Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 16 › Conversation 016-008
Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Charles W. Colson
Sunday, December 5, 1971 · 8:03 PM–8:12 PM ET · White House Telephone ·7 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon initiates a brief telephone request for the White House operator to connect him with Charles W. Colson. The interaction serves exclusively as an administrative instruction to facilitate communication with a key staff member. No substantive political or policy discussions occur during this short exchange.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On December 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:03 pm and 8:12 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 16-8
Date: December 5, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:03 pm and 8:12 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with the White House operator.
Request for a call to Charles W. ColsonAlso recorded on December 6, 1971
- 016-002 7:31 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone from 7:31 pm to 7:39 pm.
- 016-003 7:39 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:39 pm and 7:50 pm.
- 016-004 7:50 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Strom Thurmond talked on the telephone from 7:50 pm to 7:52 pm.
- 016-005 7:52 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:52 pm and 7:56 pm.
- 016-006 7:56 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 7:56 pm to 8:03 pm.
- 016-007 8:03 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:03 pm and 8:12 pm.
- 016-009 8:03 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:03 pm and 8:12 pm.
- 016-010 8:12 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:12 pm to 8:28 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 016-008, December 6, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-008 (accessed September 18, 2026).