Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-019

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Personal correspondence

Wednesday, May 12, 1971 · 4:17 PM–4:24 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; [Unknown person(s)]Conversation003-019 on Tape 3 (tape position 00:23:38–00:24:42)StartWednesday, May 12, 1971 at 4:17 PMEndWednesday, May 12, 1971 at 4:24 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated a call to the White House operator to facilitate a conversation with First Lady Pat Nixon. Following this, he briefly conferred with an unknown individual to express his appreciation for their efforts. The dialogue concluded with formal acknowledgments of gratitude, though the substantive details of the discussion remain largely inaudible or missing from the record.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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That's an excellent place Thank you Thank you

Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 12, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:17 pm and 4:24 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 003-019

Date: May 12, 1971
Time: Unknown between 4:17 pm and 4:24 pm
Location: White House Telephone

          Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

The President talked with the White House operator; other White House operators can be heard
in the background.

     Call to Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

[Pause]

The President conferred with an unknown person at an unknown time.

     President's appreciation

[Pause]

Also recorded on May 12, 1971

003-017 4:10 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 4:17 pm.
003-018 4:17 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:17 pm.
003-020 4:24 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:24 pm.
003-021 4:24 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:24 pm and 4:30 pm.
003-022 4:24 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:24 pm and 4:30 pm.
499-001 4:29 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, David M. Kennedy, and Peter G. Peterson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:29 pm and 5:27 pm.
003-023 4:30 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford talked on the telephone from 4:30 pm to 4:32 pm.
003-024 4:32 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:32 pm and 5:28 pm.

All 37 conversations from May 12, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 003-019, May 12, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-019 (accessed October 6, 2026).