Thelma C. "Pat" Ryan Nixon served as the First Lady of the United States throughout her husband Richard Nixon's presidency from January 1969 to August 1974. During the White House taping period, she played a highly visible public role, most notably accompanying the President on his historic 1972 diplomatic trips to the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union, where she served as an effective ambassador of goodwill. As First Lady, she also championed volunteerism and oversaw a major campaign to acquire historic art and furnishings for the White House collection.

On February 1, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:03 am and 10:35 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 846-003 of the White House Tapes.
President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 3:43 pm on February 2, 1973 and 3:30 pm on February 3, 1973. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 241-006 of the White House Tapes.
President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 2:45 pm on February 3, 1973 and 8:34 pm on February 4, 1973. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 242-002 of the White House Tapes.
President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 2:45 pm on February 3, 1973 and 8:34 pm on February 4, 1973. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 242-004 of the White House Tapes.
President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 2:45 pm on February 3, 1973 and 8:34 pm on February 4, 1973. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 242-006 of the White House Tapes.
Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 2:45 pm on February 3, 1973 and 8:34 pm on February 4, 1973. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 242-005 of the White House Tapes.
On February 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 4:54 pm to 4:56 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-099 of the White House Tapes.
On February 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 6:20 pm to 6:21 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-102 of the White House Tapes.
On February 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 9:58 am to 9:59 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-163 of the White House Tapes.
On February 23, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 12:32 pm to 12:33 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-182 of the White House Tapes.
On February 23, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:32 pm to 12:33 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 862-013 of the White House Tapes.
Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:18 pm on February 23, 1973 and 8:55 am on February 24, 1973. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 243-015 of the White House Tapes.
On February 24, 1973, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, unknown person(s), President Richard M. Nixon, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:56 am and 1:36 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 243-006 of the White House Tapes.
On February 24, 1973, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:16 pm and 9:17 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 243-014 of the White House Tapes.
On February 26, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at 5:36 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-198 of the White House Tapes.
On February 26, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:36 pm to 5:37 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 413-032 of the White House Tapes.
On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Rebecca Jane Dalton Weinberger, James H. Cavanaugh, Peter Yu, Richard Ross, Kemmons Wilson, William W. Moore, and Jack P. Segal met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 12:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 867-009 of the White House Tapes.
On March 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:52 pm to 5:43 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 410-033 of the White House Tapes.
On March 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:20 pm to 6:21 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 410-035 of the White House Tapes.
On March 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, unknown person(s), Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, William Warnack, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:28 pm to 12:47 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 882-010 of the White House Tapes.
On March 28, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:34 pm to 12:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 425-008 of the White House Tapes.
On April 11, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Jack Pardee, Phyllis Lane (Perryman) Pardee, Charles R. Ebersol, Mary D. Ebersol, Lane W. Adams, Mrs. Lane W. Adams, Irving I. Rimer, Steve Barrie, Minnie Pearl, Henry Cannon, James H. Cavanaugh, White House photographer, and members of the press met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:05 pm to 3:15 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 893-019 of the White House Tapes.
On April 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 4:58 pm to 4:59 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-029 of the White House Tapes.
On April 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:58 pm to 4:59 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 428-027 of the White House Tapes.
On April 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:59 am to 10:00 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 898-007 of the White House Tapes.
On April 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:54 pm and 11:04 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-056 of the White House Tapes.
On May 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 3:53 pm to 3:54 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-100 of the White House Tapes.
On May 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:53 pm to 3:54 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 438-018 of the White House Tapes.
On May 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at 5:25 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-130 of the White House Tapes.
On May 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 5:25 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 439-024 of the White House Tapes.
Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Camp David operator, and Lucy A. Winchester talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:01 am on June 2, 1973 and 3:33 pm on June 3, 1973. The Camp David Study Desk taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 185-001 of the White House Tapes.
On June 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:03 pm and 6:08 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 040-119 of the White House Tapes.
On June 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:03 pm to 6:04 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 446-009 of the White House Tapes.
On July 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, Stephen B. Bull, William P. Rogers, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:11 pm to 6:45 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 947-020 of the White House Tapes.
On July 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 6:12 pm to 6:13 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 041-052 of the White House Tapes.
On July 12, 1973, White House operator, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:07 pm and 7:50 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 041-064 of the White House Tapes.