Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-080

Nixon phone call with Albert on George W. Andrews and Christmas greetings

Saturday, December 25, 1971 · 11:10 AM–11:12 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Albert, Carl B.Conversation017-080 on Tape 17 (tape position 03:08:35–03:10:53)StartSaturday, December 25, 1971 at 11:10 AMEndSaturday, December 25, 1971 at 11:12 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-080 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated a brief holiday call to Speaker of the House Carl B. Albert to exchange Christmas greetings and discuss the recent passing of Representative George W. Andrews. Nixon committed to providing military aide support to Elizabeth Andrews, continuing a new procedure he had previously established for other senior officials. The two men also briefly touched upon their respective holiday schedules, including the Sugar Bowl and upcoming presidential meetings with international leaders Willy Brandt and Eisaku Sato.

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.1 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Well, I didn't want the day to go by without wishing my old friend a good Merry Christmas, and I hope you're enjoying it and getting a little rest.
Right.
What is that?
George did?
My...
What did he have?
Cancer?
Is he, let me ask you, I don't remember, Mrs. Andrews is living?
Elizabeth Andrews.
And she would be there, huh?
I don't know whether she'd be at the hospital.
He died at the University Hospital.
His home is in Union City, Alabama.
University Hospital, what, in Alabama?
University Hospital, Alabama University Hospital.
Yeah.
What we will do, we, of course, I'll immediately get a hold of General Hughes and have him assign a military aide to her.
So, you know, we'd
We've been doing that.
It's a new practice, but, you know, it's very helpful, and I did it for McCormick and the others, and it's the least we can do.
He's a great fellow.
He really was.
Good stand-up guy.
Oh, very fun.
When are you going to, which game are you going to see?
Well, I am going to see... Sugar Bowl.
Sugar Bowl.
Oh, go home.
I guess Wingate coaches probably will be there.
I hope you go.
You're going.
Well, I'll tell you, you know I'd love to go, but Carl, I got next, I got Heath, not Heath, but this week it's Brandt and then Sato.
But you tell the boys to lift one for me.
They can have my share.
All right.
Well, I just... Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas and...
Happy New Year.

NARA Description

On December 25, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Carl B. Albert talked on the telephone from 11:10 am to 11:12 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-080 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 17-80

Date: December 25, 1971
Time: 11:10 am - 11:12 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Carl B. Albert.

     Christmas greetings

     George W. Andrews's death
          -Lucius Mendel Rivers
                -Cause of death
          -Elizabeth Andrews
          -University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital
          -Home
                -Union City, Alabama
          -President to call Maj. Gen. James D. Hughes

               -Military aide to Mrs. Andrews
                     -New procedure
                           -John W. McCormack
          -George Andrews

     Football games
          -Sugar Bowl

     Albert's schedule

     President's schedule
          -Edward R.G. Heath
          -Meetings with Willy Brandt and Eisaku Sato
                 -Timing

Also recorded on December 25, 1971

  • 017-077 10:55 AM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 11:02 am.
  • 017-078 11:02 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Michael Lauer, Ann Marie Lauer, Kathy Lauer, and Kevin Lauer talked on the telephone from 11:02 am to 11:05 am.
  • 017-079 11:07 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Hugh Scott, and Marian Scott talked on the telephone from 11:07 am to 11:09 am.
  • 017-081 11:12 AM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:12 am and 11:21 am.
  • 017-082 11:12 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:12 am and 11:21 am.
  • 017-083 11:12 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:12 am and 11:21 am.
  • 017-084 11:21 AM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone from 11:21 am to 11:22 am.
  • 017-085 11:23 AM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:23 am.

All 57 conversations from December 25, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 017-080, 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/017-080 (accessed October 10, 2026).