Ask the Scholar

On February 7, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:50 pm to 4:40 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 319-011 of the White House Tapes. Topics include: The President met with John D. Ehrlichman. Welfare - Ehrlichman's forthcoming meeting with Russell B. Long Dean of Duke University‘s Law School, Joseph T. Sneed - Item for President - President's class - Brian Bullock [sp?] - Unknown person - Number of President's class - Lon L. Fuller's views - Recommendation for Sneed for the Supreme Court - Conversation with Ehrlichman - Busing - Age - Wife - Background - Stanford University - Conversation with Ehrlichman - Sneed and California state politics - Possible appointment - President's schedule - Ehrlichman's experience at Duke University's Law School Busing - Lawyers' meeting at Camp David - President's options - Support of one of the existing proposals - Timing - Thomas J. ("Tom") Steed's views - Discharge petition - Howard H. Baker, Jr.- William E. Brock, III constitutional amendment - President's options -"People's dilemma" - Emanuel Celler - Possible filibuster - William M. Colmer - Steed's views -1972 campaign - Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson - Democrats chances - President's options - President's options - Possible constitutional amendment - Different possibilities - Possible effect in South - Dual school system - President's possible meeting with Baker, Brock, Norman F. Lent and Steed - Timing - Forthcoming trip to the People's Republic of China [PRC] - Concerns from the President - Suggested action taken by the President - Justice Department, Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW] - Elliot L. Richardson's views - Legislative approach - Memorandum - Views of Ehrlichman and Edward L. Morgan - Impact on North - Legislation involved - Lawyers' meeting - William H. Rehnquist's replacement - Frank F. Church amendment - Richardson's representative - President's options - Reiterating position on busing - Timing - Democratic convention - Timing - Democrats' candidates' options - Opinions on busing - South - Northern liberals - George S. McGovern - Joseph W. Alsop's column, February 7, 1972 - Frank F. Mankiewicz, Joseph L. Rauh, Jr. - Stance on busing - Stewart J.O. Alsop - Edmund S. Muskie - Edward M. Kennedy - Hubert H. Humphrey - Florida - Strategic nature of the South - George C. Wallace's actions - Democratic candidates stance on busing - G. Harrold Carswell - Jackson's statements, February 6, 1972 -"Meet the Press" - Jackson's child in pubic school - Muskie, Humphrey - Chances for candidacy - Issues involved - Wallace - Gaining support for candidacy - Florida - President's options - Timing - Schedule - Baker, Brock - Richardson, Attorney General - Timing of meeting - Return from PRC trip - Discharge petition - Baker, Brock - Possible constitutional amendment - Support from the President - Court decisions - Timing - Richmond - Virginia school merger - John N. Mitchell's views - President's forthcoming press conference - Involvement of the Federal Government - Bill Shirley's question - Judge [Robert R. Marhige, Jr.] - Appointment - Consolidation cases - Timing - Lawyers' meeting - Camp David - Effects - HEW - Department of Justice - President's schedule - Trip to Florida - Ehrlichman, John B. Connally - President's options - Blacks - Professionals - Possible perception of the President - Steed's views - Percentage of Blacks opposed to busing - Roy E. Innis's views - Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.'s views - Ehrlichman's conversation with Robert J. Brown - President's options - Legislation compared to constitutional amendment - Dual school system - Ehrlichman's conversation with Steed - Lent - Long Island - Baker- Brock Amendment - Lent's sponsorship - Possible meeting - Background - Robert P. Griffin - Amendment - Political decision - Black establishment - Gerald R. Ford - H[arold] R[oyce] Gross - Griffin President's forthcoming press conference - Preparation - Domestic issues - Patrick Buchanan - Welfare - Budget - Busing - Brock, Baker, Lent - Meeting - Timing - Constitutional amendment - Possible end of the dual school system Busing - President's options - South - North - De jure segregation - Timing - Muskie - Celler's hearings - Muskie - Baker, Brock - Constitutional amendment - Lawyers' meeting - Delwin M. Clawson's son - Merits of meeting J. Williard ("Bill") Marriott - Conversation with Ehrlichman - Conversation with Jack N. Anderson - Reporter's [George Clifford] conversation with F. Donald Nixon - John H. Meier from Howard H. Hughes's organization - President's conversation with Don Nixon Donald A. Nixon - Business operations - Aristotle S. Onassis - F. Donald Nixon's son - Dealings with Robert L. Vesco BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 [Previous PRMPA Privacy (D) reviewed under deed of gift 09/26/2019. Segment will remain closed.] [Privacy] [319-011- W001] [Duration: 14s] WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 Donald A. Nixon - Conversation with Clifford - Anderson's forthcoming stories - Timing - Schedule - Ehrlichman - President - Mitchell - Conversation with Clifford - Marriott - Meier's role - Hughes - Timing - Democrats - Anderson - Hallamore Homes, Inc - Stock deal - Air West deal -[Forename unknown] Hillings - Ehrlichman - Marriott's conversation with Anderson - President's instructions to Marriott - Hallamore - Anderson's forthcoming stories - Anderson's forthcoming stories - Timing -1960 election - Possible effect Donald A. Nixon - Ehrlichman's conversation with Marriott - Possible handling - Possible job - Don Nixon - Job with Vesco - Ehrlichman's possible conversation with Mitchell - Mitchell's possible conversation with New Jersey state Senator Harry L. Sears - Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] reports [Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 09/26/2019. Segment cleared for release.] [Personal Returnable] [319-011- W002] [Duration: 1m 1s] Donald A. Nixon - John D. Ehrlichman's assessment - Eyes - Erratic - The President's opinion Don Nixon - Conversation with Ehrlichman - Association with Meier - Meier - Conversation with Clifford, [Lloyd G. and Barry Hallamore] - Lunch Anderson's forthcoming articles Ehrlichman's schedule - Don and Edward C. Nixon - Rose Mary Woods Don Nixon - Call from Marriott - Anderson's forthcoming articles - Reaction - Threat - Veracity - Forthcoming meeting with Ehrlichman - Contact with the President - Handling - Mitchell's role - H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman's role - Henry A. Kissinger dispute with William P. Rogers - Forthcoming People's Republic of China [PRC] trip [Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 09/26/2019. Segment cleared for release.] [Personal Returnable] [319-011- W003] [Duration: 1m 29s] Edward C. Nixon - Employment - John D. Ehrlichman's assistance - J. Willard ("Bill") Marriott, Jr. - Northwest - Japan [?] - Law firm Donald A. Nixon - Employment - John N. Mitchell Watergate - Use of campaign funds for Donald A. Nixon - Haldeman - Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo - Don Nixon - Lyndon B. Johnson and Sam Houston Johnson - Franklin D. Roosevelt and children [Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 09/26/2019. Segment cleared for release.] [Personal Returnable] [319-011- W004] [Duration: 40s] Dwight D. Eisenhower's nephew - Mental state - Letter to the President -[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II F. Donald Nixon - Anderson's forthcoming stories - Possible reaction - Robert F. Kennedy's son [David Kennedy] - Paul N. ("Pete") McCloskey, Jr.'s father [Previous PRMPA Privacy (D) reviewed under deed of gift 09/26/2019. Segment cleared for release.] [Privacy] [319-011- W005] [Duration: 10s] Stephen O. Muskie - Long hair F. Donald Nixon - Handling - Contacts with White House - Conversations concerning Meier - Rebozo - Richard Danner - Ehrlichman - President's schedule - Haldeman - Mitchell Ehrlichman left at 4:40 pm. Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.