291–11

Conversation No. 291-11

Date: October 18, 1971
Time: 3:47 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

John D. Ehrlichman met with John N. Mitchell.

Supreme Court nominations

Media

Herschel H. Friday
-Washington Post
-Dick Wilson
-John W. Dean, III
-Investigation
-Financial statement

The President entered at an unknown time after 3:47 pm.

Supreme Court nominations
-Warren E. Burger
-Tenure on Court
-Health
-Conversation with Mitchell
-Health
-Mitchell’s conversation with Lawrence E. Walsh
-Forthcoming American Bar Association [ABA] meeting
-Mildred L. Lillie
-ABA’s view
-Possibility of woman appointee
-Sylvia Bacon
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)


-Superior Court
-Lillie
-Stanley N. Barnes
-Philip Burton
-ABA’s view
-Friday and Lillie
-Mitchell’s position
-ABA’s decision
-Assessment of candidates
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
-Louis D. Brandeis
-Dissents
-Lillie's husband
-Activities
-Friday
-Walsh’s view
-ABA’s view
-National recognition
-Financial transactions
-Editorial, Arkansas paper
-Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
-Contact with James O. Eastland
-John L. McClellan''s conversation with Mitchell
-Lawrence F. O'Brien
-Birch E. Bayh, Jr.
-Dean of Arkansas law school
-Walsh
-Forthcoming meeting with Mitchell
-ABA vote
-Possible woman appointee
-Sarah T. Hughes
-Unknown woman in North Carolina

J. Edgar Hoover
-Ehrlichman
-Time magazine
-Newsweek magazine
-Ehrlichman's views
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Problems
-The President's conversation with Hoover
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)



Ehrlichman left at 4:00 pm.

Supreme Court nominations
-Edward H. Levi
-Lillie
-Desirability
-Qualifications
-ABA
-Women's vote
-Walsh
-William French Smith
-The President’s view
-Lillie
-Qualifications
-Chancellor, Chairman Board of Regents University of California
-Harvard
-Law firm
-Friday
-Lewis F. Powell
-Age
-Qualifications
-ABA
-Law school
-Civil rights record
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.
-Robert C. Byrd
-Mitchell’s view
-The President’s view
-Possible political interests
-Reference to Baker
-Busing
-Replacement for Baker appointed by governor
-Daniel H. Kuykendall
-Lillie
-The President’s view
-Qualifications
-ABA
-Shirley M. Hufstedler
-Circuit Court of Appeals, California
-Husband
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)


-Age
-Walsh's opinion of qualifications
-Lillie
-Californians
-ABA
-Earl Warren
-Earl C. Adams
-Smith
-Background
-Possible appointments’ second term
-Attorney general
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Chairman Board of Regents
-ABA
-Names collection

Cancer
-Smoking

Supreme Court nominations
-ABA action
-Smith
-Baker
-William Mulligan
-Smith
-Qualifications
-Charles S. Rhyne
-Qualifications
-Age
-Powell
-Clement F. Haynsworth and G. Harrold Carswell
-The President's past appointees
-Burger
-Harry A. Blackmun
-Hugo L. Black
-Criticism of appointment
-Walsh
-Powell
-Baker
-Political benefits
-Friday
 11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)


-Baker
-Legislation background
-Powell
-Age
-Burger's opinion
-Baker
-The President’s position
-ABA
-Experience as qualification
-Baker
-Powell
-Smith
-Powell
-Busing issue
-The President’s view
-Frank M. Johnson
-Judicial experience
-Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
-Mitchell’s view
-Thurgood Marshall
-Powell
-Smith
-Powell
-Baker [?]
-Walsh
-Schedule
-Lillie, Friday
-Powell
-The President’s decision
-Burger and Blackmun
-Burger's memorandum to Mitchell
-Powell
-Johnson
-Friday
-Friday
-ABA
-Powell
-The President’s position
-Friday
-Age
-Smith
 12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)


-John A Sutro, Jr.
-Powell
-Clients
-Law firm
-Practice
-Possible leaks
-Walsh
-ABA
-Timing
-The President’s view
-Circuit Court of Appeals vacancies
-Lillie
-Possible Court appointments
-Robert W. Packwood
-Role of White House staff
-Compared with other foreign policies
-The South
-Politics
-Powell
-Burger
-Powell
-Smith
-ABA
-Lillie
-Friday
-Powell
-Friday
-McClellan
-Winthrop Rockefeller
-[Forename unknown] Rodgers [sp?]
-Powell
-The South
-Conservatives view
-Crime
-The President’s view
-Smith and Powell
-Byrd
-Friday
-ABA
-Powell and Smith
-Walsh
 13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)


-Concern over leaks
-Burger's views
-Lillie
-Friday
-Powell
-Mitchell’s view
-Lillie
-Role of ABA
-Future role

The President talked with White House operator at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 4:56
pm.

[Conversation No. 291-11A]

[See Conversation No. 11-109]

[End of telephone conversation]

Supreme Court nominations
-Political considerations
-Importance of Virginia
-Compared to Arkansas
-Powell
-Political affiliation
-Walsh
-Smith
-Lillie
-Powell
-ABA
-Powell
-Mitchell’s conversation with Walsh
-Rosser L. (\"Ross\") Malone
-Timing

The President's schedule
-John F. Kennedy Center
-Mitchell
-J. Willard Marriott

Hoover
 14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)


-Possible resignation
-Ehrlichman
-Possible meeting with the President
-Tenure in office

The White House operator talked with John N. Mitchell at an unknown time between 4:00 pm
and 4:56 pm.

[Conversation No. 291-11B]

[See Conversation No. 11-110]

[End of telephone conversation]

Powell
-Schedule

The President talked with White House operator at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 4:56
pm.

[Conversation No. 291-11C]

[See Conversation No. 11-111]

[End of telephone conversation]

Mitchell's schedule
-Powell

Supreme Court nominations
-Walsh
-Forthcoming conversation with Mitchell
-ABA
-Lillie
-Possible ABA view

The President talked with Tricia Cox between 4:56 pm and 4:57 pm.

[Conversation No. 291-11D]

[See Conversation No. 11-112; one item has been withdrawn from the conversation]
 15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)



[End of telephone conversation]

Hoover
-Possible meeting with the President
-Cartha D. (“Deke”) DeLoach
-Personal staff
-Role
-Future

Supreme Court nominations
-Powell
-ABA
-Lillie
-Powell
-Walsh
-ABA
-Women in positions of responsibility
-Possible judgement on qualifications
-Powell
-Health
-Mitchell's schedule
-Forthcoming telephone call to Burger
-Bernard Steiger [?]
-Powell
-Friday
-ABA
-Media
-Lillie
-Smith
-Reagan Republican
-Wife
-Lillie
-Walsh

Mitchell's schedule

Mitchell left at 5:00 pm.
 16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 291-11 (cont.)