Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-016

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on John A. Mulcahy

Friday, December 24, 1971 · 3:09 PM ET · White House Telephone · 21 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation017-016 on Tape 17 (tape position 00:26:38–00:26:59)StartFriday, December 24, 1971 at 3:09 PMEndFriday, December 24, 1971 at 3:09 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the White House operator to facilitate outgoing calls to two prominent associates, John A. “Jack” Mulcahy and W. Clement Stone. The brief interaction served as a logistical request to initiate these communications on Christmas Eve. No substantive policy discussions occurred 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Operator, I'd like to place a call to Mr. John Mulcahy, Jack Mulcahy.
I think you have his number.
Yes, sir.
And also one to Mr. Clem Stone.
He's in Chicago, I think.
Stone.
Stone, Clem Stone.
Yes, thank you.

NARA Description

On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:09 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 17-16

Date: December 24, 1971
Time: 3:09 pm
Location: White House telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Request for calls to John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy and W. Clement Stone

Also recorded on December 24, 1971

  • 017-014 2:12 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:12 pm and 2:16 pm.
  • 017-015 2:16 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan talked on the telephone from 2:16 pm to 2:21 pm.
  • 309-015 2:16 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:16 pm to 2:21 pm.
  • 017-017 3:09 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:09 pm and 3:12 pm.
  • 017-018 3:12 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:12 pm to 3:37 pm.
  • 017-019 3:37 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 3:37 pm to 3:44 pm.
  • 017-020 3:45 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:45 pm to 3:58 pm.
  • 017-021 3:58 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:58 pm and 4:34 pm.

All 54 conversations from December 24, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 017-016, 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/017-016 (accessed October 7, 2026).