Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 777 › Conversation 777-004

Nixon, Butterfield & Eisenhower on Edward M. Kennedy and Ray Charles

Thursday, September 14, 1972 · 6:00 PM–6:05 PM ET · Oval Office ·3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.;  Eisenhower, Julie Nixon;  Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation777-004 onTape 777StartThursday, September 14, 1972 at 6:00 PMEndThursday, September 14, 1972 at 6:05 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 777-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and Ronald L. Ziegler to coordinate the administration's upcoming public schedule. Primary attention focused on planning a signing ceremony for the National Heart, Blood Vessel, Lung, and Blood Act, specifically addressing the political implications of inviting Senator Edward M. Kennedy to the event. The group also discussed potential press opportunities involving Ray Charles to promote sickle cell anemia research and briefly touched upon status updates regarding Vietnam War negotiations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Thank you, sir.
There's a public signing ceremony that I'd like you to consider, Mark.
This is Teddy Kennedy's bill, so we'll wind up in here.
And we'd have to wait until he was not in the presence of the public signing to expand it.
No.
He is a key leader of the American Heart Association of Health Leaders.
No.
This would be a good...
I don't want to name him.
I don't like the sound of that.
We don't have a name on the press photo unless you want to consider a press photo for Charles.
And it is bad because he's tied to the...
I don't mind that.
Rachel and...
After the President's admission of the Heart Disease Research Area were announced, Ted Candidate,
I don't know.
I don't.
Yes.
Very strong.
You know?

NARA Description

On September 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:00 pm and 6:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 777-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 777-4

Date: September 14, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:00 pm and 6:05 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

              The President's schedule

The President talked with Julie Nixon Eisenhower between 6:00 pm and 6:01 pm.

[Conversation No. 777-4A]

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

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

[END OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION]

                                          (rev. Oct-06)

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 6:01 pm.

             The President's schedule
                 -Possible signing ceremony for National Heart, Blood Vessel, Lung, and Blood
                 Act, September 20, 1972
                     -Edward M. Kennedy bill
                          -Invitation to Kennedy
                          -American Heart Association
                 -Ray Charles
                     -Press photograph
                     -Sickle cell anemia
                 -Signing ceremony
                     -Kennedy
                     -Political effects

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 6:05 pm.

             Vietnam War
                 -Negotiations
                     -Interim agreement
                          -Possible statement
                          -Endorsement

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 6:05 pm.

Also recorded on September 14, 1972

  • 359-011 2:39 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:39 pm and 2:44 pm.
  • 359-013 2:44 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Wayne N. Aspinall met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:44 pm to 2:45 pm.
  • 359-014 2:45 PM · 9 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 2:45 pm and 2:50 pm.
  • 359-015 2:50 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:50 pm to 3:41 pm.
  • 777-001 3:41 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:41 pm and 3:49 pm.
  • 777-002 3:49 PM · 2 hr 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Stephen B. Bull, George P. Shultz, Arthur F. Burns, John B. Connally, Herbert Stein, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:49 pm to 5:59 pm.
  • 777-003 6:00 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 6:00 pm.
  • 777-005 6:05 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:05 pm to 6:08 pm.

All 29 conversations from September 14, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 777-004, September 14, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/777-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).