Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-046

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on George H.W. Bush

Wednesday, December 8, 1971 · 10:55 AM–11:03 AM ET · White House Telephone · 7 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation016-046 on Tape 16 (tape position 01:29:21–01:29:27)StartWednesday, December 8, 1971 at 10:55 AMEndWednesday, December 8, 1971 at 11:03 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-046 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the White House operator to request a telephone connection with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations George H.W. Bush. The communication was strictly administrative, serving as a directive to initiate a conversation with the Ambassador in New York. No further policy discussions or substantive developments occurred during this brief interaction.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Could you get me Ambassador George Bush in New York, please?
Yes, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On December 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 11:03 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-046 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-46

Date: December 8, 1971
Time: Unknown between 10:55 am and 11:03 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 632-8]

     Request for a call to George H.W. Bush

Also recorded on December 8, 1971

  • 632-005 10:50 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:50 am and 10:52 am.
  • 016-044 10:52 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 10:52 am to 10:55 am.
  • 632-006 10:52 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:52 am to 10:55 am.
  • 016-045 10:55 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 11:03 am.
  • 632-007 10:55 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 11:03 am.
  • 632-008 10:55 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 11:03 am.
  • 016-047 11:03 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 11:03 am to 11:05 am.
  • 632-009 11:03 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:03 am to 11:05 am.

All 76 conversations from December 8, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-046, December 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-046 (accessed October 12, 2026).