Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-021

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Gerald R. Ford

Wednesday, May 12, 1971 · 4:24 PM–4:30 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation003-021 on Tape 3 (tape position 00:24:52–00:25:01)StartWednesday, May 12, 1971 at 4:24 PMEndWednesday, May 12, 1971 at 4:30 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place a telephone call to Congressman Gerald R. Ford. This brief administrative interaction served as a logistical step to initiate a direct conversation between the President and the House Minority Leader. No further substantive policy matters were discussed during this brief request.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Congressman Ford, please.
Gerald Ford, right there.

NARA Description

On May 12, 1971, 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. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 003-021

Date: May 12, 1971

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

Time: Unknown between 4:24 pm and 4:30 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Call to Gerald R. Ford

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.
  • 003-019 4:17 PM · 1 min — 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.
  • 003-020 4:24 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:24 pm.
  • 003-022 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 003-021, 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/003-021 (accessed October 11, 2026).