Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 3 › Conversation 003-158

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Leonard Goldenson

Thursday, May 27, 1971 · 8:20 PM–9:05 PM ET · White House Telephone ·20 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  White House operatorConversation003-158 onTape 3 (tape position 03:47:38–03:48:01)StartThursday, May 27, 1971 at 8:20 PMEndThursday, May 27, 1971 at 9:05 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-158 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed the White House operator to place two urgent telephone calls to high-profile figures. He requested contact with Leonard Goldenson, the head of ABC, followed by a separate connection to Cardinal Patrick O'Boyle, the Archbishop of Washington. The brief exchange served purely as a request for administrative assistance in facilitating these communications.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Would you try to get for me Mr. Leonard Goldenson of ABC in New York, please?
Yes, sir.
And then another call to get Cardinal O'Boyle in Washington.
Yes, sir.
Archbishop of Washington, please.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On May 27, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 9:05 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-158 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 3-158

Date: May 27, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:20 pm and 9:05 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Calls to Leonard H. Goldenson and Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle

Also recorded on May 28, 1971

  • 003-155 8:19 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John K. Andrews, Jr. talked on the telephone from 8:19 pm to 8:20 pm.
  • 003-156 8:20 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 9:05 pm.
  • 003-157 8:20 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 9:05 pm.
  • 504-016 8:27 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:27 pm and 9:00 pm.
  • 504-017 8:27 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:27 pm and 9:00 pm.
  • 504-018 8:27 PM · 45 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John J. McCloy met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:27 pm and 9:00 pm.
  • 504-019 8:27 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thomas W. Fletcher met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:27 pm and 9:00 pm.
  • 504-020 8:27 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:27 pm and 9:00 pm.

All 63 conversations from May 28, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 003-158, May 28, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-158 (accessed September 18, 2026).