{"conversationCode":"016-068","tapeNumber":16,"conversationNumber":68,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-016-068","startDateTime":"1971-12-09T16:33:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-12-09T16:35:00.000Z","startDate":"9-Dec-1971","startTime":"11:33 AM","endDate":"9-Dec-1971","endTime":"11:35 AM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Jonas, Charles R.;","description":"On December 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles R. Jonas talked on the telephone from 11:33 am to 11:35 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-068 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":2,"chronRelease":"Second Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"26-Oct-2000","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 16-68\n\nDate: December 9, 1971\nTime: 11:33 am - 11:35 am\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with Charles R. Jonas.\n\n[See Conversation No. 633-11A]\n\n     Birthday greetings to Jonas\n\n     Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon\n          -Harriet McCormack funeral\n               -Chet Holifield\n\n     Holifield\n          -President’s call\n                -Reorganization\n                -Birthday greetings\n\n     Jonas\n             Chowder and Marching Society\n\n     Willis Smith, Jr.\n          -Death\n                -[Forename unknown] Charles\n                -William F. (“Billy”) Graham\n                -Accident\n          -Mother\n                -President’s acquaintance\n          -President’s campaign\n                -Charles\n          -Family\n                -Possible letter and call from the President\n                       -Mrs. Willis Smith, Sr. [Anna Lee Smith]","filename":["016-068.mp3"],"tapeStart":"02:24:49","tapeEnd":"02:27:07","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Jonas, Charles R."],"prevCode":"016-067","nextCode":"016-069","transcript":[{"start":0.23,"end":0.79,"text":"Hello."},{"start":0.81,"end":2.48,"text":"Mr. President, Congressman Charles Jonas."},{"start":2.9,"end":3.12,"text":"Hello."},{"start":4.38,"end":4.76,"text":"Hello."},{"start":4.96,"end":5.26,"text":"Hello."},{"start":6.12,"end":12.59,"text":"I didn't want my old friend from North Carolina to get a day older without my congratulating you, Charlie."},{"start":13.59,"end":15.19,"text":"I bet you'd forgotten it was your birthday."},{"start":15.39,"end":18.02,"text":"Well, no, my friends don't let me forget."},{"start":18.04,"end":18.41,"text":"That's right."},{"start":18.43,"end":20.02,"text":"They don't pretend I'm getting older."},{"start":20.04,"end":27.83,"text":"You know, the other day, Pat had seen Chet Holyfield coming back from Ms. McCormick's funeral."},{"start":28.38,"end":38.52,"text":"And he had said that, you know, that he was, I had called him because, you know, he's an old friend from California and he's done some awfully good jobs for us in reorganization."},{"start":38.92,"end":40.07,"text":"So I called him on his birthday."},{"start":40.73,"end":47.08,"text":"And she said, you know, he said, the best thing, the nice thing, he said, even my wife had forgotten it was my birthday."},{"start":47.06,"end":50.99,"text":"So anyway, you're no older as far as I'm concerned."},{"start":51.01,"end":52.51,"text":"You're still a young childer and marcher."},{"start":52.83,"end":54.81,"text":"Well, wonderful for you."},{"start":54.83,"end":60.04,"text":"And I wish, I just want to be sure we've always got a Jonas in the Congress, and you know what I mean."},{"start":60.18,"end":61,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":61.02,"end":62.1,"text":"Or anything else, okay?"},{"start":62.12,"end":63.52,"text":"We had a great blow down there."},{"start":63.54,"end":65.72,"text":"You heard about Willie Smith Jr.'s death."},{"start":67,"end":67.77,"text":"No, what happened?"},{"start":67.81,"end":70.35,"text":"He and Charles, you know, were..."},{"start":70.37,"end":72.21,"text":"I know, I saw them at the Billy Graham thing."},{"start":73.63,"end":76.81,"text":"He was killed in an airplane crash Saturday."},{"start":77.02,"end":77.92,"text":"Oh, my God."},{"start":77.98,"end":79.42,"text":"Is his mother still living?"},{"start":79.58,"end":79.74,"text":"Yes."},{"start":80.66,"end":82.67,"text":"I'll give her a call."},{"start":82.77,"end":84.69,"text":"Well, he's his wife or his mother."},{"start":84.71,"end":85.93,"text":"Well, you knew his mother."},{"start":86.21,"end":86.83,"text":"I knew his mother."},{"start":86.87,"end":88.92,"text":"Well, of course, you knew Willis."},{"start":88.98,"end":90.44,"text":"Charles."},{"start":90.58,"end":93.77,"text":"Oh, well, that's your campaign."},{"start":93.85,"end":95.99,"text":"Oh, listen, he's a wonderful, wonderful boy."},{"start":96.05,"end":96.59,"text":"I just."},{"start":96.61,"end":96.71,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":96.69,"end":98.45,"text":"I guess I didn't hear it."},{"start":98.75,"end":102.52,"text":"I was gone over the weekend."},{"start":102.66,"end":103.44,"text":"I think a letter."},{"start":103.5,"end":106.36,"text":"Well, a letter for sure, but I'll also give him a call."},{"start":106.54,"end":107.66,"text":"Well, do that."},{"start":108.2,"end":110.55,"text":"But his wife, his mother is still living?"},{"start":110.83,"end":115.09,"text":"Yes, she's not well, but she is up and about in her home."},{"start":115.47,"end":116.19,"text":"But his wife is?"},{"start":116.27,"end":118.09,"text":"His wife is there, too."},{"start":118.11,"end":118.44,"text":"Okay."},{"start":118.45,"end":120.44,"text":"Now, that would be wonderful if you would do it."},{"start":120.46,"end":121.36,"text":"I know they would keep him there."},{"start":121.38,"end":122.64,"text":"Well, anyway."},{"start":122.68,"end":125.26,"text":"He went out on a limb, you know, for you."},{"start":125.48,"end":126.69,"text":"Oh, I know he did."},{"start":126.97,"end":127.55,"text":"I know he did."},{"start":127.85,"end":128.51,"text":"Yeah, yeah."},{"start":129.07,"end":129.82,"text":"Well, thanks a million."},{"start":129.84,"end":134.84,"text":"Well, anyway, we appreciate your friendship, Charlie, and go home tonight and celebrate."},{"start":134.88,"end":135.62,"text":"Well, thank you."},{"start":135.88,"end":136.24,"text":"Okay."},{"start":136.32,"end":136.6,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":136.62,"end":136.92,"text":"Bye."},{"start":137.91,"end":137.99,"text":"Bye."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon telephoned Representative Charles R. Jonas to extend birthday greetings and maintain political rapport. The conversation pivoted to the recent death of Willis Smith, Jr., a prominent supporter of the President, in a plane crash. Nixon committed to contacting the Smith family, including the grieving mother and widow, to offer his condolences for their loss.","topics":["Birthday greetings","Willis Smith, Jr.","Condolences","Political relationships","Charles R. Jonas"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T00:35:41.472Z"},"topicSlugs":["birthday-greetings","willis-smith-jr","condolences","political-relationships","charles-r-jonas"],"audioDurationSec":138,"audioFiles":[{"file":"016-068.mp3","bytes":3312743,"durationSec":137.96,"bitrate":192105,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:24.619Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/016-068.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-068","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/16/conversation-016-068","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}