Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 9 › Conversation 009-081

Nixon phone call with Wiggins on Condolences and Rose Hills Memorial Park

Saturday, September 18, 1971 · 11:05 AM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Wiggins, Charles E.Conversation009-081 on Tape 9 (tape position 02:15:14–02:16:40)StartSaturday, September 18, 1971 at 11:05 AMEndSaturday, September 18, 1971 at 11:05 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 009-081 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated this phone call to express his personal condolences to Representative Charles E. Wiggins following the recent death of Wiggins' wife. The two discussed the long-term illness leading to her passing and the upcoming funeral services scheduled at Rose Hills Memorial Park. Nixon noted that the location held personal significance, as several members of his own family are also interred there.

  • Charles E. Wiggins
  • Condolences
  • Rose Hills Memorial Park
  • Personal bereavement

Audio

Download MP3 · 1.9 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Yes, sir.
Mr. Wiggins.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Ready.
Chuck.
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
Well, as your old neighbor and so forth, I want you to know that Pat and I were deeply distressed to learn about your wife.
I didn't know that actually that she'd been sick.
Yes, she had been suffering from this condition for about four years.
About four years.
You see, we have...
Yeah, we, of course, have seen you around and so forth, and I just haven't kept track of the family as well as I should.
Well, it's a sad thing.
Right.
Well, I suppose under the circumstances, it's just, well, you know, we have to never think of this, but it's well that it's now over.
Yes, it is.
Because she must have had a terrible problem in that period of time.
Well, we're the family, my two boys and I, and her mother is here flying up.
Right, right.
And the services will be on Tuesday and Wednesday here at Rose Hill.
Rose Hills, right.
That ought to be familiar to you, sir.
Yes, yes, my mother and my father and two brothers.
Oh, is that so?
Yep, all at Rose Hills.
And Pat's father there is, too.
I got it.
Well, anyway, Chuck, we wish you well, and you express your two boys to our sympathy.
Okay.
I most appreciate your call.
Bye, Chuck.
Thank you.
Bye.

NARA Description

On September 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles E. Wiggins talked on the telephone at 11:05 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 009-081 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 9-81

Date: September 18, 1971
Time: 11:05 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 576-6B]

     Charles E. Wiggins

The President talked with Wiggins between 11:05 am and 11:07 am.

     Wiggins’ wife
         -Condolences of President and Mrs. Nixon
         -Family members
         -Funeral
               -Whittier, California
                    -The President's family

Also recorded on September 18, 1971

  • 009-074 10:01 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:01 am.
  • 009-076 10:05 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:05 am.
  • 009-077 10:05 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:05 am.
  • 009-078 10:05 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:05 am and 10:39 am.
  • 576-005 10:05 AM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:05 am to 10:40 am.
  • 009-079 10:39 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 10:39 am to 10:40 am.
  • 576-006 10:40 AM · 3 hr 22 min — Stephen B. Bull, John N. Mitchell, Henry A. Kissinger, President Richard M. Nixon, Roger H. Zion, Charles E. Wiggins, Howard Russell, Ronald L. Ziegler, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:40 am to 2:05 pm.
  • 009-080 10:51 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Roger H. Zion talked on the telephone from 10:51 am to 10:54 am.

All 18 conversations from September 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 009-081, September 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/009-081 (accessed October 12, 2026).