Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-099

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on John A. Scali

Thursday, May 20, 1971 · 7:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 20 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation003-099 on Tape 3 (tape position 01:57:53–01:58:15)StartThursday, May 20, 1971 at 7:52 PMEndThursday, May 20, 1971 at 7:52 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-099 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place an outgoing call to journalist and television correspondent John A. Scali. The brief interaction served as a logistical arrangement to establish communication with Scali. No substantive policy matters were discussed during this request for a return call.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Try to reach in there, yes please.
Hello?

NARA Description

On May 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-099 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 003-099

Date: May 20, 1971
Time: 7:52 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

     John A. Scali
          -Location
          -Return call

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

Also recorded on May 20, 1971

  • 003-095 3:57 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:57 pm and 7:46 pm.
  • 502-021 3:58 PM · 19 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:58 pm and 9:43 pm.
  • 003-096 7:46 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:46 pm.
  • 003-097 7:46 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Herbert G. Klein talked on the telephone from 7:46 pm to 7:50 pm.
  • 003-098 7:50 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:50 pm and 7:52 pm.
  • 003-100 7:53 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:53 pm.
  • 003-101 7:53 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:53 pm and 7:59 pm.
  • 003-102 7:59 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 7:59 pm to 8:00 pm.

All 48 conversations from May 20, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 003-099, May 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-099 (accessed October 12, 2026).