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Conversation 876-009

TapeTape 876StartMonday, March 12, 1973 at 12:34 PMEndMonday, March 12, 1973 at 12:46 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull to coordinate his upcoming schedule, including meetings with Congressional leaders, a planned farewell call to John J. McCloy regarding his resignation from the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and a briefing with Hermann Kahn. The conversation also covered administrative details for the President’s public events, specifically regarding the handling of drug enforcement personnel and protocol for White House reception lines. Nixon provided instructions to Bull on streamlining these social duties to improve efficiency and personal comfort during official engagements.

White House schedulingJohn J. McCloyHermann Kahnprotocoldrug policy
AudioNARA Description

On March 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:34 pm and 12:46 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 876-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 876-9

Date: March 12, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:34 and 12:46 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

       President's schedule
                               -40-

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         (rev. Aug-2010)
                                                Conversation No. 876-9 (cont’d)

-Telephone call to Adele Rogers
-Meeting with Republican Congressional leaders
      -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
            -Agenda
-Tuesday
      -Farewell call to John J. McCloy
            -US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
                  -General Advisor Committee
                         -Resignation
                               -President’s call
                                     -Reasons
                                     -Henry A. Kissinger
                                     -Letter to McCloy
      -Meeting with Cost of Living Council [COLC]
            -Timing
      -Farewell meeting with McCloy
            -Reasons
                  -Hearings
                  -Vacancies on committee
                  -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations
            -Kissinger, William E. Timmons, and [First name unknown] Jones
            -President’s reluctance
-Crime and Drug speech
      -Meeting with customs agents
            -Arrest and conviction of Auguste J. Ricord
                  -Heroin
            -Press
-Friday
      -Hermann Kahn
            -Meeting with President
            -Support for President
            -Think tank
            -Lawyer [?]
            -Briefing for President
                  -Kissinger
            -Meeting with President
                  -Kissinger’s attendance
                         -Haldeman’s opinion
      -Meeting with departing staffers
                                                -41-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       (rev. Aug-2010)
                                                            Conversation No. 876-9 (cont’d)

                       -Hebert G. Klein [?]
                       -Number
                       -Necessity
                       -Circumstances
                       -Length
                  -Dinners [?]

       Protocol
             -Receiving line
                  -Unnamed aide's work
                  -Cards
             -Dinners
                  -Cards
                  -Unnamed aide’s work
                  -President’s role
             -Reception lines
                  -Civilian aides
                         -Appointments
                  -Military aides
                  -Secret Service Agents
                  -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon’s viewpoint

       President's schedule
             -Meeting with McCloy
                    -Kissinger
                    -Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft’s attendance

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:46 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

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.

I can't judge him.
He feels he's a miscreant.
I can't go through that with him.
It's supposed to be at 3 o'clock.
But anyway, it's got to be.
It's got to happen.
are welcome to use it.
Supposedly, he's been frustrated over the past year.
He's got full rights issues and hold hearings with them.
He's making slots in the advisory committee.
He didn't feel that the committee would make it fully utilized and solve negotiations.
Yeah, you can talk.
I just think it's going to be an unpleasant conversation.
I'm not going to do it.
That's the way it's going to be.
So, as part of the overall plan on the crime and drug speech, of course, the speech on pride, on SAV, and who said that, and who are the people here, some custom agents for Wednesday at 10.30 a.m.
These are agents who are instrumental in apprehending, convicting, getting a 20-year conviction on this man, S.A. Joseph McCord, who was a big heroin smuggler.
Thank you.
All right.
I don't know what it's about.
It's not a subject we talk about.
And see, Friday's a good day, but I'd be glad to do it.
I'd like to come for a briefing, rather than just a full session.
When this proposal came in, I called to review it.
And you can leave it.
Yes, it's your choice.
You can have a more open-ended discussion.
Would you want to hand it over to you?
Or would you just want to hand it over to her?
You haven't had it for a while.
Yeah, I'll just bring it in.
I'm running by.
Well, there's a situation where there's a party.
Well, it may or may not be.
I don't want to say whether or not I have one.
Yes, sir.
Well, he has an excellent memory, and so telling him to try it the other way, and if he misses a few, it doesn't bother him.
For dinner, he'll be going into that drawer.
When people get in the room, when they come in, when they come to grab services in the evenings, they don't, they just, it's hard to let him try the evening and tell him, don't worry, he misses a few, but it just helps me in art, so that I don't have to read it.
I don't have to memorize it myself, but he's very good.
We're going to try it in court, and all I need, frankly, is...
There is, we would like to bring in one or two of us so we have some flexibility so they can do the same thing.
Let's just use him.
You know, we've had in reception lines, there's usually agents standing out, and then the military aid is out there, and then there's been the civilian aid.
We've had the civilian aid have stood out there, which is the most important thing to have.
I don't want the agent.
Yes, sir.
All right, then I stand there.
I do not need the military.
There are quite a few questions and so forth.
So I need a civilian, like you, so that I can call you over to the military and you can discuss it.
I thought that if Mrs. Nixon is the one who makes the comments to Lucy, there are too many folks standing out.
If I may, I can just leave the secret service station right out here and the civilian aid off to the side or reverse it.
One.
I don't need it.
I don't need it.
I don't need it.
I don't need it.
I don't need it.
I don't need it.
Mrs. Blackman, you're really experiencing an unpleasant experience.
Well, let's call it a night.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
You know, if he feels that it's necessary, should we go ahead and schedule him?
I'm afraid we put him in those terms, Henry, a lot of the time.
He said, yes, the president ought to see him.
There's no indication that he feels it would be an unpleasant experience.
Rather, it would be a brown hole.
It's a surprising story.
Mrs. Blackman, you're really facing an unpleasant experience.
Well, let's call it a night.
It's okay.
It's okay.
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