Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 860 › Conversation 860-003

Nixon & Bull on Congressional Relations and Meeting Logistics

Wednesday, February 21, 1973 · 2:13 PM–3:12 PM ET · Oval Office · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation860-003 on Tape 860StartWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 2:13 PMEndWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 3:12 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 860-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met to manage the logistical complexities of the President’s daily schedule, focusing on meeting durations and the coordination of upcoming appointments. They discussed specific scheduling challenges regarding meetings with Hafez Ismail, Charles S. Rhyne, and various members of Congress, with Nixon emphasizing the need for more realistic time allotments for these encounters. Additionally, the President directed Bull to improve the system for managing congressional visits and finalized arrangements for a party hosted by Senator Strom Thurmond.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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My body has postponed its trip two times that day.
The time when Ismael called me at 9 or 11 for your convenience, there was a bit of confusion between us both.
Now, one thing you've got to do, frankly, I want it to be 15 minutes, but you'll never get through, so better start at 12.
All right, so will you write any?
Well, you can't.
You'll never get through, because you've got to figure it's not going to take 25 minutes.
I can't rush him out too fast.
Now, another thing I think you've
Why don't you get Charlie Ryan in the morning?
I don't want that to be long.
If you ever took people like that, it's been like the same thing for a guy like that.
He's not on here yet, but he should be in it.
There's a list of people I'm trying to find here.
I'm going over and I'm having it.
It's a group of seven individuals.
Boring standards people.
People such as, you know, like some of the boring standards people.
Yes.
All right.
Go ahead.
Yes, sir.
Do you mind if we can get that list to you?
We're making that in terms of the next week.
We'll show it to you a little later.
General has requested a few minutes, about ten minutes, to see if we'd like to see him.
And I'm glad that Secretary John Conlon comes in.
Oh, I've got to finish.
I've got some calls on Twitter.
I'm going to come back here.
I'll see you after I finish.
All right.
One final thing about this.
It brings to attention that tomorrow night, Thursday night, at 645 Capitol, the Thurmans are throwing a surprise party for them.
Now look, I can't possibly do that.
I can't invite them for five and spend 30 minutes.
So don't.
That's another you've got to beat.
more careful on the schedule.
Don't put it in for 10 minutes.
You know, it's going to take a half hour.
I had a reception.
It's been at least an hour.
I can't do it without spending an hour.
You and she had a whole hell of a question, but I got mingled with them.
All right, so these are congressmen and senators, and that would be a terrible talk to them.
All right, so all we had to do was learn.
No responses or anything like that.
No responses.
That's right.
But I've got to stick around with them.
You've got to get a little better system with regard to
We're going to have quite a few of these congressmen like Bentley and others.
I have no objection to seeing them, but it should not be on the basis that Timber goes out and seeks them out, but on the basis that we'll work them in when we have these times.
How many Timbers understand this?
Timbers understands this.
Timber, I won't see them, but I want them to be down here.
This will have them working in these other periods.
where you move them into the morning slide.
Next week, you've got to keep 23, because the possibility of a trip, 29th and 30th, and be scheduled in terms of, again, the 11th, the 12th, the 30th period for the odds and ends, for anybody that's going to take 15 minutes.
You also have to get a list of those who
You have to see the bite.
I don't know whether there are any more, but if there are, you have to see it.
And, uh, get that out of the way.
Is your mother's tree on that list now?
It's down there.
You've got the content.
Bentley isn't on here yet, but I assume he's, that's his number, so I can tell you.
Is that okay with you, sir?
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow?
He's a good person, though.
It's better to leave the app in the freezer than I can use that for efficiency support.

NARA Description

On February 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:13 pm and 3:12 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 860-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 860-3

Date: February 21, 1973
Time: Unknown between 2:13 pm and 3:12 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

       Postponement of a trip
              -Rescheduling

       President’s meeting with Hafez Ismail
              -Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
              -Henry A. Kissinger
              -Timing
              -Length of meeting

       President's meeting with Charles S. Rhyne
              -Scheduling
              -Length

       Meetings
             -Paul Findley
             -Frequency
             -Maurice H. Stans
                    -List of people

       Meeting with Gen. Walter R. Tkach
             -John B. Connally
             -Calls

       Party by Strom J. Thurmond
              -Capitol
              -Carl T. Curtis and wife
              -President's attendance
                                              -3-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                         Conversation No. 860-3 (cont’d)

       Congressional reception
             -Timing
             -Conflicting schedules
                     -Congressmen, Senators
             -Response

       Meetings
             -Scheduling
             -Congressmen
                   -William E. Timmons

       President’s schedule
              -Fridays
              -Length of meetings
              -Lists of meetings
              -Findley
              -Afternoons

Bull left at 3:12 pm.

Also recorded on February 21, 1973

  • 043-151 2:13 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:13 pm and 3:12 pm.
  • 860-001 2:13 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:13 pm and 3:12 pm.
  • 860-002 2:13 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:13 pm and 3:12 pm.
  • 043-152 3:12 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John C. Stennis talked on the telephone from 3:12 pm to 3:15 pm.
  • 860-004 3:12 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John C. Stennis met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:12 pm to 3:15 pm.
  • 043-153 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 043-154 3:15 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 860-005 3:15 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.

All 88 conversations from February 21, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 860-003, February 21, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/860-003 (accessed October 11, 2026).