{"conversationCode":"017-007","tapeNumber":17,"conversationNumber":7,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-017-007","startDateTime":"1971-12-24T18:48:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-12-24T18:49:00.000Z","startDate":"24-Dec-1971","startTime":"1:48 PM","endDate":"24-Dec-1971","endTime":"1:49 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Hughes, James D. (\"Don\");","description":"On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and James D. (\"Don\") Hughes talked on the telephone from 1:48 pm to 1:49 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-007 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":2,"chronRelease":"Second Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"26-Oct-2000","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 17-7\n\nDate: December 24, 1971\nTime: 1:48 pm - 1:49 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with Maj. Gen. James D. (“Don”) Hughes.\n\n[See Conversation No. 309-6]\n\n     Hughes called by William E. Timmons\n         -Otto E. Passman\n         -Grambling College Band\n\n                -Invited to Liberian inauguration\n          -Political decision\n          -Ronald L. Ziegler\n          -Christmas greetings","filename":["017-007.mp3"],"tapeStart":"00:11:11","tapeEnd":"00:12:04","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Hughes, James D. (\"Don\")"],"prevCode":"017-006","nextCode":"017-008","transcript":[{"start":1.3,"end":20.43,"text":"I have a call from Bill Timmons that Congressman Passman has been asked to get the Grambling College Band, that's that colored college, sir, down in his territory, over to Liberia."},{"start":20.45,"end":23.49,"text":"They've been invited to the Liberian inauguration."},{"start":23.76,"end":31.31,"text":"The reason we're bothering you with this is that under ordinary circumstances, I would have turned it down because of the precedent we've established and so forth."},{"start":31.89,"end":32.97,"text":"I think we should do it on this."},{"start":32.99,"end":34.09,"text":"It should be a political decision."},{"start":34.29,"end":36.31,"text":"I think it is, and I think it should be done."},{"start":36.49,"end":36.91,"text":"All right, sir."},{"start":36.93,"end":38.22,"text":"We'll send a C-141."},{"start":38.3,"end":39.02,"text":"Very nice touch."},{"start":39.52,"end":41.2,"text":"All right, we'll take it."},{"start":41.3,"end":45.52,"text":"Be sure it gets to Ziegler and the rest, and that we get a massive..."},{"start":47.35,"end":48.05,"text":"Yes, sir, I understand."},{"start":48.11,"end":49.05,"text":"So that we don't get the credit."},{"start":49.15,"end":49.71,"text":"Okay, Don."},{"start":49.73,"end":50.07,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":50.59,"end":51.45,"text":"All right, thanks, Don."},{"start":51.51,"end":51.77,"text":"Bye."},{"start":51.79,"end":52.53,"text":"Merry Christmas, sir."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon consulted with Major General James D. Hughes regarding a request for the Grambling College Band to travel to Liberia for an inauguration. Despite concerns about setting a precedent for such transportation, Nixon determined the trip should proceed as a political decision. He instructed Hughes to coordinate with press secretary Ronald Ziegler to ensure the administration received maximum favorable publicity for the gesture.","topics":["Grambling College Band","Liberia","Presidential travel policy","Political strategy","Public relations"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T00:42:21.656Z"},"topicSlugs":["grambling-college-band","liberia","presidential-travel-policy","political-strategy","public-relations"],"audioDurationSec":54,"audioFiles":[{"file":"017-007.mp3","bytes":1292119,"durationSec":53.78,"bitrate":192209,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:24.619Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/017-007.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-007","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/17/conversation-017-007","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}