Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 857 › Conversation 857-002

Nixon & Bull on White House staffing and Public relations

Thursday, February 15, 1973 · 9:12 AM–9:20 AM ET · Oval Office · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation857-002 on Tape 857StartThursday, February 15, 1973 at 9:12 AMEndThursday, February 15, 1973 at 9:20 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 857-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull discussed managing the President’s schedule, specifically regarding the high volume of requests for meetings, photographs, and handshake sessions with White House staff and administration supporters. Nixon expressed concerns about maintaining a proper balance of visitors, cautioning against an overrepresentation of White House staff at the expense of other supporters. They also reviewed administrative staffing transitions, including potential departures and appointments for various roles such as the Secretary of Transportation.

Audio

Download MP3 · 5.2 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

I think they'll come in first, then check to see if I have it.

I mean, they're all very fortunate.

I like to look at their people, their assistant secretary, maybe 50 out there.

They work very hard.

I've never seen it all.

I've never even seen them live alone.

And that's like the counseling.

I've been a friend for 30 years.

We're here just to watch that.

I don't mind seeing the White House people, but I don't want an overbalance like that.

It's obvious that nobody's checking on them.

We're putting together a good list, sir.

The other example that somebody had to use, the wife of the Secretary of Transportation on the same day, she voted as the best woman we had in the campaign.

And I had mentioned it to all of us, and I probably forgot, but sometimes they all get in the same time.

We almost hit them today, so just to get some requirements for who we didn't bet, in particular, he's right in front of us, the Secretary of Transportation.

It doesn't seem like we're going to get a whole list of good people like that.

So the thing I'm just concerned about is that it might take a little longer than two minutes.

You might have to stay out a bit longer.

Do you want to send this to me?

There's just a wide amount of people coming in.

There are people that are just around calling me out.

I was going to have several different photographs before the show.

I said, I wish that was on.

You must watch that all the time.

It's always a problem here around here.

The only people you should get in.

of their friends.

I don't mind doing that.

I'm all for it.

Just so that it doesn't cut out others that are out there and girls.

I don't want to say good enough in general.

NARA Description

On February 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:12 am and 9:20 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 857-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 857-2

Date: February 15, 1973
Time: Unknown between 9:12 am and 9:20 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

       President’s schedule
                                               -4-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                         Conversation No. 857-2 (cont’d)

              -Request for Ronald L. Ziegler
              -Meeting with John D. Ehrlichman
              -Executive Office Building [EOB] [?]

       President’s meetings
              -White House staff departures
                     -John A. Scali
                     -Donald H. Rumsfeld
              -Need for balance
              -List
              -Secretary of Transportation
              -Woman supporter of President
                     -1972 campaign
                     -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
              -James M. Beggs
              -Photographs, handshakes
              -Arrangements
              -Administration friends
              -Ziegler

Bull left at an unknown time before 9:20 am.

Also recorded on February 15, 1973

043-134 8:27 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:27 am and 9:06 am.
857-001 9:02 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:02 am to 9:12 am.
857-003 9:20 AM · 1 hr 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Stephen B. Bull, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, William E. Timmons, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:20 am to 10:40 am.
857-004 10:40 AM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Rogers C. B. Morton, J. Philip Campbell, Russell E. Train, William D. Ruckelhaus, John D. Ehrlichman, Richard M. Fairbanks, III, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:40 am to 11:10 am.
043-087 11:12 AM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:12 am and 11:14 am.
043-088 11:12 AM · 43 sec — Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:12 am and 12:02 pm.
857-005 11:12 AM · 50 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, Gen. Andrew J. Goodpaster, White House operator, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:12 am to 12:02 pm.
857-006 12:02 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:02 pm and 12:05 pm.

All 41 conversations from February 15, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 857-002, February 15, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/857-002 (accessed October 11, 2026).