Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 15 › Conversation 015-116

Nixon phone call with Kaplow on Condolences and Presidential travel

Tuesday, November 23, 1971 · 12:30 PM–12:34 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Kaplow, Herbert E.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Kaplow, Herbert E.Conversation015-116 on Tape 15 (tape position 03:38:04–03:39:48)StartTuesday, November 23, 1971 at 12:30 PMEndTuesday, November 23, 1971 at 12:34 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 015-116 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted Herbert E. Kaplow’s wife to express his and the First Lady’s condolences following the recent death of Kaplow’s father. Beyond the personal expressions of sympathy, Nixon briefly discussed the scheduling logistics for his upcoming trip to San Clemente, California. He noted that the timing remained fluid due to ongoing Senate business but suggested that the trip would likely occur late the following day or on Thursday.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello.

I have Mrs. Kaplan, Mr. President.

Thank you.

Hello.

Hello, Mr. President.

Yes.

The other day when I didn't see Herb down there in Miami,

I was asking Jerry Warren, and he told me about your father's death.

And I just wanted to know that Mrs. Nixon and I extend our deepest sympathy.

Well, I certainly do thank you.

I know, of course, he was sick for a long time, and that's a very...

It's just one of those diseases that...

Long, and there seems to be no answer to.

Well, he used to be at the airport when you would come through.

My mother and he both would always be out.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, he had a good life, and he must have been very proud of her being on television all the time and everything.

But anyway, I hope that you, that does Herb want to take you to California with him this next trip?

I hope so, yes, we are planning that now.

I quite didn't know when.

We don't know when we'll go yet, but because, well, it's the Senate, you see.

Right, yes, I understand.

But it could be late tomorrow sometime, so you ought to be ready any time.

Well, thank you.

Well, I'm glad you thought of it until Thursday.

Well, late tomorrow or Thursday, it'll be one of the two, but I met with the Senators this morning, and they know, but so...

Ziegler will try to fill them in, but I think it'll be late tomorrow or Thursday, one of the two times.

Thank you so very much.

We wish you well and hope the weather's good out there for you.

We had a little snow today.

Things are going better.

I hope it's good in California.

I hope we don't get the snow there.

That's right.

Blame it on me.

There'll never be any snow in San Clemente.

I love it there so much.

Okay.

Thank you so much, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On November 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Herbert E. Kaplow talked on the telephone from 12:30 pm to 12:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 015-116 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 15-116
Date: November 23, 1971
Time: 12:30 pm - 12:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Mrs. Herbert E. Kaplow

The President talked with Kaplow.

[See also Conversation No. 623-7B]

     Expression of sympathy on father's death
          -Gerald L. Warren
          -Illness
          -Life
                -The President

     The President's schedule
          -Trip to California
                -Kaplow
                -Time
                -Senate
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
                -Weather
                      -San Clemente

Also recorded on November 23, 1971

015-112 11:47 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:47 am and 11:56 am.
015-113 11:47 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:47 am and 11:56 am.
623-006 11:47 AM · 27 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Chalmers P. Wylie met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:47 am to 12:20 pm.
015-114 11:56 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 11:56 am to 11:58 am.
015-115 12:20 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:20 pm and 12:30 pm.
623-007 12:20 PM · 17 min — Rose Mary Woods, unknown person(s), White House operator, Manolo Sanchez, and Herbert E. Kaplow met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:20 pm and 12:34 pm.
623-008 12:34 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:34 pm and 1:13 pm.
623-009 1:13 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:13 pm and 1:18 pm.

All 49 conversations from November 23, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 015-116, November 23, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/015-116 (accessed October 1, 2026).