Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 18 › Conversation 018-029

Nixon phone call with Connally on San Clemente

Monday, January 10, 1972 · 10:49 AM–10:50 AM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, Idanell (Brill) (Nellie)Conversation018-029 on Tape 18 (tape position 01:04:18–01:05:18)StartMonday, January 10, 1972 at 10:49 AMEndMonday, January 10, 1972 at 10:50 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 018-029 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417192151 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Nellie Connally engaged in a brief, cordial exchange to discuss personal matters following the President’s birthday. The conversation centered on the Connallys' gift of a San Clemente photograph and an expression of gratitude for a thoughtful anniversary letter sent by the President. They concluded the call by discussing future social plans and commending First Lady Pat Nixon’s recent television appearance regarding her trip to Africa.

Nixon birthday
Connally family
Pat Nixon
San Clemente
Social correspondence

Audio

Download MP3 · 1.4 MB

NARA Description

On January 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Idanell ("Nellie") (Brill) Connally talked on the telephone from 10:49 am to 10:50 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 018-029 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 18-29

Date: January 10, 1972
Time: 10:49 am - 10:50 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Idanell B. (“Nellie”) Connally.

[See Conversation No. 644-7B]

     The President's birthday
          -Gift
                -Rose Mary Woods
                      -Photograph of San Clemente by unknown person

     Letter from the President to the Connallys

     Future social event in the spring

     Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
          -Trip to Africa
                -Television appearance

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Hello.

Mrs. Connolly, Mr. President.

Hello.

Mr. President?

Hi, how are you?

Well, I'm fine.

I thought you should know that you must have a sixth sense, because when I opened your birthday present, Rose had given me a photograph, a colored photograph of San Clemente that had been taken by a friend of hers who had been down there, and it was framed, and it fitted perfectly in the stand.

How wonderful.

So I...

So we put it in our room, and we're all set.

I want to tell you that we enjoyed our day with you so very much.

Wait a minute.

While I have you, I want to tell you, too, that the sweetest letter I believe I ever had was the one you sent down with John on our anniversary.

Well, I knew what a hard time you've been having, and I figured maybe give you a little lift.

Well, you're a very thoughtful man, and you're also fun, and I appreciate it.

Well, anyway, we'll look forward to that party in the spring.

All right, and tell Ms. Nixon we're happy she's back.

She looks great.

Beautiful on television tonight.

Okay, thank you.

Bye.

Also recorded on January 10, 1972

018-026 9:46 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:46 am and 10:22 am.
644-002 9:46 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:46 am and 10:22 am.
644-005 10:22 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Charles B. Rangel met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:22 am to 10:37 am.
018-027 10:23 AM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 10:23 am to 10:24 am.
644-006 10:37 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:37 am to 10:38 am.
644-007 10:38 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Gerald R. Warren, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, and Idanell ("Nellie") (Brill) Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:38 am and 11:30 am.
018-028 10:47 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:47 am and 10:49 am.
644-017 10:50 AM · 58 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, John D. Ehrlichman, Arthur A. Fletcher, Robert J. Brown, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Carthur L. M. Drake, Stanley S. Scott, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:50 am and 11:52 am.

All 87 conversations from January 10, 1972 →

Nixon & Acker on John C. Stennis March 23, 1972 · 2 min
Nixon & Connally on University of Texas and Awards and Honors October 19, 1972 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Kaplow on Condolences and Presidential travel November 23, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon phone call with Connally on Vietnam War and Public Speaking January 24, 1972 · 6 min
Nixon, Rogers & Kissinger on San Clemente and Cabinet January 24, 1972 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Leonid Brezhnev and San Clemente June 11, 1973 · 2 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 018-029, January 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417192151). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/018-029 (accessed November 2, 2026).