Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 14 › Conversation 014-078

Nixon phone call with Colson on Arthur F. Burns and Inflation

Thursday, November 11, 1971 · 8:24 PM–8:25 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Colson, Charles W.Conversation014-078 on Tape 14 (tape position 02:27:06–02:28:30)StartThursday, November 11, 1971 at 8:24 PMEndThursday, November 11, 1971 at 8:25 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 014-078 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted Charles Colson regarding Federal Reserve Chairman Arthur F. Burns's recent public remarks on inflation in New York. Concerned primarily with how Burns's statements were perceived by his specific audience, Nixon directed Colson to move beyond wire service summaries and secure a firsthand account of the reception. Colson committed to contacting an attendee immediately to evaluate the impact of the comments on liquidity and investor sentiment, reporting his findings back to the President that evening.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah.
Mr. Colson, sir.
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Have you any report on Burns in New York yet?
I didn't get a firsthand report.
There is a wire service story which came out.
Apparently he was quoted.
I have it here in my folder.
It talked about, unfortunately, it talked about inflation.
Yeah.
Saying we're going to look at.
Yeah.
Well, hell, let me see.
Oh, that's all right, if he says we're going to lick it.
Well, the thrust of his remarks, Mr. President, I'm just trying to find it, what we took, but I thought I brought it home.
Well, the main thing is the effect on those people, not the public.
Why don't you check around and see how it affected that audience there, whether he gave them reassurances on liquidity, et cetera.
Right.
I will.
I'll call somebody who was there.
I can get an account from him tonight.
Oh, here it is.
I'm sorry.
I do have it.
The wire service.
I don't want to be bothered with that.
All right.
Well, let me get a first-hand report from someone.
That's the important thing, as you know.
And would you like me to call you back with that tonight?
Yeah.
Fine.
All right, sir.
I'll call now and then get back to you.
All right.

NARA Description

On November 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:24 pm to 8:25 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 014-078 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 14-78

Date: November 11, 1971
Time: 8:24 pm - 8:25 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Charles W. Colson

The President talked with Colson.

[See Conversation No. 297-6]
     Arthur F. Burns
          -Statement in New York
                -Inflation
                -Effect on audience
                      -Colson's forthcoming conversation with James F. Cleary

Also recorded on November 12, 1971

  • 014-076 8:19 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:19 pm.
  • 014-077 8:19 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:19 pm and 8:24 pm.
  • 297-002 8:19 PM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 8:19 pm.
  • 297-006 8:24 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:24 pm to 8:25 pm.
  • 014-079 8:25 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:25 pm and 8:48 pm.
  • 297-007 8:25 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:25 pm and 8:48 pm.
  • 297-008 8:25 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:25 pm and 8:48 pm.
  • 014-080 8:28 PM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 8:28 pm to 8:49 pm.

All 93 conversations from November 12, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 014-078, November 12, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-078 (accessed October 9, 2026).