Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-106
Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Ronald L. Ziegler
Saturday, December 18, 1971 · 12:37 PM–12:42 PM ET · White House Telephone · 9 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon initiates a request for the White House operator to connect him with Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler. The brief interaction serves solely as a logistical communication to facilitate official contact between the President and his press aide. No policy discussions occur during this exchange.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On December 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:42 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-106 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 16-106
Date: December 18, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:37 pm and 12:42 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with the White House operator.
[See Conversation No. 639-2]
Request for a call to Ronald L. ZieglerAlso recorded on December 18, 1971
- 639-001 12:37 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:42 pm.
- 639-002 12:37 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:42 pm.
- 639-003 12:37 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:42 pm.
- 016-107 12:42 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 12:42 pm to 12:43 pm.
- 639-004 12:42 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:42 pm to 12:43 pm.
- 016-108 12:43 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:43 pm.
- 639-005 12:43 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:43 pm to 12:50 pm.
- 016-109 12:44 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 12:44 pm to 12:45 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 016-106, December 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-106 (accessed October 11, 2026).