:17 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:17 pm and 2:35 pm.
- 359-006 1:17 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:17 pm and 2:35 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 775-011, September 12, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/775-011 (accessed September 18, 2026).