Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-026

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Communication logistics

Friday, December 24, 1971 · 4:57 PM ET · White House Telephone · 14 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation017-026 on Tape 17 (tape position 01:24:25–01:24:39)StartFriday, December 24, 1971 at 4:57 PMEndFriday, December 24, 1971 at 4:57 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-026 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to facilitate official communications while awaiting the availability of journalist Stewart Alsop. Following a report on Alsop's status, Nixon directed the operator to place a call to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Elliot L. Richardson. This exchange functioned primarily as a logistical coordination of the President's late-afternoon outreach efforts.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President?
Yeah?
Um, Mr. Stuart Allsop is out walking and he'll be back in about a half hour, and I left work.
Fine.
Could you try, uh, Elliot Richardson?
Secretary Richardson?
Yes, sir.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:57 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-026 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 17-26

Date: December 24, 1971
Time: 4:57 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

     Stewart J.O. Alsop's location

     Request for a call to Elliot L. Richardson

Also recorded on December 24, 1971

  • 017-023 4:39 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:39 pm and 4:41 pm.
  • 017-024 4:41 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Donald H. Rumsfeld talked on the telephone from 4:41 pm to 4:55 pm.
  • 017-025 4:55 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 4:57 pm.
  • 017-027 4:57 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:57 pm and 5:01 pm.
  • 017-028 5:01 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 5:01 pm to 5:08 pm.
  • 017-029 5:09 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and W. Clement Stone talked on the telephone from 5:09 pm to 5:10 pm.
  • 017-030 5:10 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:18 pm.
  • 017-031 5:18 PM · 51 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Ralph H. Cake talked on the telephone from 5:18 pm to 5:19 pm.

All 54 conversations from December 24, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 017-026, 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/017-026 (accessed October 7, 2026).