Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 887 › Conversation 887-014

Nixon, Edwards & Delchamps on Tennessee Tombigbee River project

Thursday, March 22, 1973 · 12:35 PM–12:47 PM ET · Oval Office · 13 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Edwards, William J. ("Jack"); Delchamps, Oliver, Jr.; Hearin, William J., Jr.; Weiskopf, Albert; Cook, Richard K.Conversation887-014 on Tape 887StartThursday, March 22, 1973 at 12:35 PMEndThursday, March 22, 1973 at 12:47 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 887-014 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Representative Jack Edwards and an Alabama delegation to discuss regional development projects and demonstrate support for his administration’s policies. The participants highlighted the Tennessee Tombigbee River project and exchanged praise regarding the repatriation of prisoners of war, specifically citing the strength and patriotism of Captain Jeremiah Denton. Nixon also used the session to cultivate political ties in the South, discussing the recoveries of Senator John C. Stennis and Governor George Wallace while coordinating legislative outreach through Secretary George Shultz.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I know, I know.
uh... uh...
You know, we had the... Well, I do say it when I write.
I think he's done this before.
You know, when I initiated, much later, we had a conference.
All right.
All right.
Thank you.
Yeah.
There he is.
That's right.
I saw it in the government.
It was terrible.
I don't say that, but he's like, he gets a spark.
His wife.
Oh, yeah.
He's a good soldier.
He's great.
He's great.
I'd love to have him.
We'll be able to find him.
We'll be able to find him.
Oh, yeah.
I talk to Stennis.
I call him every week.
You know, this is the heart.
And everybody, when I call like that, I say, well, you know, they all call it in certain hours of the week.
I forget it.
They forget it most of the time in the weeks, weeks after that.
So I call him every Monday morning.
How do you know?
And, well, I do exactly.
I talk to him, too, you know, because he lives.
When I call him, he says, well, I just wish I could be back.
I'm a laborer.
I say, well, we don't need to worry about that.
Peace out.
Thank you.
Thank you.
As a matter of fact, we are marketing.
Right.
Right.
They came out a little stronger than ever.
Some people are out here all day.
Thank you.
Thank you.
That's a great picture.
We also run a national trade competition.
I see why you're successful.
It's not great.
We are always very proud.
All right.
Well, he'll see that.
Well, thank you.
Well, everybody's been very good.
Alabama was very good.
We found a game.
We're not going to forget that time.
You know what I mean?
When he's ready.
Don't wait too long.
Also,
Also, Schultz is coming to see me today.
You follow up with Schultz.
I'll probably mention it.

NARA Description

On March 22, 1973, 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. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 887-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 887-14

Date: March 22, 1973
                                            -22-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Time: 12:35 pm - 12:47 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William J. (“Jack”) Edwards, Oliver Delchamps, Jr., A. A. Wood,
William J. Hearin, Jr., Albert Weiskopf, and Richard K. Cook. The White House photographer
was present at the beginning of the meeting.

       Introductions
             -Edwards
                   -Mobile, Alabama
             -Alabama delegation
             -Delchamps
             -Wood
             -Hearin
                   -Newspaper publishing
                         -Mobile Press Register
                         -Republican Congress member
                   -Press coverage
                         -1972 campaign
                               -Editorials
             -Weiskopf
                   -Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

       Photographs
            -Arrangements

       Tennessee Tombigbee River project
            -Commemorative coins
                  -Claude Whistler
                  -Budget deficit
                  -Map of river system
            -Pride in President
            -Chamber of commerce
            -Delchamps’s business
            -Publicity
                  -Mobile
            -Dedication
                  -President’s visit
                  -George C. Wallace
                  -Photographs
                                      -23-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                     Conversation No. 887-14 (cont’d)

Wallace
     -Recovery
           -Difficulties
           -Last meeting with President
                 -Governors’ dinner
     -Wife
     -Mobile
     -Lieutenant governor

Southern republicans
     -John C. Stennis
     -Trent Lott
           -Mississippi

Stennis
     -President's calls during convalescence
           -Frequency
     -Recovery from wounds
           -Strength

Southern Congress members
     -Support for national security issue, Vietnam
           -Prisoners of war [POWs]
           -Support for President's policies
                       -Sense of pride
     -Patriotism
           -Denigration
           -Mobile
                 -Capt. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr.

POWs
   -Dinner
         -Wives
         -Location
         -Entertainment
                -Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope
   -Denton
         -Religion
   -Qualities, attitude
   -Solitary confinement
                                               -24-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 887-14 (cont’d)

                    -Denton, Col. Robinson Risner
               -Sense of strength
                    -Meat prices

       Vietnam settlement
            -President’s policies
                  -Congress
                        -Silence
                        -resolution

       Edwards
           -Career in Congress
                -Leadership position
                -Unknown people
                       -Death

       Gifts
               -Presidential seal
               -Photographs
                     -Copies
                     -Publication
                     -Copies
                           -Production

       Basketball game

       Alabama
            -Support for President

       Edwards’s career in Congress
           -Possible run for Senate

       Wilbur D. Mills
            -Trade [?]
            -President’s telephone call
            -News summary
            -President's meeting with George P. Shultz
                  -Shultz’s meeting with Mills

Edwards et al., left at 12:47 pm.
                                              -25-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 887-14 (cont’d)

Also recorded on March 22, 1973

  • 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.
  • 887-015 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.
  • 887-016 12:49 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Herbert G. Klein, Tom Hall, Mrs. Tom Hall, Hall, and Mrs. Herbert G. Klein met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:49 pm to 12:53 pm.
  • 887-017 12:53 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:53 pm.
  • 887-018 12:53 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:53 pm.
  • 887-019 12:53 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:53 pm and 1:12 pm.

All 71 conversations from March 22, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 887-014, 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/887-014 (accessed October 2, 2026).