Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 12 › Conversation 012-054

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Rose Mary Woods

Thursday, October 21, 1971 · 6:24 PM–6:36 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation012-054 on Tape 12 (tape position 01:29:20–01:29:26)StartThursday, October 21, 1971 at 6:24 PMEndThursday, October 21, 1971 at 6:36 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 012-054 ↗

President Nixon initiates a request for the White House operator to place a telephone call to his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods. The conversation serves solely as an administrative coordination to facilitate direct communication with a key staff member. No further substantive policy matters were discussed during this brief exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yes, please.
Swords, please.
Yes, Mr. President.

On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:24 pm and 6:36 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-054 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 012-054

Date: October 21, 1971
Time: Unknown between 6:24 pm and 6:36 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 281-60]

     Request for call to Rose Mary Woods
  • 012-053 6:08 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 6:08 pm to 6:24 pm.
  • 281-058 6:08 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:08 pm to 6:24 pm.
  • 281-059 6:24 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:24 pm and 6:36 pm.
  • 281-060 6:24 PM · 22 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 6:24 pm and 6:36 pm.
  • 012-055 6:36 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 6:36 pm to 6:37 pm.
  • 281-061 6:36 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:36 pm to 6:37 pm.
  • 281-062 6:37 PM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:37 pm and 6:44 pm.
  • 012-056 6:44 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 6:44 pm to 6:45 pm.

Conversation 012-054, October 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/012-054 (accessed September 28, 2026).