724–8

Conversation No. 724-8

Date: May 15, 1972
Time: 5:16-6:06 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

President's schedule
-Cancellation of meeting with John N. Mitchell
-Meeting with John B. Connally
-Blue Room reception
-Press coverage
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon's presence
-President's presence
-Disadvantages
-Mrs. Nixon's presence
-Press coverage
-President's presence

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:16 and 5:21
pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8A]

[See Conversation No. 24-84]

[End of telephone conversation]

George C. Wallace
-Shooting
-News story
-Cornelia Wallace

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-Effect of Wallace shooting
-Connally announcement
-Possible postponement
-Pros and cons
 37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)


Wallace
-Shooting
-Press coverage
-Effect on Vietnam coverage
-Bulletproofing
-Events
-Location
-Laurel, Maryland
-Bowie [Maryland] racetrack
-Secret Service protection
-Possible complaints
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Connally's decision

Connally
-Tenure
-George P. Shultz confirmation
-Future plans
-President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board [PFIAB]
-Latin America trip
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Brazil
-Support for the President
-Announcement
-Timing
-Democratic candidates
-Hubert H. Humphrey

The President talked with Mrs. Nixon between 5:21 pm and 5:23 pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8B]

[See Conversation No. 24-85]

The President conferred with Haldeman during the telephone conversation.

Connally's arrival

[End of conferral]

[End of telephone conversation]
 38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's presence
-Mrs. Nixon's advice
-Connally's views

Connally entered at 5:24 pm.

Greetings

Secret Service protection
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Connally's decision
-Announcement
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Reasons
-Connally's opinion
-Eugene T. Rossides

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:24 and 5:30 pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8C]

[See Conversation No. 24-86]

[End of telephone conversation]

Secret Service protection
-Edward Kennedy
-Reasons

Wallace
-Condition
-Press reports

Connally
-Wounding in John F. Kennedy assassination
-Condition
-Location
-Connally
-Idanell Brill (“Nellie”) Connally
-Jacqueline (Bouvier) Kennedy
-Nellie Connally's view
 39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)

-Location
-Connally
-John Kennedy
-Connally's actions

The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 5:24 and 5:30 pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8D]

[See Conversation No. 24-87]

Connally talked with Rossides at an unknown time between 5:24 and 5:30 pm.

[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8D]

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's presence

Connally conferred with the President and Haldeman during the telephone conversation.

Secret Service protection
-Shirley Chisholm request
-Duration
-Edward Kennedy
-Priority
-Candidates
-Wilbur D. Mills
-John N. Ashbrook
-Chisholm
-Edward Kennedy
-Request

[End of conferral]

[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8D]

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's presence
 40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)

[End of telephone conversation]

Secret Service protection
-President's anticipation
-President's decision
-Duration
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Reduced coverage
-President's coverage while Vice President
-Caracas, Venezuela incident
-Wallace's coverage

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-Connally's advice

Ziegler entered at 5:30 pm.

Secret Service protection
-Announcement
-Ziegler
-Connally
-Edward Kennedy
-Chisholm
-Offer to others
-Reduced coverage
-Kennedy
-Debate
-Chisholm
-Request
-Announcement
-Ziegler
-Connally
-Ziegler
-Wording
-Edward Kennedy
-Chisholm
-Mills
-Analogy to Robert F. Kennedy shooting
-Presidential order
-Edward Kennedy
-Chisholm
-Possible questions
 41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)

-Possible answers
-Need
-Edward Kennedy
-John W. Gardner
-Edward Kennedy
-Wallace
-Notification of Edward Kennedy's office
-Rossides
-James J. Rowley
-Advisory committee
-Members
-Hugh Scott
-Michael J. Mansfield
-Thomas Kuchel
-Carl B. Albert
-Gerald R. Ford
-Criteria
-Edward Kennedy's inclusion
-Legal opinion
-Judge Allin Hugh Pierce’s view
-Copies to Mansfield and other committee members
-Presidential decision
-Legal basis
-Precedents
-John Foster Dulles
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Edward Kennedy
-Notification of Edward Kennedy
-Call from Connally
-Notification of unknown person [Chisholm?]
-Call from Rowley

Haldeman talked with with White House operator at an unknown time between 5:30 and 5:38
pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8E]

[See Conversation No. 24-88]

[End of telephone conversation]

-Senate action
-Mansfield
 42

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)

-Resolution
-Decision-making authority
-Purpose
-Edward Kennedy protection
-House action
-Instructions for Rossides

The White House operator talked with Haldeman at 5:38 pm.

The President talked with Cornelia Wallace between 5:38 and 5:41 pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8F]

[See Conversation No. 24-89]

[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8F]

President's statement

Mrs. Nixon

Wallace shooting

[End of telephone conversation]

Wallace
-Shooting
-Call from Cornelia Wallace
-Effect on forthcoming election
-Condition
-Effect on Maryland primary
-Effect on Michigan primary

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's attendance
-Mrs. Nixon's attendance
-Clement E. Conger's role
-Effect of Wallace's condition
-Conversation with guests
-President's remarks
-Press coverage
 43

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)

-President's remarks
-Call from Cornelia Wallace
-Change in plans
-Press coverage

The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 5:41 and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8G]

[See Conversation No. 24-90]

[End of telephone conversation]

Edward Kennedy
-Location
-Georgetown
-Delay in protection
-Connally’s view
-Location
-New car

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-Press coverage
-President's remarks
-President's and Mrs. Nixon's attendance
-Appreciation to donors

Wallace
-Shooting
-President's statement for press
-Preparation
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.

Ziegler left at 5:45 pm.

Connally
-Resignation
-Announcement
-Timing
-Effect of Wallace condition

Wallace
 44

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)

-Condition
-Reports
-Problems
-Dr. William M. Lukash
-Location
-Offer of services
-Bethesda Naval Hospital

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's remarks
-Call from Cornelia Wallace
-President's and Mrs. Nixon's attendance
-Receiving line

Wallace
-Condition
-Length of hospital stay
-The President’s view
-Cornelia Wallace
-The President’s view
-[Ruby (\"Big Ruby\") Folsom Ellis Austin]
-Connally’s view
-Call from the President
-Theodore Roosevelt assassination attempt
-Outcome of election

The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 5:45 pm and 5:52
pm.

Connally talked with Edward Kennedy at an unknown time between 5:45 pm and 5:52 pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8H]

[See Conversation No. 24-91]

[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8H]

Secret Service protection
-Edward Kennedy
-White House announcement
 45

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)

Ziegler entered at 5:52 pm.

[End of telephone conversation]

-Acceptance
-Duration
-White House announcement
-Connally's call to Edward Kennedy

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:52 pm and 5:54
pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8I]

[See Conversation No. 24-92]

[End of telephone conversation]

-Duration
-President's orders
-Edward Kennedy's acceptance
-Necessity

The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 5:52 pm and 5:54
pm.

Connally talked with Rossides at an unknown time between 5:52 pm and 5:58 pm.

[Conversation No. 724-8J]

[See Conversation No. 24-93]

[The following portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation
No. 724-8J]

-Number of agents assigned
-Statement for the press

Ziegler left at 5:54 pm.

Wallace's condition [?]

Donald McI. Kendall
 46

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)


President's schedule
-Call from Haldeman

[End of telephone conversation]

Wallace
-Shooting
-Visit from Humphrey
-Visit from George S. McGovern
-Possible visit from the President
-Time
-Call
-Disadvantages
-Services offered by the President
-Lukash
-Condition
-Location of wounds
-Other victims
-Secret Service agent
-Wounds
-The President’s view
-Assassination attempt
-Compared with Robert F. Kennedy assassination
-Causes
-Compared with Abraham Lincoln assassination
-Effect on other victims
-Secret Service agent
-Condition
-Visit from Humphrey
-Time
-Visit from McGovern
-Location
-Condition

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 5:58 pm.

-Lukash's report

Butterfield left at 5:59 pm.

Connally's wounding
-Bleeding
 47

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)

-President's reading of reports
-Nellie Connally
-Location
-Care
-Details
-Surgeon
-Background
-Location
-Operation
-John Kennedy's condition
-Connally's awareness
-Nellie Connally
-Condition
-Surgeon
-Background
-Wound
-Severity
-Consequences

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's attendance
-Mrs. Nixon's knowledge

Connally's schedule
-Nellie Connally
-Arrangements to meet
-Location

President's schedule
-Blue Room reception
-President's attendance
-Time

Connally left at an unknown time after 5:58 pm.

Connally
-The President’s view
-Domestic Council

President's schedule
-Blue Room
-President's preparation for reception
 48

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 724-8 (cont.)


Connally entered at an unknown time before 6:06 pm.

Blue Room
-Described
-Mrs. Nixon's role

Dining room
-Light fixture
-Change
-Described
-Tricia Nixon Cox
-Redecoration
-Light fixture
-Problem

Office
-Panelling

Dining Room
-Light fixture
-Change
-Time needed
-Alternative

The President, Haldeman, and Connally left at 6:06 pm.