Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 803 › Conversation 803-003

Nixon & Bull on White House protocol and Diplomatic visits

Wednesday, October 18, 1972 · 11:05 AM–11:12 AM ET · Oval Office · 52 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation803-003 on Tape 803StartWednesday, October 18, 1972 at 11:05 AMEndWednesday, October 18, 1972 at 11:12 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 803-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull to discuss formal protocol and logistical arrangements for upcoming visits by foreign dignitaries, specifically focusing on Japanese Foreign Minister Masayoshi Ohira. Nixon instructed Bull to ensure that standard amenities, such as cigarettes, are consistently provided for heads of state who are known smokers. Additionally, the pair coordinated an upcoming meeting between the President and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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So you can do all these, uh, you can check in advance and see whether they do them or not.
If you have one that's a smoker, there should always be cigarettes in the little red, little, little case there.
We've been doing it with the head of state and all that, but basically what the departments are doing is just, just, and don't put a choice, just put, just put a cigarette in the smoker and, you know, the smoker's in for that.
All right, so here, it's always a smoker.
Yeah, that's part of our checklist from head to table.
It's bottom two.
You see him.

NARA Description

On October 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:05 am and 11:12 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 803-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 803-3

Date: October 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:05 am and 11:12 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

        Meetings
           -Smoking arrangements
                -Heads of state and foreign ministers
                -Masayoshi Ohira

        Request to meet with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Bull left at an unknown time 11:12 am.

Also recorded on October 18, 1972

  • 803-004 11:05 AM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:05 am and 11:12 am.
  • 803-005 11:05 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:05 am and 11:12 am.
  • 803-006 11:12 AM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:12 am to 11:43 am.
  • 803-007 11:43 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:43 am and 11:45 am.
  • 031-116 11:45 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:45 am.
  • 803-008 11:45 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:45 am.
  • 803-009 11:45 AM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 11:59 am.
  • 031-117 11:59 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:59 am and 12:02 pm.

All 86 conversations from October 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 803-003, October 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/803-003 (accessed October 10, 2026).