{"conversationCode":"852-012","tapeNumber":852,"conversationNumber":12,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-852-012","startDateTime":"1973-02-07T17:33:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1973-02-07T17:36:00.000Z","startDate":"7-Feb-1973","startTime":"12:33 PM","endDate":"7-Feb-1973","endTime":"12:36 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House photographer; Howard, W. Rick; O'Donnell, Patrick E.; O'Donnell, Patrick E. (Mrs.);","description":"On February 7, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, White House photographer, W. Richard Howard, Patrick E. O'Donnell, and Mrs. Patrick E. O'Donnell met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:33 pm to 12:36 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 852-012 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":"5.4","chronRelease":"Fifth Chronological Release: Part IV","chronReleaseDate":"8-Dec-2010","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 852-12\n\nDate: February 7, 1973\nTime: 12:33 pm-12:36 pm\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with Mr. and Mrs. Patrick E. O'Donnell, and W. Richard Howard; the White\nHouse photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.\n\n       Introductions\n\n       O'Donnell's appreciation\n             -Charles W. Colson's staff\n\n       President's appreciation for work\n\n       Legal work\n              -Politics\n\f                                             -38-\n\n                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM\n\n                                                             Conversation No. 852-12 (cont’d)\n\n               -Justice Department\n               -Colson\n\n       Children\n              -Son\n\n       Photographs\n\n       Ashtray\n\n       Native states\n              -Connecticut\n              -Washington, DC\n              -Georgetown\n              -American University\n              -Martin Webster College\n\n       Future plans\n              -Children\n              -Youth\n\n       O'Donnell's appreciation\n\nO'Donnell, et al., left at 12:36 pm.","filename":["852-012.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","White House photographer","Howard, W. Rick","O'Donnell, Patrick E.","O'Donnell, Patrick E. (Mrs.)"],"prevCode":"852-011","nextCode":"852-013","transcript":[{"start":0.42,"end":2.64,"text":"It's true, in fact."},{"start":4.16,"end":5.92,"text":"You're in Washington, aren't you?"},{"start":5.94,"end":6.02,"text":"Yes."},{"start":8.3,"end":10.27,"text":"President of the President's Assembly."},{"start":10.45,"end":11.77,"text":"There's the O'Donnells, huh?"},{"start":12.15,"end":13.25,"text":"Hi, how are you?"},{"start":13.29,"end":14.97,"text":"It's very nice to see you."},{"start":16.13,"end":16.95,"text":"Hi, how are you?"},{"start":16.97,"end":18.37,"text":"Good to see you."},{"start":18.51,"end":19.27,"text":"Good to have you here."},{"start":19.29,"end":20.34,"text":"How much are you doing working with him?"},{"start":20.52,"end":21.08,"text":"Oh, I'll tell you."},{"start":21.12,"end":22.96,"text":"We've got a tower strength over there."},{"start":24.48,"end":25.58,"text":"We call it a posted shop."},{"start":25.6,"end":28.36,"text":"And we've been really hungry."},{"start":29.46,"end":34.58,"text":"Well, he's been, I've been a great person to work for."},{"start":34.64,"end":41.13,"text":"I tell you that."},{"start":41.17,"end":42.85,"text":"You, you, you, you came by on the 10th, I think."},{"start":42.91,"end":43.53,"text":"Everybody, of course."},{"start":43.63,"end":45.07,"text":"I hope you enjoyed it."},{"start":45.09,"end":46.99,"text":"I, it's been the best two years of my life, really, yeah."},{"start":47.03,"end":48.97,"text":"Oh, the best two years you've ever had."},{"start":48.99,"end":49.69,"text":"Looking forward to Justin."},{"start":49.71,"end":50.83,"text":"Yeah, Justin, well, you shouldn't do that."},{"start":50.85,"end":55.7,"text":"I mean, you, I mean, after, because you, of course, are in the law, and going over there, you have a chance to push it."},{"start":57.34,"end":63.39,"text":"Well, I hope they know you back again sometime."},{"start":63.41,"end":71.69,"text":"Yeah, we'll be well."},{"start":71.73,"end":74.41,"text":"We'll be well, believe me."},{"start":74.45,"end":76.73,"text":"Can we get a break?"},{"start":76.8,"end":77,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":82.65,"end":83.47,"text":"And you have no children?"},{"start":83.81,"end":85.71,"text":"We have one."},{"start":85.85,"end":86.19,"text":"Oh."},{"start":86.73,"end":103.59,"text":"And we will give you a... You're going away from us."},{"start":104.05,"end":108.41,"text":"You can use it as glass, Edison."},{"start":110.57,"end":110.97,"text":"Oh, okay."},{"start":137.05,"end":143.41,"text":"Getting more heavily populated, but okay."},{"start":166.37,"end":166.79,"text":"Keep it up."},{"start":166.97,"end":167.4,"text":"Keep it up."},{"start":167.51,"end":167.9,"text":"You're young."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with Patrick and Mrs. O'Donnell, accompanied by photographer W. Richard Howard, for a brief social meeting and photo opportunity in the Oval Office. The discussion centered on Patrick O'Donnell's recent legal work with Charles Colson's staff and his positive experience serving in the administration. Nixon expressed appreciation for O'Donnell's service and exchanged pleasantries regarding the couple's personal life and future plans.","topics":["Patrick E. O'Donnell","Charles W. Colson","White House staff","Oval Office","Personnel matters"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-08T01:13:38.015Z"},"topicSlugs":["patrick-e-odonnell","charles-w-colson","white-house-staff","oval-office","personnel-matters"],"audioDurationSec":181,"audioFiles":[{"file":"852-012.mp3","bytes":4343039,"durationSec":180.84,"bitrate":192127,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:59.850Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:44:47.771Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/852-012.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/852-012","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/852/conversation-852-012","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}