Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-069

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Condolences and Anna Lee Smith

Thursday, December 9, 1971 · 11:35 AM–11:53 AM ET · White House Telephone · 25 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation016-069 on Tape 16 (tape position 02:27:07–02:27:32)StartThursday, December 9, 1971 at 11:35 AMEndThursday, December 9, 1971 at 11:53 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-069 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed the White House operator to place a condolence call to Anna Lee Smith, the widow of former North Carolina Senator Willis Smith. The President sought to reach Mrs. Smith at her home following the recent death of her son in an automobile accident. He advised the operator to contact the office of Representative Charles R. Jonas to obtain the necessary telephone information for connecting the call.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Would you get me Mrs. Willis Smith?
Now, she is the widow of the former senator from North Carolina, Willis Smith.
And her son was just killed over the weekend automobile accident.
She's at home, at her home in North Carolina.
Probably Mr. Jonas' office would be able to tell you.
Fine, Mr. President.
I'll check that.

NARA Description

On December 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:35 am and 11:53 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-069 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-69

Date: December 9, 1971

Time: Unknown between 11:35 am and 11:53 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 633-11B]

     Request for a call to Mrs. Willis Smith, Sr. [Anna Lee Smith]

     Mrs. Smith
          -Willis Smith, Sr.
          -Willis Smith, Jr.
               -Death
          -Home
               -North Carolina
               -Charles R. Jonas’ office

Also recorded on December 9, 1971

  • 633-008 11:16 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:16 am and 11:22 am.
  • 633-009 11:22 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Christine Wilde, Jon M. Huntsman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:22 am to 11:23 am.
  • 633-010 11:23 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:23 am and 11:25 am.
  • 633-011 11:25 AM · 2 hr — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles R. Jonas, White House operator, Anna Lee Smith, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:25 am to 1:27 pm.
  • 016-068 11:33 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles R. Jonas talked on the telephone from 11:33 am to 11:35 am.
  • 016-070 11:53 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Walter Scheel talked on the telephone from 11:53 am to 11:55 am.
  • 016-071 11:55 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 2:38 pm.
  • 634-001 11:55 AM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 2:38 pm.

All 44 conversations from December 9, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-069, December 9, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-069 (accessed October 12, 2026).