Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-057
Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Charles W. Colson
Wednesday, December 8, 1971 · 3:44 PM–3:46 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon contacted the White House operator to facilitate an urgent communication. The primary purpose of this brief exchange was to initiate a telephone call to Charles W. Colson. No substantive policy discussions occurred during this transition, as the interaction served solely as a logistical step to reach the requested staff member.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available yet for this conversation. The recording may contain no audible speech, or it may not have been processed.
NARA Description
On December 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-057 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 16-57
Date: December 8, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with the White House operator.
[See Conversation No. 307-23]
Request for a call to Charles W. ColsonAlso recorded on December 8, 1971
- 016-055 3:40 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Arthur S. Flemming talked on the telephone from 3:40 pm to 3:42 pm.
- 016-056 3:43 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 3:43 pm to 3:44 pm.
- 307-021 3:43 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:43 pm to 3:44 pm.
- 307-022 3:44 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm.
- 307-023 3:44 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 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm.
- 307-024 3:44 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:44 pm to 3:46 pm.
- 016-058 3:46 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:46 pm to 3:55 pm.
- 307-025 3:46 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:46 pm to 3:55 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 016-057, 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/016-057 (accessed October 12, 2026).