Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 2 › Conversation 002-022

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on John W. Dean III

Wednesday, April 21, 1971 · 1:00 PM–1:13 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation002-022 on Tape 2 (tape position 00:35:15–00:35:24)StartWednesday, April 21, 1971 at 1:00 PMEndWednesday, April 21, 1971 at 1:13 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 002-022 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place a telephone call to White House Counsel John W. Dean, III. This brief exchange served exclusively as a logistical step to connect the President with his legal advisor. No substantive policy matters or decisions were discussed during this initial administrative interaction.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yes, please.
Mr. Dean, John Dean.
Yes, sir.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On April 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:13 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 002-022 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 2-22

Date: April 21, 1971
Time: Unknown between 1:00 pm and 1:13 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 484-13A]

     Call to John W. Dean, III

Also recorded on April 21, 1971

  • 484-006 12:27 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:27 pm.
  • 484-007 12:27 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:27 pm to 12:29 pm.
  • 484-008 12:30 PM · 5 min — Richard A. Moore, James M. Hannan, Thomas E. Morris, J. Paull Marshall, George T. Bell, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:30 pm to 12:34 pm.
  • 484-009 12:34 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:34 pm.
  • 484-010 12:35 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Richard A. Moore, Antonina Uccello, Mary Lou Grier, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:35 pm to 12:46 pm.
  • 484-013 12:50 PM · 51 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and John W. Dean, III met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:50 pm to 1:43 pm.
  • 002-023 1:12 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John W. Dean, III talked on the telephone from 1:12 pm to 1:13 pm.
  • 042-062 1:43 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 2:31 pm.

All 46 conversations from April 21, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 002-022, April 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-022 (accessed October 12, 2026).