Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 878-008
Date: Tuesday, March 13, 1973 at 12:03 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Schriever, B. A. (Gen.); Baker, Harold R.; Cole, Reginald E.; Boyett, Fred R.; Dickerson, Glenn R.; Harkins, William D. (Capt.); Schalbrack, A. L. (Col.); Vinciguerra, John V.; Olmsted, Mary; Carrington, Henry A.; McVay, B. N.; Kelly, Bernard E.; Johnson, Reginald; Perry, Joseph; McMillan, Charles; Kamp, Carl; Usilaner, Brian; Peterson, Norman; Butz, Earl L.; Rogers, William P.; Simon, William E.; Richardson, Elliot L.; Ray, Dixy Lee; Weinberger, Caspar W. ("Cap"); Sampson, Arthur F.; Ash, Roy L.; Hampton, Robert E.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/878-008

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:03] I don't know.
[0:35] Oh, you've got some giveable weather here.
[1:13] Turn it to the slot and then turn it to the side.
[1:17] Yeah, I agree with that.
[1:40] Mr. Baker.
[1:44] Mr. President, Mr. Baker.
[1:50] Well, congratulations.
[1:52] All right, if you'll turn this way, Mr. Baker.
[2:05] This isn't worth $6 million.
[2:12] Just to come in and talk to you, it was originally a coal department.
[2:16] It was originally coal.
[2:19] That took our administration.
[2:22] Yes.
[2:23] President Peter De Niro got us $500 million.
[2:25] I have a credit in the term.
[2:26] That's what we're offering.
[2:28] Thank you, Mr.
[2:30] Chair.
[2:31] Joint Award for Mr. Fred Arboyan, Department of Treasury.
[2:58] How does that, what does that character mean?
[3:22] Captain William D. Perkins, U.S. Navy.
[3:51] I always think it's fun to see you come in here.
[3:57] Thank you.
[3:58] Thank you.
[4:10] He was the biggest fatter in Washington.
[4:15] He was the biggest fatter in H-E-W, now he's the biggest fatter in the city.
[4:21] This is Colonel Shelder.
[4:23] He was receiving us for the defense depot in Utah, the defense supply agency.
[4:41] I can never tell what his mother would say to him, see what he can't stand for.
[4:49] John, see, that's a girl.
[4:51] The Atomic Energy Commission.
[5:03] Thank you.
[5:04] Thank you.
[5:06] Thank you.
[5:07] Thank you.
[5:14] This is for Mary Olmsted, representing the Ad Hoc Committee to improve the status of women in the Florida Parish Association.
[5:24] Now this is O.
[5:24] Bill Maury, the President of the State Department.
[5:27] In fact, I think Mrs. Nexion is getting her section for Foreign Service Wives today.
[5:40] That's right.
[5:40] And I'll ask the Foreign Service
[5:44] Officer gets to meet them Thursday building tonight.
[5:48] Mrs. Maynard is meeting at the main building.
[5:49] Is that right?
[5:54] Well, we can congratulate you.
[6:01] I, uh...
[6:01] Senator, you come to the meeting, I'll give you the nicest building in town.
[6:08] Senator, you need to carry this.
[6:09] Supporting staff of the Federal Home Loan Back Board.
[6:23] We have here for a group, the Regional Council GSA Common Services Working Group, Mr. Dan McVey of GSA.
[6:43] Mr. Bernard Kelly, ATW.
[6:46] Mr. Reginald Johnson, Labor.
[6:48] Mr. Joseph Perry, Housing and Urban Development.
[6:52] Mr. Charles McMillan, OEO.
[6:54] Now how do they cut this stuff?
[6:57] I take pictures.
[6:58] I must say, I order a new renewal for each one.
[7:01] You get this one.
[7:01] Thank you.
[7:14] Thank you.
[7:17] Thank you.
[7:20] Thank you.
[7:46] Was she there?
[7:51] Yeah.
[7:51] Which one?
[7:52] Which one, Paul?
[7:55] Oh, I was .
[7:56] Did she like you then?
[8:05] Did you think her out of it?
[8:09] We don't got any time.
[8:11] We don't got any time.
[8:18] If I was to say, the group picture should be without the camera.
[8:25] Yes, that's correct.
[8:28] Thank you.
[8:58] Well, I want to say to all of you here that I'm delighted to make these awards.
[9:03] They, of course, were represented by the various department heads involved.
[9:07] It seems really, when we think of all that you have done from these brief descriptions, I get an idea that this is going to cost something to put on the wall.
[9:20] It isn't very much.
[9:22] But I've often said that people who were in the government
[9:28] are people who have to think of something other than the financial rewards, although the financial rewards these days are better than it used to be.
[9:38] But if you're in government because not so much of what you can make, but of what you can do, and that's the mark of a fine government servant.
[9:49] If an individual, for example,
[9:51] I prepared several items, wrote a piece about the presidency that I think could well apply to each of you.
[9:58] There are two kinds of people in politics, those that are seeking high office.
[10:06] There are some who seek the high office because they want to meet somebody.
[10:09] And there are others who seek high office because they want to do something.
[10:16] And so in this instance, I would paraphrase that by saying that the offices you wrote are certainly not because you want to be somebody, although you are important people.
[10:26] It can be based on the financial remuneration, because if you were to go off, I suppose private enterprise might be better.
[10:35] But in the end, you want to do something, and that's perhaps the greatest satisfaction.
[10:40] I know, I believe in this country, of course, we're very proud of our, not our, it's a mix of systems of 80% private enterprise, 20% government.
[10:50] Those of you who had a private enterprise, we couldn't pay you.
[10:53] But I can assure you, I'm just talking to Roy, I ask you to come in for private enterprise, that there are many people working for small companies
[11:08] big companies, even for themselves, out in this nation, perhaps making more than you are.
[11:16] But who would be glad to change places with you?
[11:20] Because they would like to be doing what you're doing, in the sense of, oh, well, if we just hold it, you can convey that same spirit to the people that you work with.
[11:31] Now, I like to do something in these plaques.
[11:34] But you know, we have a very tight budget.
[11:38] All right.
[11:39] And all the abstinence checks.
[11:41] Just had enough Bill to send each of you one of the pictures.
[11:47] So we'll send Bill one of the pictures.
[11:49] Thank you very much.
[11:51] So can I say all of you can take off the abstinence and play golf?
[12:08] I can tell you that now.
[12:33] All right.