Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 6 › Conversation 006-097

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Diplomatic gifts

Friday, July 2, 1971 · 4:27 PM–4:29 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan)Conversation006-097 on Tape 6 (tape position 02:01:32–02:02:36)StartFriday, July 2, 1971 at 4:27 PMEndFriday, July 2, 1971 at 4:29 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 006-097 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon discussed appropriate diplomatic gift exchanges for Consuelo Juan Velasco following an unexpected gift they received from her. The couple debated sending a Boehm bird and cufflinks, ultimately deciding to coordinate with Stephen B. Bull to have these items delivered via the Peruvian ambassador. They prioritized this gesture despite the State Department's classification of the interaction as a non-state visit.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Hi, Dick.
I wondered if you'd take everything.
I didn't get the check.
I didn't realize they were going to give us a gift.
Did we give them anything?
No, but the minute I got upstairs, I thought we'd send a bean bird.
You'd send them a bird, but yeah, for the two or about?
Well, I don't know what we have of yours that we could send.
We don't have anything around here, and apparently the State Department is playing this as if it isn't a state visit.
Well, it doesn't make any difference.
Give them a bean bird.
And I'll tell you another thing.
Those little trinkets for the kids are good things to send them.
You know?
Yeah, but their children are grown.
What the hell?
Give them cufflinks.
They love them.
Mm-hmm.
Just a little, I mean, let Steve Bull make up, just get the names of the children.
He can make up.
Well, she's leaving, you know.
Yeah, well, he could do it this afternoon, though, if you want.
But anyway.
Okay.
We can mail it.
Mail it.
We can have they send it to the ambassador and have him take them by.
Mm-hmm.
It's a nice thought.
Okay.
Okay.

NARA Description

On July 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 4:27 pm to 4:29 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 006-097 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 6-97

Date: July 2, 1971
Time: 4:27 pm - 4:29 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon.

[See Conversation No. 260-12]

     Exchange of foreign gifts with Consuelo Juan Velasco
         -Boehm bird
         -Cuff links

          -Stephen B. Bull
          -Ambassador of Peru

Also recorded on July 2, 1971

  • 006-095 4:23 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 4:23 pm to 4:25 pm.
  • 260-009 4:23 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 4:23 pm.
  • 260-011 4:25 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:25 pm and 4:27 pm.
  • 006-096 4:26 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:26 pm.
  • 260-012 4:27 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:27 pm to 4:29 pm.
  • 006-098 4:29 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:29 pm and 5:24 pm.
  • 260-013 4:29 PM · 39 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:29 pm and 5:24 pm.
  • 260-014 4:29 PM · 53 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:29 pm and 5:24 pm.

All 78 conversations from July 2, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 006-097, July 2, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/006-097 (accessed October 23, 2026).