Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 881 › Conversation 881-009

Nixon & Woods on Correspondence and Personal Staff

Friday, March 16, 1973 · 4:52 PM–5:02 PM ET · Oval Office · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose MaryConversation881-009 on Tape 881StartFriday, March 16, 1973 at 4:52 PMEndFriday, March 16, 1973 at 5:02 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 881-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, met to discuss routine administrative matters, including scheduling, personal gifts, and correspondence. The conversation touched upon the President’s upcoming appointments, the delivery of clothing items, and the handling of a sensitive letter from the daughter of Philip F. Timberlake regarding her marriage and family. Woods provided logistical assistance, and the two briefly deliberated on how the President should respond to personal constituent mail.

Audio

Download MP3 · 1.6 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
I thought you were probably calling me.
No, I had a question, but I'll figure it out tomorrow.
You didn't call me.
I tried to send you my question.
I'll send it to you.
Well, it took that long.
That's what it is.
That night when Mr. Thomas talked, I thought that was usually right tomorrow.
Yes.
She sent it over.
I'll try to read it by tomorrow.
See what I can.
Just put it to the head of the head of the head of the head.
And then I, these are from that wall.
Remember?
It was terrible when we were in.
Oh, yes.
It's all kind of long.
Yes.
And I would recommend that you use those when you're over at your house.
I know I just spent about half of my money on paper.
It's crazy.
It's crazy.
Oh, I want to do one thing.
I don't think it's necessary.
And I'll check with Dennis tomorrow.
Well, I don't know if you know, one of your, Dr. Timberland, one of his daughters here in the Negro, she wrote in a letter to all her, she didn't come to my race, but her father was against her.
And I was expecting...
Well, she had a little black baby.
Her daughter, his daughter.
Those daughters were .
Can I have that letter?
I don't think you should .
Her father, she didn't come because her father said if she came, he wouldn't be seen.
I wonder if I should .
Are you going to come out there?
Well, I don't know.
Maybe you might want to bring her in here.
She's a little girl.
She sticks his pants in.
Do you think he doesn't be able to stand up?
She's very bitter.
That's why I think your name.

NARA Description

On March 16, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:52 pm and 5:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 881-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 881-9

Date: March 16, 1973
Time: Unknown between 4:52 pm and 5:02 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.

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

       Julie Nixon Eisenhower
             -President’s conversation

       Woods’s schedule

       President’s schedule
             -Herman Kahn

       Clothing
             -Delivery
             -Tie
                                                        -34-

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                                             Conversation No. 881-9 (cont’d)

         Nelson A. Rockefeller
              -Book

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

         Jen-Lin Huang
              -Ambassador
              -Gift for President

         Cufflinks

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 34s             ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

         Card
                -Signature

         Dentist
              -Appointment

         Woods’s schedule

         Philip F. Timberlake’s daughter
               -Marriage to Black man
                     -Black child
                                                -35-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 881-9 (cont’d)

              -Letter to President
                    -1973 inauguration
                    -Answer

       Card

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

Woods left at an unknown time before 5:02 pm.

Also recorded on March 16, 1973

  • 420-008 2:51 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 3:00 pm.
  • 420-009 2:51 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 3:00 pm.
  • 420-011 3:00 PM · 1 hr 44 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:00 pm to 4:47 pm.
  • 881-008 4:51 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:51 pm to 4:52 pm.
  • 881-010 4:52 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:52 pm and 5:02 pm.
  • 881-011 5:06 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:06 pm and 5:10 pm.
  • 881-012 5:10 PM · 1 hr 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, John D. Ehrlichman, unknown person(s), Henry A. Kissinger, and Herman Kahn met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:10 pm to 6:43 pm.
  • 881-013 6:43 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at 6:43 pm.

All 33 conversations from March 16, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 881-009, March 16, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/881-009 (accessed October 12, 2026).