Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 944 › Conversation 944-003

Nixon & Bull on State dinner and Leonid Brezhnev

Monday, June 18, 1973 · 3:45 PM–3:46 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation944-003 on Tape 944StartMonday, June 18, 1973 at 3:45 PMEndMonday, June 18, 1973 at 3:46 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 944-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull to coordinate final logistics for an upcoming state dinner honoring Leonid Brezhnev. The discussion focused on managing the guest list, the structure of the receiving line, and the timing of remarks to accommodate television network coverage. Nixon emphasized the necessity of precise preparation for the event's ceremonial elements.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Do you have anything for this thing tonight?

What'd you say?

Did you want to have a president in the afternoon or receiving one?

Rose was in a discussion that you said.

Well, they were supposed to have... Let me get that down a little bit.

I was wondering if it was supposed to be there in the shots.

I'm not sure about that.

This was the condition.

This is something that somebody should have known.

That was me.

I had words.

I had an objective.

I don't want to speak anymore.

I'm sorry.

I don't want to speak anymore.

I must have.

The first time I went to Washington, I was told that I had to run to the United States, and I never heard of it again.

Well, it's only a theory.

That doesn't mean much.

I hope they did.

Well, that was a great, great sermon.

Thank you, Senator Marshall.

Quarter to five.

NARA Description

On June 18, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:46 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 944-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 944-3

Date: June 18, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:45 pm and 3:46 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.
                                               -10-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 944-3 (cont’d)

     Presidential remarks
           -State dinner

     President’s schedule
           -State dinner
                 -Guest list
                       -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                 -Receiving line
                       -Leonid I. Brezhnev
                       -Rose Mary Woods

     Presidential remarks
           -State dinner
           -Timing

     Brezhnev’s arrival ceremony
          -Television [TV] networks
                -Coverage
          -Presidential signature

     President’s remarks
           -Preparation
                 -Timing

Bull left at an unknown time before 3:46 pm.

Also recorded on June 18, 1973

944-008 3:12 PM · 10 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:12 pm and 3:19 pm.
944-002 3:19 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:19 pm to 3:45 pm.
447-001 3:46 PM · 57 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:46 pm to 3:47 pm.
944-009 3:46 PM · 17 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:46 pm and 5:49 pm.
447-002 3:47 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:47 pm and 4:20 pm.
447-003 3:47 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:47 pm and 4:20 pm.
041-001 4:20 PM · 2 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 4:20 pm to 4:22 pm.
447-004 4:20 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:20 pm to 4:27 pm.

All 38 conversations from June 18, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 944-003, June 18, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/944-003 (accessed October 9, 2026).