Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-004

Nixon phone call with Thurmond on White House scheduling and Public relations

Sunday, December 5, 1971 · 7:50 PM–7:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Thurmond, StromConversation016-004 on Tape 16 (tape position 00:09:21–00:11:04)StartSunday, December 5, 1971 at 7:50 PMEndSunday, December 5, 1971 at 7:52 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon called Senator Strom Thurmond to extend birthday greetings and invite the Senator and his wife, Nancy, to visit the Oval Office. During the call, they arranged a photo opportunity to include the First Lady, Pat Nixon, at the White House. The participants agreed to schedule the visit and the photograph for the following Tuesday at noon.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello?
Hello?
Strom, I just called to wish you a happy birthday.
And I hope you and Nancy are having a nice day there and everything.
Is that right?
Listen, you tell you to do you.
You bring her down to the office sometime because while I'm here, I want to be sure she comes in.
So she's been in the president's office.
You do that now.
What are you doing?
Sometime, I thought if you wouldn't mind, if you'd possibly get a picture with you, I'd like to have it.
Well.
I don't know when that should be done.
Maybe after the election.
The heck with after election.
What do you mean?
You do it before.
It isn't going to do anybody any good afterwards.
Well.
Could you just bring the baby and you and Nancy come in?
All right.
I'm in with it, too.
How about Tuesday or maybe Tuesday or Wednesday sometime this week.
All right.
Just come right in.
And I'll try to get Pat over.
Pat's going to be up.
She's going up tomorrow to John McCormick's wife's funeral.
But then we get Pat in and you.
And around noon time's a good time.
Around 12 o'clock Tuesday.
Around 12 o'clock.
How's that sound to you?
That'll be fine.
It's also lovely to do it.
No, I think it's a great idea.
I realize I did you all, but I would like to have a picture of you.
Oh, don't worry.
I'll do either one.
And I'll see that I'll get Pat over there at the same time strong.
Okay.
Many happy returns.
Bye.

NARA Description

On December 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Strom Thurmond talked on the telephone from 7:50 pm to 7:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-4

Date: December 5, 1971
Time: 7:50 pm - 7:52 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Strom Thurmond.

     Birthday greetings to Thurmond
          -Nancy Thurmond
                -Possible visit to the President

          -Possible picture of Thurmond with the President
               -Schedule
                     -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                           -Harriet McCormack Funeral
                                 -John W. McCormack
                     -Date
                     -Mrs. Nixon

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-004, December 5, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-004 (accessed October 27, 2026).