Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 1 › Conversation 001-049

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Thomas F. Murphy

Thursday, April 8, 1971 · 5:23 PM–5:28 PM ET · White House Telephone · 12 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation001-049 on Tape 1 (tape position 01:51:00–01:51:15)StartThursday, April 8, 1971 at 5:23 PMEndThursday, April 8, 1971 at 5:28 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 001-049 ↗

President Nixon consulted with the White House operator regarding an unsuccessful attempt to reach Judge Thomas F. Murphy by telephone. The operator reported that neither the judge's chambers nor his unpublished home number were answering. Nixon decided to discontinue the attempts for the evening and rescheduled the effort for the following day.

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Hello.
Mr. Crescent, on that call to Judge Murphy, I'm not getting an answer at his chambers, and he had an unpublished number.
That's why it took so long, and they're not answering there.
Can I keep after it this evening for you?
I'll try it tomorrow.
All right, fine.

On April 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:23 pm and 5:28 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-049 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 1-49

Date: April 8, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:23 pm and 5:28 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

     Judge Thomas F. Murphy's location
  • 001-047 3:03 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:03 pm and 3:55 pm.
  • 475-022 3:03 PM · 50 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:03 pm to 3:55 pm.
  • 475-023 3:56 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Douglas MacArthur, II, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:56 pm to 4:21 pm.
  • 475-024 4:23 PM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Keith J. Holyoake, Emil ("Bus") Mosbacher, Jr., White House photographer, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:23 pm to 4:59 pm.
  • 052-005 4:30 PM · 3 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 4:30 pm and 7:13 pm.
  • 475-025 4:59 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 5:13 pm.
  • 475-026 4:59 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 5:23 pm.
  • 001-048 5:23 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:23 pm and 5:28 pm.

Conversation 001-049, April 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-049 (accessed October 24, 2026).