Conversation 871-009

On March 7, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Anne L. Armstrong, Barbara H. Franklin, Patricia R. Hitt, Jayne B. Spain, Julia Lee, Bernice L. Bernstein, Marguerite S. Chang, Janet Hart, Marilyn E. Jacox, Isabella L. Karle, Marjorie R. TOwnsend, and Jill Lee met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:10 pm to 12:20 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 871-009 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 871-9

Date: March 7, 1973
Time: 12:10 pm - 12:20 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Bernice L. Bernstein, Marguerite S. Chang, Janet Hart, Marilyn E. Jacox,
Isabella L. Karle, Marjorie R. Townsend, Anne L. Armstrong, Barbara H. Franklin, Patricia R.
Hitt, Jayne B. Spain and Julia Lee; members of the press and the White House photographer
were present at the beginning of the meeting.

       Photographs
            -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins

       Introduction of women
             -Place of work

       Positions in federal government
             -Scientists
                   -Specializations
             -Lawyers
             -Regional director

       John W. Warner

       [Photograph session]

       Women
          -Public life
                -Increase
                       -Last four years
                       -President’s second term
          -Recruitment
                -Problems
          -Advancement in federal service
          -Pay

       Wage-price controls
           -Impact on federal salaries
                                               -42-

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                         (rev. May-2010)
                                                           Conversation No. 871-9 (cont’d)

        Unknown person's son
        Gifts

        Dinners
             -Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW] dinner

        Dr. Chang's birthplace
             -Nanking

        China
                -People
                     -Accomplishments
                -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                     -President’s, Chang’s experience
                     -Cities
                           -Compared to Bankok [?]

        President’s, unknown woman’s experiences at Duke Law School
              -Teachers
                    -[First name unknown] Maggs [?]
                           -Qualities
                           -Classes

Bernstein, et al., left at 12:20 pm.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Well, here she is again.
Morning, Mr. President.
Nice to see you.
Good morning.
My wife's around here.
Well, I wanted to meet you, sir.
Your girlfriend?
Yeah.
Good.
Are you her name?
Lady W. Step over to one.
Is this going to be a good place on here?
Yes, that would be great.
A.C.F.
A.C.F.
What?
A.C.F.
A.C.F.
Right.
I mean, that's a special issue.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
National Bureau of Standards.
Thank you.
And for the first time this year, there are two award winners in the first group.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The problem we have here is not so much finding the jobs.
of finding women who are willing to do what they want to take.
Because the need for top personnel is always up to the top people.
So we would hope that your awards will lead others to go out and do likewise, knowing that they can go to the top.
Because all of you, if you have any trouble going to the top, you feel that you're being discriminated against, you let me know.
I'm sure you will.
I'm glad you're in.
I love you.
You call that our status.
I do.
But we congratulate you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Well, they're great people.
They're great people, you know.
First, I would not say that any of them were not great, but when you see what the Chinese people have done all over the world, many have not seen as we have.
We don't see the perfect person, but we know they're great people.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And they were delighted.
Also very happy, too.
Thank you so much, President.
I have to say, you know, she was very happy.
And I, you were very happy.
Oh, she was there.
You were very happy.
Thank you.
Well, they're great people.
They're great people, you know.
First, I would not say that any of them were not great, but when you see what the Chinese people have done, all over the world, many have not seen as we have.
We are two perfect parts of the piece, but we know the greats of it, you know.
Thank you.
We probably didn't have any assistant teachers at the time.
Max was the most brilliant teacher you've ever had.
Max was there then?
Yes.
He died.
He was a very inspiring teacher.
He was there and he was there.
He really didn't scare me into that.
He didn't scare me into that.
They did a constitutional law on him.
I had a constitutional law on him.
And Taurus.
He taught Taurus constitutional law.
He spoke very highly of that.
Well, he was very kind.
I guess the way he lived, you know, a lot of folks on the left, in fact, I heard, and he used to do, he was a cynic, too.
I remember the 30-day question we were all having, and we had proven that class.
That was back in the 40s, and we had written all this sort of comic stuff and so forth.
And Maggie said, let's talk about the pre-historical.
He found that radiation, which is, they're all very different.
And the girl reported that class.
That was an accident.
Okay.
Thank you.