Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-030

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Wilbur D. Mills

Wednesday, May 12, 1971 · 5:37 PM–5:41 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation003-030 on Tape 3 (tape position 00:32:32–00:32:40)StartWednesday, May 12, 1971 at 5:37 PMEndWednesday, May 12, 1971 at 5:41 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-030 ↗

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place a telephone call to Congressman Wilbur D. Mills of Arkansas. This administrative interaction served as the necessary bridge to facilitate a direct discussion between the President and the powerful Ways and Means Committee Chairman. No further substantive policy matters were discussed during this brief connection.

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Congressman Mills, please, of Arkansas.
Right, thank you Mr. President.

On May 12, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:37 pm and 5:41 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-030 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 003-030

Date: May 12, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:37 pm and 5:41 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 499-002D]

     Call to Wilbur D. Mills
  • 003-025 5:28 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:28 pm and 5:29 pm.
  • 003-026 5:29 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Leslie C. Arends talked on the telephone from 5:29 pm to 5:31 pm.
  • 003-027 5:32 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Frank T. Bow talked on the telephone from 5:32 pm to 5:33 pm.
  • 498-001 5:33 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Frank T. Bow, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, John B. Connally, and Wilbur D. Mills met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:33 pm and 6:03 pm.
  • 003-028 5:34 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Edward P. Boland talked on the telephone from 5:34 pm to 5:36 pm.
  • 003-031 5:37 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:37 pm and 5:41 pm.
  • 003-032 5:41 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 5:41 pm to 5:45 pm.
  • 003-033 5:45 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Wilbur D. Mills talked on the telephone from 5:45 pm to 5:48 pm.

Conversation 003-030, 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/003-030 (accessed September 28, 2026).