Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-008
Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Major General James D. Hughes
Friday, December 24, 1971 · 1:50 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon initiates a brief request for the White House operator to connect him with Major General James D. “Don” Hughes. This logistical call serves as an administrative effort to establish direct communication with the military aide. The conversation concludes immediately upon the initiation of the operator's task to place the requested call.
- Major General James D. Hughes
- White House operator
- Telecommunications
- Military aide
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:50 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 17-8
Date: December 24, 1971
Time: 1:50 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with the White House operator.
[See Conversation No. 309-7]
Request for a call to Maj. Gen. James D. (“Don”) HughesAlso recorded on December 24, 1971
- 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.
- 017-007 1:48 PM · 54 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone from 1:48 pm to 1:49 pm.
- 309-006 1:48 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:48 pm to 1:49 pm.
- 309-007 1:49 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:49 pm.
- 017-009 1:50 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone from 1:50 pm to 1:51 pm.
- 309-008 1:50 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:50 pm to 1:51 pm.
- 017-010 1:51 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:51 pm and 1:56 pm.
- 309-009 1:51 PM · 14 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 1:51 pm and 1:56 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 017-008, 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/017-008 (accessed October 6, 2026).