Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-056

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on John D. Ehrlichman

Monday, May 17, 1971 · 7:34 PM ET · White House Telephone · 13 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation003-056 on Tape 3 (tape position 01:03:27–01:03:41)StartMonday, May 17, 1971 at 7:34 PMEndMonday, May 17, 1971 at 7:34 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-056 ↗

President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to determine the whereabouts of John D. Ehrlichman. The President confirmed he had already spoken with George P. Shultz regarding his inquiries. The exchange served as a brief administrative coordination effort to facilitate further executive communications.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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No, I talked to Mr. Schultz.

On May 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-056 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 003-056

Date: May 17, 1971
Time: 7:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

     John D. Ehrlichman's location

     Call to George P. Shultz

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
  • 003-053 6:37 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:37 pm and 7:29 pm.
  • 003-054 7:29 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:29 pm to 7:30 pm.
  • 003-055 7:30 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:30 pm and 7:34 pm.
  • 003-057 7:35 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 7:35 pm to 7:40 pm.

Conversation 003-056, May 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-056 (accessed September 28, 2026).