Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 14 › Conversation 014-008

Nixon phone call with Conte on birthday greetings and presidential outreach

Tuesday, November 9, 1971 · 4:31 PM–4:32 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Conte, Silvio O.Conversation014-008 on Tape 14 (tape position 00:03:00–00:03:35)StartTuesday, November 9, 1971 at 4:31 PMEndTuesday, November 9, 1971 at 4:32 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 014-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated this brief call to Congressman Silvio O. Conte to offer personal birthday greetings as Conte turned 50. The two engaged in lighthearted banter regarding the significance of the milestone, with the President offering advice on aging and encouraging the Congressman to enjoy the evening with his family. The conversation served as a gesture of political courtesy and goodwill between the President and a member of Congress.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Mr. President, the phone was busy there, but I had them break in and they're getting them to the telephone for you now, sir.
Hello?
Mr. President, I have Congressman Conte for you.
Hello?
Hello, Mr. President.
Silvio, I couldn't let anybody reach that watershed year of 50 without saying happy birthday to you.
You're wonderful.
My gosh, that's something.
This is a very traumatic...
I tell you, it is, it is, but just forget it, you know.
When you get to be 58, you'll look back and say, boy, I was really young when I was 50.
Oh, you're wonderful.
Well, take care and tell all your family when you get home that I told you to take the night off.
Thank you very, very much, Mr. President.
I really appreciate it.
Okay, bye.
It's going to make my day.

NARA Description

On November 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Silvio O. Conte talked on the telephone from 4:31 pm to 4:32 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 014-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 14-8

Date: November 9, 1971
Time: 4:31 pm - 4:32 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Silvia O. Conte

The President talked with Conte.

[See Conversation No. 300-44]

     Conte's birthday

Also recorded on November 9, 1971

  • 014-006 4:24 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:24 pm.
  • 014-007 4:24 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:24 pm and 4:31 pm.
  • 300-040 4:24 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 4:24 pm.
  • 300-041 4:24 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:24 pm and 4:31 pm.
  • 300-042 4:24 PM · 13 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 4:24 pm and 4:31 pm.
  • 300-043 4:24 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:24 pm and 4:31 pm.
  • 300-044 4:31 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Silvio O. Conte met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:31 pm to 4:32 pm.
  • 300-045 4:36 PM · 29 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:36 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 40 conversations from November 9, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 014-008, November 9, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-008 (accessed September 30, 2026).