Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 948 › Conversation 948-009

Nixon alone in the Oval Office on Department of Justice

Wednesday, July 11, 1973 · 12:17 PM–12:24 PM ET · Oval Office · 50 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation948-009 on Tape 948StartWednesday, July 11, 1973 at 12:17 PMEndWednesday, July 11, 1973 at 12:24 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 948-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon dictated a memorandum to clarify his priorities for the Department of Justice, specifically directing Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson to refocus the department's agenda. The President emphasized his dissatisfaction with the current trajectory, urging a strategic pivot from a focus on social justice back toward the administration’s original emphasis on law and order. This directive served as a formal articulation of the President’s expectations regarding the department's core objectives.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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 was very distressed, dreaming, and I hate dreams.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On July 11, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:24 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 948-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 948-9

Date: July 11, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:17 pm and 12:24 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President dictated a memorandum [memo].

       Memo
              -Objectives
              -Justice Department
                      -President’s concern
                      -Elliot L. Richardson
                              -Priorities
                                      -Social justice compared to law and order

The President finished dictating the memo at an unknown time before 12:24 pm.

Also recorded on July 11, 1973

  • 948-004 11:32 AM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:32 am to 12:08 pm.
  • 948-005 12:08 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:08 pm and 12:09 pm.
  • 948-006 12:08 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:08 pm and 12:09 pm.
  • 948-007 12:09 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Hubert H. Humphrey, Gerald R. Ford, Arthur B. Hanson, William E. Timmons, White House photographer, and members of the press met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:09 pm to 12:17 pm.
  • 948-008 12:17 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:17 pm.
  • 948-010 12:24 PM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:24 pm to 12:55 pm.
  • 948-022 12:55 PM · 7 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:55 pm and 3:00 pm.
  • 041-060 1:10 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:10 pm and 2:28 pm.

All 38 conversations from July 11, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 948-009, July 11, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/948-009 (accessed October 10, 2026).