{"conversationCode":"859-018","tapeNumber":859,"conversationNumber":18,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-859-018","startDateTime":"1973-02-21T15:17:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1973-02-21T15:19:00.000Z","startDate":"21-Feb-1973","startTime":"10:17 AM","endDate":"21-Feb-1973","endTime":"10:19 AM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"estimated","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President);","description":"On February 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:17 am and 10:19 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 859-018 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. 859-18\n\nDate: February 21, 1973\nTime: Unknown between 10:17 am and 10:19 am\nLocation: Oval Office\n\n       The President dictated a letter to Robert Meredith Willson\n\n       Thanks for letter in Los Angeles Times\n             -President's political philosophy\n                      -Conservatism\n             -National Anthem\n                      -Renditions\n                              -President's travels abroad\n                      -Francis Scott Key\n                              -Musical composition","filename":["859-018.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)"],"prevCode":"859-017","nextCode":"859-019","transcript":[{"start":0.28,"end":2.8,"text":"This is for Meredith Wilson, here in America."},{"start":2.82,"end":7.66,"text":"I was delighted with your letter to the Los Angeles Times paragraph."},{"start":7.7,"end":15.1,"text":"I consider myself a conservative, both politically and physically."},{"start":15.14,"end":26.7,"text":"However, I thought your essay... ...sang superbly, very... ...sorry to interrupt you."},{"start":27.02,"end":28.98,"text":"I'm sorry to interrupt you."},{"start":41.07,"end":46.29,"text":"who have sang or played of all the national anthems."},{"start":46.33,"end":65.74,"text":"You should hear what some of the bands abroad and outside have done to the Exclamation Point Paragon."},{"start":65.76,"end":69.78,"text":"It's too bad that, quote, Section 76 trombones, close quote,"},{"start":71.98,"end":80.76,"text":"wasn't available when Francis Scott and Curt Peake wrote those memorable words."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon dictated a personal letter to composer Meredith Willson to express appreciation for Willson's recent letter in the Los Angeles Times regarding political philosophy and music. The President affirmed his own conservative outlook and shared lighthearted commentary on the varied, often unorthodox, international renditions of the American national anthem he encountered during his travels. This brief recording served to facilitate official correspondence between the President and the musician.","topics":["Meredith Willson","Conservatism","National Anthem","Correspondence","Francis Scott Key"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-08T01:26:48.962Z"},"topicSlugs":["meredith-willson","conservatism","national-anthem","correspondence","francis-scott-key"],"audioDurationSec":89,"audioFiles":[{"file":"859-018.mp3","bytes":2134966,"durationSec":88.83,"bitrate":192281,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:20:00.382Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/859-018.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/859-018","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/859/conversation-859-018","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}