Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 864 › Conversation 864-002

Nixon & Bull on President's schedule and Apollo 17 astronauts

Tuesday, February 27, 1973 · 3:46 PM–3:55 PM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation864-002 on Tape 864StartTuesday, February 27, 1973 at 3:46 PMEndTuesday, February 27, 1973 at 3:55 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 864-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull in the Oval Office to discuss upcoming events and personnel matters. Key topics included the schedule for the Apollo 17 astronauts' visit to Camp David and a potential meeting with them, as well as arrangements for a meeting with Sammy Davis Jr. The President also considered a report from Richard Helms and a meeting with Leonard H. Marks. A decision was made to give the astronauts watches and to meet with Sammy Davis Jr. on Saturday afternoon.

Audio

Download MP3 · 6.6 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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 don't care.
I don't care.
I wanted to remind you that the O-17 astronauts will be taking camp data this Friday night.
You can share that with the invitation.
So that if you want to go up there, you can go up there.
Is there anything that you want to do with the astronauts?
I'll get them to watch this in your cab.
I have to meet them.
Why don't they be back?
They'll be back Saturday around 5 o'clock, sir.
Well, that's all right.
That's all right.
I can meet them.
Yeah, you give them watches by the afternoon.
Saturday the studio will probably request a time to talk with you privately.
Would you intend to turn that off?
No, no, no.
But if he does, rather than taking up your time, do you want to see him before the evening?
Sure.
I mean, upstairs or... Well, no, he has to do his business.
I mean, if he comes to the town, I'll see him Saturday afternoon.
Excuse me.
Or Saturday morning.
Saturday afternoon, Saturday morning.
Now, what time is he in?
He's invited to come to the White House at what time?
His evening.
He said his evening is at 8.30.
Well, I don't want to have a problem with that.
I think with his white hair, that'll keep him out of whatever substance matter he might want to raise.
Anyway, fine.
Just to find out this.
And I'll see you the following morning at 10 o'clock, before he leaves on a mission to check.
I don't think that the last thing we can do is get rid of the bandits.
That's right.
Do you want to continue?
I recall the original purpose of getting involved in discussions.
Would you like to reconsider the bandits?
No.
Don't bother with that.
They were fine.
They don't need to.

NARA Description

On February 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:46 pm and 3:55 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 864-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 864-2

Date: February 27, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:46 pm and 3:55 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

       President's schedule
              -Rose Mary Woods
                      -Richard M Helms
                             -Report
                      -Leonard H. Marks
                             -Event
                      -Mills Godwin

       Astronauts
              -Apollo 17
                     -Camp David visit
              -Meetings with President
                     -Gifts
              -Return to Washington
                                               -2-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 864-2 (cont’d)

       President's meeting with Sammy Davis, Jr.
              -Evening at the White House
              -Location
              -Saturday meeting
              -Visit to White House
                      -Meeting with President
                      -Rose Mary Woods
                      -Wife [Altovise Davis]
              -Evening at White House
                      -Overnight stay
              -Saturday meeting

       Ambassadors' credentials
            -Families
                    -Presence
            -Format of ceremony

Bull left at an unknown time before 3:55 pm.

Also recorded on February 27, 1973

  • 416-001 2:48 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:48 pm to 3:40 pm.
  • 416-002 3:40 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:40 pm and 3:46 pm.
  • 864-001 3:46 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:46 pm and 3:55 pm.
  • 864-003 3:46 PM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:46 pm and 3:55 pm.
  • 864-004 3:55 PM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John W. Dean, III, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:55 pm to 4:20 pm.
  • 864-005 4:21 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Peter M. Flanigan, Luigi Raimondi, White House photographer, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:21 pm to 4:36 pm.
  • 864-006 4:36 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and David C. Hoopes met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:36 pm and 4:37 pm.
  • 864-007 4:37 PM · 40 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Richard M. Helms, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:37 pm to 5:19 pm.

All 56 conversations from February 27, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 864-002, February 27, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/864-002 (accessed October 1, 2026).