Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 887 › Conversation 887-010

Nixon, Shafer & Shepard on Drug abuse policy and Drug dependency

Thursday, March 22, 1973 · 12:12 PM–12:27 PM ET · Oval Office · 10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Shafer, Raymond P.; Shepard, Geoffrey C.; Cole, Kenneth R., Jr.; Brill, Henry; Cooney, Jane; Galvin, Charles O.; Howard, John A.; Seevers, Maurice H.; Underleider, J. Thomas; Ware, Mitchell; Farnsworth, Dona L.Conversation887-010 on Tape 887StartThursday, March 22, 1973 at 12:12 PMEndThursday, March 22, 1973 at 12:27 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 887-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Raymond P. Shafer and members of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse to express his appreciation for their work and discuss the commission's reports. The conversation focused on the challenges of addressing drug dependency, the necessity of moving beyond public controversy to prioritize substantive research, and the potential for future drug and alcohol studies. Nixon emphasized the importance of the commission's non-partisan contributions to national drug policy before concluding the meeting by presenting the members with commemorative presidential gifts.

  • National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse
  • Drug abuse policy
  • Drug dependency
  • Public service announcements
  • Presidential commendation

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
Yes, what's going on?
This is Mitchell Ware, right, from Illinois Health Center.
And this is Dr. Henry Brill, from Hilbert State Hospital.
How are you doing?
With the exception of Nathan, I want you to know that this is the most insane show that I've ever worked with.
It's just that it's pretty interesting to hear each other.
Yeah.
You can't have it all.
I'll tell you what I'm saying.
Why don't we start with that?
Ray, you'll be on my left.
All right.
Now the rest of you, just fold in on either side.
Like that.
That's three up.
You see, I actually did it.
You need one over here.
A little more like a curve.
Yeah, that's right.
Balance.
Like that.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
the purpose of my comment here is to
Thank you.
out of all we trust
Yeah.
use is not a problem.
The problem is that they are exhibited by drug use and drug dependency.
And we say, let's take a careful look at the whole thing.
Let's find our national resources and
They want controversy.
They want controversy.
They don't want substance.
Well, actually, I was referring perhaps more to the review that I had on the public service podcast, you know.
You've got to say those, you know, the athletes and all the rest, you know.
I won't promise I'll read it right away.
I will.
I am a reader, actually.
I want to enjoy it.
I'm a reader.
I believe in reading because the...
Now, we have to take what we've got.
This is small, but people who do all kinds of things and social roles, that's something totally non-partisan, which is kind of hard.
Thank you.
D.R.
That proves that we work for God.
Thank you very much.
Well, it seems like the education institution.
Thank you very much.
University of Michigan.
Rockford, Illinois.
Southern Memphis Law School.
Getting a lawyer in here.
I remember
years ago.
It's a little liberal style.
It's good to see you.
I used to say I ever lost a basketball game.
Anybody remember me?
That's fantastic.
Do you ever sit around here today?
We have.
Yeah.
I know what you're talking about.

NARA Description

On March 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Raymond P. Shafer, Geoffrey C. Shepard, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Henry Brill, Jane Cooney, Charles O. Galvin, John A. Howard, Maurice H. Seevers, J. Thomas Underleider, Mitchell Ware, and Dona L. Farnsworth met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:12 pm to 12:27 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 887-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 887-10
                                            -17-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 887-10 (cont’d)

Date: March 22, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:12 pm and 12:27 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Raymond P. Shafer, Dana L. Farnsworth, Henry Brill, Joan Cooney,
Charles O. Galvin, John A. Howard, Maurice H. Seevers, J. Thomas Ungerleider, Mitchell Ware,
Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. and Geoffrey C. Shepard. The White House photographer was present at the
beginning of the meeting.

       Introductions
             -Cooney
             -Farnsworth
                    -Vice chairman
             -Ungerleider
                    -University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA]
             -Seevers
                    -University of Michigan
             -Galvin
                    -Southern Methodist Law School
             -Howard
                    -Illinois
             -Ware
                    -Illinois
             -Brill
                    -New York
             -Distinguished group

       Photographs
            -Arrangements

       National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse
            -Work
            -Expenditures
            -First report
            -Final report
                   -Deadline
            -Efficiency
            -Final report
                   -Value
            -Gratitude of President
                                        -18-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                     Conversation No. 887-10 (cont’d)

             -Appreciation of Commission
        -Drug abuse
             -Marijuana use
                    -Penalties
             -Controversy of Commission
             -Value of work
                    -President’s view
                    -Congress’ view
                    -Study of drugs and alcohol
                          -Further research
        -Scope of work
        -Proposals
             -White House policies
             -Private sector involvement
        -Drug abuse
             -Impact on nation
             -Dependency
             -Press coverage
                    -Public service announcement
             -Information
        -Report for President
             -Reading

Presidential gifts
      -Cufflinks
            -Flags

President's meeting with Carlos Sanz de Santamaria

Theodore (‘Teddy”) Roosevelt
     -Panama Canal
           -Relations with Colombia
     -Design of presidential seal [?]

Gifts
        -Comparison

Commission members
    -Affiliations
          -University of Illinois
                                             -19-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                                 Conversation No. 887-10 (cont’d)

                   -University of Michigan
                   -Harvard University
                   -Rockford, Illinois
              -Southern Methodist Law School
                   -Former Dean
              -UCLA
                   -Basketball

        Cable television
             -Follow-up

Shafer, et al. left at 12:27 pm.

Also recorded on March 22, 1973

  • 887-007 11:45 AM · 27 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George H. W. Bush, William E. Timmons, William Brock, and Robert H. Michel met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 12:12 pm.
  • 887-008 12:12 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:12 pm.
  • 887-009 12:12 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Geoffrey C. Shepard met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:12 pm.
  • 887-011 12:27 PM · 51 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Michael J. Farrell met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:27 pm.
  • 887-012 12:27 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Michael J. Farrell, and Mrs. Bruce Bedford, III met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:27 pm to 12:32 pm.
  • 887-013 12:32 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Max L. Friedersdorf, and Caldwell Butler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:32 pm to 12:35 pm.
  • 887-014 12:35 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William J. ("Jack") Edwards, Oliver Delchamps, Jr., William J. Hearin, Jr., Albert Weiskopf, and Richard K. Cook met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:35 pm to 12:47 pm.
  • 887-015 12:47 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:47 pm and 12:48 pm.

All 71 conversations from March 22, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 887-010, March 22, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/887-010 (accessed October 2, 2026).