Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 15 › Conversation 015-041

Rumsfeld phone call on Midwest business leaders and Political outreach

Thursday, November 18, 1971 · 5:09 PM–5:16 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsRumsfeld, Donald H.; White House operator; [Unknown person(s)]Conversation015-041 on Tape 15 (tape position 00:58:23–01:00:35)StartThursday, November 18, 1971 at 5:09 PMEndThursday, November 18, 1971 at 5:16 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 015-041 ↗

AI Summary

Donald Rumsfeld instructs his staffer, Lee, to draft a recommendation for H.R. Haldeman or Dwight Chapin regarding a potential presidential appearance at a meeting of influential Midwest business and financial leaders. Rumsfeld emphasizes that a brief drop-by at the Roosevelt Room or the Old Executive Office Building would be a low-effort way to bolster political support for the administration's economic agenda. The task is to be finalized under the signature of Richard Cheney to facilitate the scheduling request.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. Rumsfeld's office.
Thank you.
Mr. Rumsfeld's office.
Lee, please.
It's Don.
One moment.
Yes.
Lee, prepare a submission to Haldeman or Chapin recommending or suggesting the possibility of a presidential drop-by for the maybe group.
In other words, the agenda would show where they're going to be at what time, and then the list of the people that are coming, and then the format in the front would be as per instructions.
The only additional comment that might be added would be that
This is a very high-powered Midwest business and financial group that the administration has done a good deal with respect to the New York group, and that this would be an easy and convenient way possibly to...
strengthen our support with these individuals in the Midwest.
You have to put times on that agenda.
Okay, it ought to be, when they're in the Roosevelt room, that ought to be the easiest for him, I would think.
Well, they're going to be in EOBs, just one floor above.
It doesn't make any difference all day long.
He could do it, and he wouldn't have to say a word.
Okay.
Just stop in while one of those other people are speaking and walk around the room and say hello, and it would be a great thing for him.
It's not a
I'm not making any kind of an urgent request.
It's just a thought.
It's an easy, cheap way to do some good for the cause on the economic side.
Okay.
And draft it up for Cheney's signature, I guess.
Okay.
Because I'm going to be busy when I leave here.
Okay.
And are you over at CLC now?
No, I'm still in the President's office.
Okay.
All right.
Okay.

NARA Description

On November 18, 1971, Donald H. Rumsfeld, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:09 pm and 5:16 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 015-041 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 15-41

Date: November 18, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:09 pm and 5:16 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Donald H. Rumsfeld talked with the White House operator.

     Request for a call to his office

Rumsfeld talked with an unknown woman at an unknown time.

     Request to speak with Lee [Surname unknown]

Rumsfeld talked with Lee [Surname unknown] at an unknown time.

     The President's schedule
          -[Unintelligible] group of businessmen
               -Agenda
                      -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Dwight L. Chapin
               -Possible meeting with the President
               -Unknown New York business group
                -Agenda
                     -Roosevelt Room and Old Executive Office Building [EOB]
                     -Richard B. Cheney

     Rumsfeld's location

Also recorded on November 18, 1971

  • 294-023 4:50 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, and Donald H. Rumsfeld met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:50 pm and 4:54 pm.
  • 294-024 4:50 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:50 pm and 4:54 pm.
  • 294-025 4:54 PM · 52 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Joel T. Broyhill, William E. Timmons, Egil ("Bud") Krogh, Jr., and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:54 pm and 5:50 pm.
  • 015-042 5:09 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:09 pm and 5:16 pm.
  • 015-043 5:09 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:09 pm and 5:16 pm.
  • 015-044 5:16 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 5:16 pm to 5:17 pm.
  • 015-045 5:30 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:30 pm and 5:57 pm.
  • 015-049 5:55 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 7:16 pm.

All 77 conversations from November 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 015-041, November 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/015-041 (accessed September 20, 2026).