{"conversationCode":"017-051","tapeNumber":17,"conversationNumber":51,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-017-051","startDateTime":"1971-12-25T02:32:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-12-25T02:35:00.000Z","startDate":"24-Dec-1971","startTime":"9:32 PM","endDate":"24-Dec-1971","endTime":"9:35 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Lewis, Hobart D.;","description":"On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone from 9:32 pm to 9:35 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-051 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. 17-51\n\nDate: December 24, 1971\nTime: 9:32 pm - 9:35 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with Hobart D. Lewis.\n\n     Christmas greetings\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017.\nSegment cleared for release.]\n[Personal Returnable]\n[017-051-w001]\n[Duration: 8s]\n\n     The President’s schedule\n          -Christmas Eve\n               -David and Julie Nixon Eisenhower; Ed and Tricia Nixon Cox\n          -Christmas Day\n               -David and Julie Nixon Eisenhower; Ed and Tricia Nixon Cox\n               -Mamie Eisenhower, Mr. and Mrs. John S. Eisenhower, Howard Cox, Anne\n                Cox, Mazie Cox\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n     President's call to Lewis\n           -Lewis expresses gratitude to the President\n\n**********************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2\n[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017.\nSegment will remain closed.]\n[Personal Returnable]\n[017-051-w002]\n[Duration: 44s]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n     The President's interview\n          -Readers Digest\n\n     Lewis's note to the President\n          -Praise\n\n     Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon\n\n     Football","filename":["017-051.mp3"],"tapeStart":"02:11:03","tapeEnd":"02:13:38","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Lewis, Hobart D."],"prevCode":"017-050","nextCode":"017-052","transcript":[{"start":1.58,"end":5.73,"text":"Hello."},{"start":5.75,"end":8.82,"text":"Hello, Hope."},{"start":8.84,"end":11.98,"text":"Well, I just figured the Lewis's ought to have a Merry Christmas from us."},{"start":13.7,"end":19.41,"text":"And I hope you're all having a good time around that big house."},{"start":19.43,"end":23.08,"text":"Yeah, well."},{"start":23.1,"end":25.14,"text":"Yeah, great."},{"start":33.49,"end":43.97,"text":"Well, I only call the most important people."},{"start":47.49,"end":50.2,"text":"Well, great."},{"start":50.22,"end":51.7,"text":"Well, it's moving along."},{"start":51.76,"end":61.59,"text":"We have our problems, but as I told the boys when I finished my physical today, the health of the country today is better than it was a year ago."},{"start":62.77,"end":64.94,"text":"And it."},{"start":108.32,"end":129.58,"text":"Well, you know, I don't want to get into it, but that interview you had with us was absolutely sensational."},{"start":129.6,"end":130.2,"text":"Well, I hope it fits the time."},{"start":130.22,"end":132.04,"text":"It was really great, and the way you had that organized and articulated was just marvelous."},{"start":132.06,"end":132.78,"text":"Well, I hope it turns out all right."},{"start":132.8,"end":136.65,"text":"I wrote you a note on a Christmas card which said that September 1 was a good year, a great year, and I agree with you, September 2 is going to be a very great year for you and the country."},{"start":136.67,"end":137.37,"text":"Well, we hope certainly the latter."},{"start":137.39,"end":137.77,"text":"Well, it'd be both."},{"start":138.49,"end":143.54,"text":"I wish for you it'll be good for the country."},{"start":143.56,"end":143.84,"text":"Oh, I hope so."},{"start":143.86,"end":144.06,"text":"I hope so."},{"start":144.08,"end":144.87,"text":"Mr. President, give my best to Pat."},{"start":144.89,"end":145.45,"text":"I sure will."},{"start":145.69,"end":148.11,"text":"And I'll see you one of these days."},{"start":148.13,"end":148.68,"text":"Yeah, we sure will."},{"start":148.69,"end":151.08,"text":"And just have a wonderful time now."},{"start":151.1,"end":151.5,"text":"It's a great thrill."},{"start":151.52,"end":152.5,"text":"Look at the football games."},{"start":153.09,"end":153.49,"text":"Yeah, we sure will."},{"start":153.51,"end":153.63,"text":"Okay."},{"start":153.65,"end":153.97,"text":"Thank you."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon initiated a Christmas Eve call to Hobart D. Lewis, the head of Reader's Digest, to exchange holiday greetings and discuss the President's recent media interview. Lewis praised the organization and articulation of the interview, expressing optimism for the President's upcoming political prospects. The brief conversation also touched upon the President's personal holiday schedule with his family and interest in collegiate football.","topics":["Reader's Digest","Presidential media relations","Christmas","Political outlook","Football"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T00:46:21.045Z"},"topicSlugs":["readers-digest","presidential-media-relations","christmas","political-outlook","football"],"audioDurationSec":155,"audioFiles":[{"file":"017-051.mp3","bytes":3730284,"durationSec":155.36,"bitrate":192083,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:24.937Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/017-051.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-051","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/17/conversation-017-051","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}