Conversation: 647-017
Prev: 647-016 Next: 647-018Start Date: Thursday, January 13, 1972 6:24 PM
End Date: Thursday, January 13, 1972 7:14 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Anderson, Robert O.; Jonsson, J. Erik; Cole, Kenneth R., Jr.; Garment, Leonard; Butterfield, Alexander P.Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:03:37
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:55:02
NARA Description:
On January 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Robert O. Anderson, J. Erik Jonsson, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Leonard Garment, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:24 pm to 2:14 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 647-017 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 647-17
Date: January 13, 1972
Time: 1:24 pm - 2:14 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Robert O. Anderson, J. Erik Jonsson, John D. Ehrlichman, Kenneth R.
Cole, Jr., and Leonard Garment.
Greetings
Delays in the President's schedule
-Meeting with Neil H. McElroy and Commission
National Football League [NFL]
-Playoff games
-Super Bowl
-Dallas Cowboys, [Miami Dolphins]
-Play
Cities
-Los Angeles
-Atlantic Richfield Co. headquarters
-Bank of America
-Move from New York City to Los Angeles
-Living conditions in New York City
-Schools
-Aerospace industry
-The President's airplane shuttle trip to New York City with "Pete" Jones
-"Charlie" Jones
-“Pete” Jones
-New York Times
-“Charlie” Jones
-California
-Bohemian Grove
-Jonsson
-New Jersey
32
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-17 (cont.)
-Dallas, Los Angeles
-Expansion
-New York City
-Deterioration
-Possible handling
Urban problems
-Possible handling
-Dialogue between urban leaders, professionals, and academics
-Lack of common background
-Mayors, governors
Project
-Timing
-Senior Executive Council of National Industrial Conference Board
-Business
-Urban problems
-Need for understanding
-Institute for National Goals
-Precedents
-Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
-Charles H. Percy committee
-Magazines
-National Purpose
-National Goals
Institute for national goals for the future
-Naming
-Difficulty
-Priorities
-Education, health defense, space
-Space shuttle
-Recent announcement
-Support by Floridians, Californians, New York Times
Meeting at Links with foundations
-Dining
-Results
-Agreement and disagreement
Foundations
33
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-17 (cont.)
-Compared to business people
-Advisers
-Compared to executives
-Functions
-Examples
-Money to Whittier College and Occidental College
Dean Rusk
-Qualities
-Loyalty to country, Lyndon B. Johnson
-The President's talk with William C. Bullitt
-Bullitt's background as US ambassador to the Soviet Union
-Rusk's origins
-Foundations
-Qualities
Foundations
-Type of life for executives
-Reluctance to make decisions
-Studies
-Compared to lawyers
The President’s talk with Ehrlichman
-Anderson and Johnsson
-The President’s concern
National goals
-Economy
-Peter G. Peterson
-Life magazine
-Article on national purpose
-Action on issues
-Young people
-Professors
-Editorialists
-Decision making
-Compared to words, idealism
-Rising expectations
-1960’s
-The Peace Corps
-High expectations
34
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-17 (cont.)
-Lack of action
-Frustration
-Contrast between idealists and pragmatists
-Businessmen
-Compared to idealists
-Pragmatic men with ideals
-Young people
-Idealism
Computer model of world problems
-Economic systems
-Weather
-Variables
-Jobs
-Long range planning tool
-Congress
The economy
-Automobile production
-Transportation
-Increased production
-Highways
-Energy sources
-Ralph Nader
-Questioning
-New York City
-Empire State Building
-Taller buildings
The nation's future
-Targets
-Production
-Transistor radios
-Prices
-Building a factory
-Costs
-Risks
-Goal-setting, planning
-Systems approach
-“Goals for Dallas” program
35
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-17 (cont.)
Nation's goals
-Institute's “Goals for Dallas” program
-Methodology
-Number of people
-Duration of time
-Reading of briefs of inventories
-Subjects
-Education, welfare, recreation, government, cities
-Revisions
-Sample of 10,000 opinions
-Right-wing, left-wing views
-Consensus
-Town hall meetings
-Results
-Tools for projecting future needs
-Computers
-Industrial community
-Validity, credibility
-Proposals
-Rockwell International
-Costs
-Loose ends
-[Willard F.] Rockwell, Jr.
-Bernard D. Haber
-Problem of implementing goals
-Time
-Costs
Computers
-Use in weather forecasting
-Satellites
-Effectiveness
-Speed in processing information from satellites
-Change in forecasting
-Use of models
-Dr. William D. McElroy
Nation's goals
-Institute
-Purpose
-Leadership
36
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-17 (cont.)
-Political aspect
-Consensus on plan
-Black communities
-Solution
American Revolution Bicentennial Commission [ARBA]
-David J. Mahoney, Jr.
-Local communities
-North Carolina
Senior Executive Council of National Industrial Conference Board
-Meetings
-Proposal
-Institute on goals
-Possible government sponsorship
-Foundations
-Purpose
-Forthcoming 1990 conference
-Administration support for Institute
-Possible message from the President for meeting
-Foundations
-Experts
-Bureaucracy
Rockefeller Foundation
-Studies
-Nelson A. Rockefeller's candidacies
-Lack of action
-Staff
-Government and corporate bureaucracies
Institute on goals
-Organization
-Role of the government
-National Science Foundation [NSF]
-Model
-Presidential commission
-Problem
-Politics
-Presidential interest, support, participation
-Eisenhower’s goals commission
37
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-17 (cont.)
NSF
-Use of money
New institute
-Relationship with foundations
-Credit
-Funding
-Effect on those who join foundations
The environment
-National Center for Environmental Research
-Proposals
-Value
Goal-setting
-Goal institute
-Establishment of priorities
-The President's role
-Foreign policy
-The People’s Republic of China [PRC] initiative
-Compared with foundations
-Percy's report
-Businessmen
-Pragmatism and idealism
-Value
-Government involvement
Goal institute
-Cities
-Instruction and assistance in setting goals
-Teams
-Budget
-Costs
-Mahoney
-George P. Shultz
Mahoney
-Cole
-Garment
38
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-17 (cont.)
Presentation of gifts
-Money clips
Pragmatism
-Appeal to the President
-Idealism
Anderson, et al. left and Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 2:14 pm.
Schedule
-Meeting with Jon M. Huntsman
-Children
-Taping of audio message for Vincent T. (“Vince”) Lombardi Dinner, January
14, 1972
Butterfield left at 2:14 pm.