Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 18 › Conversation 018-005

Nixon phone call with Smith on Mayoral inauguration

Monday, January 3, 1972 · 11:20 AM–11:21 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Smith, JodyConversation018-005 on Tape 18 (tape position 00:06:31–00:08:15)StartMonday, January 3, 1972 at 11:20 AMEndMonday, January 3, 1972 at 11:21 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 018-005 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417192107 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon called Jody Smith to congratulate him on his inauguration as the youngest mayor in the nation. The two discussed their shared backgrounds in working at service stations and their perspectives on community leadership. Nixon encouraged Smith's political career and expressed his hope to see the young mayor as a delegate at the upcoming Republican National Convention in San Diego.

Audio

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NARA Description

On January 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Jody Smith talked on the telephone from 11:20 am to 11:21 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 018-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 18-5

Date: January 3, 1972
Time: 11:20 am - 11:21 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Jody Smith.

[See Conversation No. 642-27A]

     Congratulations on inauguration as youngest mayor in the nation

     Part-time work
           -Bus driving
           -Referee work
                -The President's background
           -Father's garage
                -The President’s background

     Delegate to Republican convention
          -Support for the President
                -San Diego

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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. President, Mayor Jody Smith for you.
Hello.
There you are.
Hello.
Hello.
Mr. Mayor?
Yes.
I just want to congratulate you on the day of your inauguration.
Thank you.
And as the youngest mayor in the country, winning on a very exciting campaign, I'm
i'm sure that you're going to do a fine job i mean your town isn't one of the largest but it has all the problems i'm sure that other towns have and at least this is the beginning i just wish you the very best well i'm trying and
I want you to know that I support what you've been trying to do for the country.
Well, I appreciate it.
I understand that you work part-time as a bus driver, right?
Yes, and I referee basketball and baseball.
Did you play basketball and baseball, too?
No, I'm too clumsy.
Yeah, well, so am I. I never made the team.
And you worked in your father's garage.
Yes.
Well, I worked in a service station, my father's service station, so we have something in common.
Yes.
And it won't do you a bit of harm.
It'll teach you what people are thinking.
Right.
Well, I just wish you the very best, and when you take your oath, you can tell them that I sent my congratulations, will you?
And I hope that I will be able to see you if you are a candidate again next year at the Republican National Convention.
I'm going to try to be a delegate from the state of Iowa.
I see.
I see.
Well, I'll sure look forward to it.
Well, you don't have to be a delegate to come.
You come anyway.
San Diego's a nice place at that time of year.
Well, I'd like to be a delegate.
I see.
Right.
Well, good luck to you.
Thank you.

Also recorded on January 3, 1972

  • 642-023 11:00 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:00 am to 11:08 am.
  • 018-004 11:08 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:08 am and 11:09 am.
  • 642-024 11:08 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:08 am and 11:09 am.
  • 642-025 11:08 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:08 am and 11:09 am.
  • 642-026 11:09 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:09 am to 11:15 am.
  • 642-027 11:15 AM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Clark MacGregor, Jody Smith, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:15 am to 11:42 am.
  • 018-006 11:42 AM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 12:05 pm.
  • 642-029 11:42 AM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Manolo Sanchez, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:42 am to 12:05 pm.

All 84 conversations from January 3, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 018-005, January 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417192107). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/018-005 (accessed November 4, 2026).