Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 867 › Conversation 867-021

Nixon, Bull & Cohen on Treasury Secretary and Departure from office

Friday, March 2, 1973 · 4:08 PM–5:05 PM ET · Oval Office ·2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Cohen, Edwin S.; Cohen, Edwin S. (Mrs.)Conversation867-021 onTape 867StartFriday, March 2, 1973 at 4:08 PMEndFriday, March 2, 1973 at 5:05 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 867-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Treasury Secretary Edwin Cohen and his wife, along with Stephen Bull, to discuss Cohen's recent minor surgery and his impending departure from his government position. The President expressed his appreciation for Cohen's service and advised him to pursue lucrative opportunities in the private sector, referencing advice from George Shultz. A photograph was taken to commemorate Cohen's time in service.

Edwin Cohen
Treasury Secretary
President Nixon
Departure from office
Private sector opportunities
George Shultz
White House photographer

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Well.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I'm glad to see you.

Okay, good, all right.

Yes, just had a mini operation.

Well, we're sorry to lose you, but let's go over here and get you a picture.

And so you can go down and share with your clients an extra couple.

I'm sorry to trouble you, but I ain't sure.

Well, I'll never forget I've seen this picture.

It shows over there, and you were kind enough to tell me that you would be delighted for me to stay, but your personal advice to me was to get out and make some money.

Now again, that's what you ought to do.

You deserve it.

You really do.

Thank you.

And then you can do something else.

But the main thing, sober enough, I know what these big terms are, and that you're our sponsor.

Thank you.

There are very few people who don't know anything about this.

Thank you.

It's been a great pleasure.

Well, you've been a great help to us.

You've been our hope.

Well, George, let me call on you for extra.

You've been in the lobby for hundreds of hours.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Edwin S. Cohen, and Mrs. Cohen met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 867-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 867-21

Date: March 2, 1973
Time: Unknown between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Mr. and Mrs. Edwin S. Cohen; Stephen B. Bull and the White House
photographer were present at the beginning of the meeting.

        Edwin S. Cohen’s operation

        Cohen's departure
             -Photograph

        George P. Shultz
             -Advice to Cohen

        New job
             -Cohen's value

        Cohen's performance
             -President's appreciation

        Lobbying
             -Shultz

Mr. and Mrs. Cohen left.
                                          -37-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. June-2010)

Also recorded on March 2, 1973

867-020 4:08 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 4:08 pm.
867-022 4:08 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Harold Finger, and Mrs. Harold Finger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm.
867-023 4:08 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Robert C. Moot, and Mrs. Robert C. Moot met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm.
867-024 4:08 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Richard F. Schubert, and Mrs. Richard F. Schubert met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm.
867-025 4:08 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles L. Ill, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm.
867-026 4:08 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Samuel Jackson, and Mrs. Samuel Jackson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm.
867-027 4:08 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Spencer Schedler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm.
867-028 4:08 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Richard Melich, and Mrs. Richard Melich met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 5:05 pm.

All 58 conversations from March 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 867-021, 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/867-021 (accessed September 18, 2026).