Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-071

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Wilbur D. Mills

Thursday, December 9, 1971 · 11:55 AM–2:38 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation016-071 on Tape 16 (tape position 02:29:45–02:29:51)StartThursday, December 9, 1971 at 11:55 AMEndThursday, December 9, 1971 at 2:38 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-071 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated a brief telephone request to the White House operator to be connected with Congressman Wilbur D. Mills. The conversation served as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication between the President and the influential Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. No further policy discussion occurred during this brief administrative exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yes, please.
Congressman Mills, please.
Yes, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On December 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 2:38 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-071 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-71

Date: December 9, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:55 am and 2:38 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 634-2]

     Requested a call to Wilbur D. Mills

Also recorded on December 9, 1971

  • 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.
  • 016-069 11:35 AM · 25 sec — 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 634-002 11:55 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 11:55 am and 2:38 pm.

All 44 conversations from December 9, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-071, 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/016-071 (accessed October 12, 2026).