Conversation 781-012

TapeTape 781StartMonday, September 18, 1972 at 11:45 AMEndMonday, September 18, 1972 at 11:52 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Henderson, David N.;  Nidecker, John E.;  White House photographerRecording deviceOval Office

On September 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, David N. Henderson, John E. Nidecker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 11:52 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 781-012 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 781-12

Date: September 18, 1972
Time: 11:45 am - 11:52 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with David N. Henderson and John E. Nidecker.

[The White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.]

             [Photograph session]

             Henderson’s support for the President

             Foreign policy
                 -Speeches

             Prisoners of War [POW] concerns
                 -Miss America, [Terry Anne Meeuwsen]
                      -[Laurie Lee Schaefer]
                          -Ohio
                      -The President’s view
                      -Miss North Carolina

             Henderson's family
                -Son
                     -University of Greenville, NC
                          -Walter B. Jones
                     -Chapel Hill

                           (rev. Oct-06)

North Carolina schools
    -Chapel Hill
    -Davidson College
        -Presbyterian affiliation
    -Wake Forest University
        -Baptist affiliation
    -[1942] Rose Bowl
        -Duke University
        -Oregon State University

1972 election
    -Henderson’s view
    -Support of North Carolina for the President's policies
    -Candidate for Governor, James E. Holshouser, Jr.

The President's experience at Duke Law School
    -Basil Whitener
        -Charlotte
    -Bomars [sp?] [First name unknown], South Carolina
    -John Mack Holland, Jr.
    -Whitener
        -Nickname

Judicial appointments
    -Legal philosophy
    -Bipartisan efforts
    -Law and order
    -Constitutional beliefs
          -The President’s view

Law and order issues
   -Law Enforcement Assistance Act
        -North Carolina
   -Tricia Nixon Cox
        -Opinion of Clint Eastwood
            -Dirty Harry
   -The President’s view
        -Judicial system

Presentation of gifts
    -Cuff links

                                            (rev. Oct-06)

                         -Presidential seal
                  -Pin

             Legislation
                 -Wage Stabilization Act
                 -Military labor
                      -Kitchen patrol [KP]
                          -Civilians

Henderson and Nidecker left at 11:52 am.

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.

President, Congressman Dave Henderson.
How are you?
President, I'm honored.
We're seeing you.
I thought I'd be down with a large group this morning.
Thank you for your time.
Well, you're a special guy.
I wish you good vibes on so many good folks.
You're very welcome.
Sure you are.
We appreciate it.
I think you know that fellows from all around do that way.
I've had a lot of speeches about our foreign policy.
I'll be right back.
I know it does, and I don't know the last time we were about this civil service speech, Bob.
You were so concerned about our prisoners of war.
Right.
I love my friends.
Right.
Sometimes I think that's probably the thing.
You know what the diversity thing, and I was delighted to meet Ms. America as we came in.
I hadn't seen the program, but one last year was in Ohio, and one this year is in Wisconsin.
She's a very religious person.
Right.
Right.
Oh, this is not an old name.
I'm working for the Baltimore Civil Company.
You have three people.
Isn't that great?
Did you go to Chapel Hill?
I was all there.
I was Davidson.
Davidson, yeah, sure.
I was Baptist.
Davidson was a Baptist school.
Presbyterian.
No, no, no.
Wake Forest was Baptist.
Davidson was Presbyterian.
I know all of them.
I can use them all.
I played Duke in 19...
And the 41 Rose Bowl game was transplanted, if you remember, to Douglas.
It sure was.
Mr. President, your situation in North Carolina is excellent at the present time.
You're going to win in spite of anything that you or anybody else does, in my opinion.
Because I think those of us in the House represent our people.
They've got confidence in you.
What you've done is right.
I have to say nothing about your position.
The local races, the state races are being tested.
In a final way, I think your county government is responsible.
Your situation is very good, and I don't think this is happening.
We're close to the state he lived in for three years.
And I know those guys.
I love them all.
Thank you.
They were a big little place.
Oh, they did.
They did.
They came down.
I had them in my class.
And he came to the party.
And it just went great.
And, well, there's the Beaumars who were from South Carolina.
They were there.
And Matt Holland was also there.
We all, it was interesting enough.
law school, he used to call Basil Piper the senator.
He always looked like that.
He called him the senator.
I remember it so well.
Well, there's nothing else.
They never called me that.
That's right.
Well, it came as a good law then, because we watched it fall.
I said, no.
I said, it's my responsibility to appoint people who have the same legal philosophy that I believe we should have.
And I'm going to point more light at this situation.
Because otherwise, me and you, you see me and my brother, we'd run along.
I said, not partisan.
I'm a funny Democrat.
I'm looking for, the next time, very likely, we might be one.
We might be right.
All I'm saying is, what's he standing for in Ohio?
What does he stand for in the interpretation of the Constitution?
Because we cannot go all out.
I'm sure we should.
Basically, there's no difference.
I was with the Chief of Police and the Director of our State Bureau of Investigation for a few minutes Friday.
I've never talked about law enforcement.
program, and they're very anxious to continue the program.
But they will try to come out of the coldness.
So we go to the police, the law enforcement.
And it affects their attitude, you know?
As the police, if you were interested in the safety of the police, but I saw my daughters and great-grandchildren, and they had a movie called Dirty Parody.
You see how safe that is, though?
It's about a San Francisco policeman who wasn't backed on the courts by the true wage badge.
And they told me that when I was shown here in Washington, the audience applauded the true wage badge.
Well, that's what this is all about.
I don't mean we don't back brutality.
We've got to have a decent guy's eye on it.
But if you have a policeman risk his life and then have some court for some reason, you know, let somebody out, we'll murder somebody again or steal again.
That's all.
Oh, yes, yes, there are all of those.
Oh, I've got a couple of them for you.
These are new couplers.
All of them are done in color.
Take a look at that little seal.
I mean, all of them are black.
See all the couplers.
Let me see your white ones, because I want two.
All right, all four.
Very good.
Well, you get all those good books.
They're always there when we need them.
Well, I remember when you were in the meeting, I heard it was half a row, too, you know, on that, uh, on the way to, uh, the legalization, right?
Well, they did fight this last Thursday on the civilianization of the KP, uh, the latest trial.
Right.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I couldn't tell.
Two thousand votes that we had in the White House.
And I think it was a good, uh, I don't know what's going to happen to these guys.
They lose, they lose.
I don't think it's safe.