Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 14 › Conversation 014-055

Nixon phone call with Colson on Economic policy and Retail sales

Thursday, November 11, 1971 · 5:50 PM–6:11 PM ET · White House Telephone · 36 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation014-055 on Tape 14 (tape position 01:45:34–01:46:11)StartThursday, November 11, 1971 at 5:50 PMEndThursday, November 11, 1971 at 6:11 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 014-055 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed Charles W. Colson to coordinate with speechwriter William Safire to draft a brief summary highlighting positive economic indicators. The President specifically requested that the document emphasize recent growth in retail sales to support potential upcoming public statements. Colson committed to delivering the prepared material to the President by the following morning.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Yes, sir.
Would you get together with Bill Sapphire and get me a page about the, or half a page, which he's prepared some stuff for me in case I do something tomorrow.
I mean, or the next day, with regard to positive things about the economy.
Retail sales are 6 points or so.
Bill will know how to write it.
I'll get that to him right away.
Give him the best possible figures, and I don't need it until tomorrow morning.
Okay?
I'll have it done, sir.
All right.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On November 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 014-055 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 14-55

Date: November 11, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 298-38]

     Colson's schedule
          -William L. Safire
                -National economy

Also recorded on November 11, 1971

  • 014-054 5:50 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm.
  • 014-056 5:50 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm.
  • 298-036 5:50 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm.
  • 298-037 5:50 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 an unknown time between 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm.
  • 298-038 5:50 PM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm.
  • 298-039 5:50 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm.
  • 298-040 5:50 PM · 15 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 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm.
  • 298-041 5:50 PM · 4 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 5:50 pm and 6:11 pm.

All 91 conversations from November 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 014-055, November 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-055 (accessed September 30, 2026).