Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-054
Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on H. R. Haldeman
Friday, December 24, 1971 · 9:35 PM–11:17 PM ET · White House Telephone · 9 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon contacted the White House operator to facilitate an urgent connection with his Chief of Staff, H.R. Haldeman. This brief administrative interaction served as the necessary step to bridge communication between the President and his key advisor during the holiday evening. The exchange focused exclusively on initiating this logistical task to ensure the two could speak directly.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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 an unknown time between 9:35 pm and 11:17 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-054 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 17-54
Date: December 24, 1971
Time: Unknown between 9:35 pm and 11:17 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with the White House operator.
Request for a call to H. R. (“Bob”) HaldemanAlso recorded on December 25, 1971
- 017-046 9:14 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover talked on the telephone from 9:14 pm to 9:17 pm.
- 017-047 9:17 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:17 pm and 9:19 pm.
- 017-048 9:19 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, McIntyre Faries, and Geralyne Faries talked on the telephone from 9:19 pm to 9:20 pm.
- 017-049 9:20 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:20 pm and 9:22 pm.
- 017-050 9:22 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Donald McI. Kendall talked on the telephone from 9:22 pm to 9:30 pm.
- 017-051 9:32 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone from 9:32 pm to 9:35 pm.
- 017-052 9:35 PM · 6 min — Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Ann Davis talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:35 pm and 11:17 pm.
- 017-053 9:35 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:35 pm and 11:17 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 017-054, December 25, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-054 (accessed October 12, 2026).