Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 867 › Conversation 867-009

Nixon, Cavanaugh & Yu on American Heart Association and Heart attack

Friday, March 2, 1973 · 11:51 AM–12:16 PM ET · Oval Office · 10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan); Weinberger, Rebecca Jane Dalton; Cavanaugh, James H.; Yu, Peter; Ross, Richard; Wilson, Kemmons; Moore, William W.; Segal, Jack P.Conversation867-009 on Tape 867StartFriday, March 2, 1973 at 11:51 AMEndFriday, March 2, 1973 at 12:16 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 867-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his wife Pat met with representatives from the American Heart Association, including Dr. Paul Yu, Richard Ross, and James Cavanaugh, for a "Heart of the Year" award presentation. The discussion focused on the AHA's work, the impact of heart attacks on presidents like Eisenhower and Johnson, and Mrs. Nixon's advocacy. The meeting included a photograph session and the presentation of gifts, emphasizing the possibility of recovery and a useful life after a heart attack.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Thank you.
I think they're on board with the flagons right now.
Yeah, that should be all.
All right.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Get a little closer.
What is your action now?
Thank you.
Bye.
And so, on behalf of the President Johnson, the President, and all the other members of the country, I just mention this here.
She has made all over the country, that's why there is a very strong demonstration of this in all countries.
So I give her a chance.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Okay, second floor.
Look at how high you're going to be.
Well, we, uh, we want to give you each a little memento.
This is the presidential card.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
so people would go on the shelf and die sooner.
Now, people realize you can go through, you can recover, and live a very useful life.
If anybody can be president after a heart attack, you can go home and that's fine.
Thank you.
And you don't die.
Shall I just take a quick rest?
If you would, if they wanted something on it, they could cover the whole thing.
No, no, no, no.
They're trying to get it to Congress, I guess.
Well, no, but they use this for everything, and it's very bad.
What they should use is a little piece of paper.
I'll tend to it.
Fine.
See?

NARA Description

On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Rebecca Jane Dalton Weinberger, James H. Cavanaugh, Peter Yu, Richard Ross, Kemmons Wilson, William W. Moore, and Jack P. Segal met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 12:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 867-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 867-9

Date: March 2, 1973
Time: Unknown before 12:16 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon.

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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

        Schedule
             -Camp David
                 -Astronauts
             -Sammy Davis, Jr.
             -Camp David

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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                -President’s writing

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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                                           -12-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 867-9 (cont’d)

Dr. Paul Yu, Richard Ross, Kemmons Wilson, William W. Moore, Dr. Jack P. Segal, Mrs.
Caspar W. Weinberger, James Cavanaugh, and members of the press entered at 12:16 pm.

       Switching something on [?]

       Dr. James Cavanaugh [?] regrets

       Introductions
             -Yu
                   -American Heart Association [AHA]
             -Ross

[Photograph session]

               -Arrangements

       “Heart of the Year” award presentation
            -President as recipient

       AHA’s work
           -Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson
                 -Heart attacks
                 -Presidency
                       -Stress
           -Mrs. Nixon
                 -Advocacy

       Gifts
               -Cuff links

       Heart attack
             -Survival
             -Recovery

Dr. Yu et al. left at 12:25 pm.
                                                     -13-

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                                             Conversation No. 867-9 (cont’d)

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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

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--
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 17s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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        Award
            -Preservation

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************

Mrs. Nixon left at an unknown time before 12:30 pm.

Also recorded on March 2, 1973

  • 037-030 11:41 AM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 11:41 am to 11:43 am.
  • 037-031 11:41 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:41 am and 11:43 am.
  • 867-003 11:41 AM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:41 am.
  • 867-004 11:41 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:41 am and 11:44 am.
  • 867-005 11:41 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:41 am.
  • 037-032 11:43 AM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Margeret Armiger talked on the telephone from 11:43 am to 11:44 am.
  • 867-007 11:43 AM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Margaret Armiger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:43 am to 11:44 am.
  • 867-008 11:51 AM · 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Rose Mary Woods, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 12:16 pm.

All 58 conversations from March 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 867-009, March 2, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/867-009 (accessed October 23, 2026).