Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-075

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on SALT and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks

Wednesday, May 19, 1971 · 7:55 PM–7:56 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation003-075 on Tape 3 (tape position 01:37:41–01:39:05)StartWednesday, May 19, 1971 at 7:55 PMEndWednesday, May 19, 1971 at 7:56 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-075 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed Henry Kissinger to organize an informal cocktail reception for Gerard C. Smith and the SALT delegation before their return to Vienna for further negotiations. While Kissinger initially expressed concern that the event might signal a loosening of oversight on the negotiators, Nixon clarified that the gathering was strictly social in nature. The President finalized plans to host the event in the State Dining Room, including the invitation of William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, and Admiral Thomas H. Moorer.

Audio

Download MP3 · 1.4 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Henry, I think you should go forward and invite Jerry Smith and the other members of the delegation to a cocktail at 6 o'clock tomorrow night.
Okay.
And, well, of course, I'll have Rogers and Laird there, too.
Can you tell me if it's a good idea?
Well, I frankly... No, this is a private thing.
No, but the only thing that worries me, Mr. President, is, and I'll tell you frankly what my concern is, these guys...
we've been sitting on them up to now and holding them on a very close range.
Now suddenly the floodgates are open, and I'm afraid they're going to think they have license to run wild in the negotiations.
But is it purely social and it's nothing?
No, no, it's purely social.
We'll just have a drink and thank them all and their wives, invite their wives to, you know, just stand around and thank them all before they go back to Vienna for these very important negotiations.
Okay.
That's what I mean, on that basis.
I think that's a good thing.
And call Haldeman, have him ask Bill if he could come, and naturally Laird and Moore should come, too.
We'll get those invitations.
Where is it, in your office or in your residence?
Oh, we'll have it at the residence.
We'll have it at the state dining room.
Right.
We'll get it done immediately.

NARA Description

On May 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:55 pm to 7:56 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-075 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 003-075

Date: May 19, 1971
Time: 7:55 pm - 7:56 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger; background noise can be heard in the original
recording.

     President's schedule
          -A cocktail party, May 20, 1971
                 -Gerard C. Smith and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] delegation
                 -William P. Rogers
                 -Melvin R. Laird

     Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]

     President's schedule
          -A cocktail party
                 -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] delegates and wives
                 -Invitations
                       -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                       -Rogers
                       -Laird
                       -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
                 -Location

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

Also recorded on May 19, 1971

  • 003-069 6:11 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 6:11 pm to 6:15 pm.
  • 003-070 6:16 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:16 pm and 7:44 pm.
  • 003-071 7:44 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at 7:44 pm.
  • 003-072 7:47 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:47 pm and 7:48 pm.
  • 003-073 7:48 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:48 pm to 7:50 pm.
  • 003-074 7:50 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:50 pm and 7:55 pm.
  • 003-076 7:56 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:56 pm and 7:58 pm.
  • 003-077 7:58 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 7:58 pm to 7:59 pm.

All 48 conversations from May 19, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 003-075, May 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-075 (accessed October 23, 2026).