Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-001

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Charles W. Colson

Thursday, December 23, 1971 · 12:09 PM–1:25 PM ET · White House Telephone · 13 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation017-001 on Tape 17 (tape position 00:00:52–00:01:01)StartThursday, December 23, 1971 at 12:09 PMEndThursday, December 23, 1971 at 1:25 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-001 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the White House operator to facilitate a telephone connection. The primary purpose of the brief interaction was to request a call be placed to Charles W. Colson. No further substantive policy or administrative matters were discussed during this 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Coulson please.
Thank you sir.

NARA Description

On December 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 1:25 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 17-1

Date: December 23, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:09 pm and 1:25 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 310-16]

     Request for a call to Charles W. Colson

Also recorded on December 23, 1971

  • 641-003 11:25 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 11:32 am.
  • 641-004 11:32 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Luigi Raimondi, Peter M. Flanigan, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:32 am to 11:37 am.
  • 641-005 11:37 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:37 am to 11:53 am.
  • 641-006 12:09 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 12:27 pm.
  • 641-007 12:09 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 12:27 pm.
  • 641-008 12:09 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 12:27 pm.
  • 641-009 12:09 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 12:27 pm.
  • 641-010 12:27 PM · 48 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Rose Mary Woods, unknown person(s), and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:27 pm to 1:15 pm.

All 20 conversations from December 23, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 017-001, December 23, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-001 (accessed October 12, 2026).