Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 17 › Conversation 017-004
Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on George P. Shultz
Friday, December 24, 1971 · 11:55 AM–1:37 PM ET · White House Telephone ·6 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon initiates a request to the White House operator to place a telephone call to George P. Shultz, who was serving as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget at the time. The brief exchange serves as a procedural step to facilitate a direct conversation between the President and Shultz. No substantive policy matters were discussed during this connection attempt.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 1:37 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 17-4
Date: December 24, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:55 am and 1:37 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President talked with the White House operator.
[See Conversation No. 309-2]
Request for a call to George P. ShultzAlso recorded on December 24, 1971
- 643-001 11:57 AM · 2 min — Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins, unknown person(s), Alexander P. Butterfield, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:57 am and 4:18 pm.
- 309-001 12:00 PM · 1 hr 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:00 pm to 1:37 pm.
- 017-005 1:37 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 1:37 pm to 1:46 pm.
- 309-002 1:37 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:37 pm.
- 309-003 1:37 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:37 pm to 1:46 pm.
- 017-006 1:46 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm.
- 309-004 1:46 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm.
- 309-005 1:46 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 017-004, December 24, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).