Nixon White House TapesTape 17 › Conversation 017-135

Nixon phone call with Woods on New Year's Day and Dan Rather interview

Saturday, January 1, 1972 · 4:05 PM–4:07 PM ET · White House Telephone ·1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose MaryConversation017-135 onTape 17 (tape position 04:58:49–04:59:49)StartSaturday, January 1, 1972 at 4:05 PMEndSaturday, January 1, 1972 at 4:07 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-135 ↗

President Nixon and his personal secretary Rose Mary Woods exchanged New Year's greetings and discussed their respective holiday activities, including watching football games. The President noted that he was dedicating his time to studying and preparing for his upcoming television interview with Dan Rather. They also briefly touched upon logistics regarding Pat Nixon’s scheduled departure for an official trip to Africa.

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Yeah.
Mr. President, Rosemary Woods.
Okay.
Thank you.
Hi, Rose.
Hi.
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year.
Are you watching the games, or am I in the middle of them?
No, no, no.
I'm working on my things for tomorrow night.
Oh, yeah, I know.
That's very difficult.
Just studying.
No.

On January 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 4:05 pm to 4:07 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-135 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 17-135

Date: January 1, 1972
Time: 4:05 pm - 4:07 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Rose Mary Woods.

[See Conversation No. 311-27]

     New Year greetings

     Football games

     President's studying for interview with Dan Rather, January 2

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/22/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]

[Personal Returnable]
[017-135-w001]
[Duration: 39s]

     Rose Mary Woods’s schedule
          -Thelma C. (“Pat”) (Ryan) Nixon’s departure for Africa
               -Rose Mary Woods’s attendance
          -Claudia Val
               -Party
               -Andrews Air Force Base
                     -Thelma C. (“Pat”) (Ryan) Nixon’s departure

**********************************************************************
  • 017-131 2:43 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:43 pm and 3:56 pm.
  • 017-134 3:56 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 3:56 pm to 4:03 pm.
  • 311-026 3:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:56 pm to 4:03 pm.
  • 311-027 4:05 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:05 pm to 4:07 pm.
  • 311-028 4:07 PM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:07 pm and 6:12 pm.
  • 311-029 4:07 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:07 pm and 6:12 pm.
  • 311-030 4:07 PM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:07 pm and 6:12 pm.
  • 311-031 4:07 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:07 pm and 6:12 pm.

Conversation 017-135, January 1, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-135 (accessed September 18, 2026).