Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-140

Nixon phone call with Pitchess on Health and recovery and Bohemian Grove

Thursday, January 27, 1972 · 2:32 PM–2:34 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Pitchess, Peter J.Conversation019-140 on Tape 19StartThursday, January 27, 1972 at 2:32 PMEndThursday, January 27, 1972 at 2:34 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-140 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417192599 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated this phone call to check on the recovery of Los Angeles County Sheriff Peter J. Pitchess following a recent surgery. The two men discussed their mutual health, with Pitchess noting the positive impact of a personal note sent by the President. Nixon concluded the conversation by encouraging Pitchess’s recovery and jokingly requesting that the Sheriff represent him at the Bohemian Grove once he returns to duty.

Peter J. Pitchess
Health and recovery
Bohemian Grove
Presidential correspondence
Law enforcement

Audio

Download MP3 · 2.6 MB

NARA Description

On January 27, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Peter J. Pitchess talked on the telephone from 2:32 pm to 2:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-140 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 19-140

Date: January 27, 1972
Time: 2:32 pm - 2:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Peter J. Pitchess.

[See Conversation No. 658-22]

     Pitchess's health
          -The President's note
          -Pritchess’s location
          -George Griffin

     The President's health

     The Bohemian Grove

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

I have Sheriff Pitches for you, sir.

Yeah.

There you are.

Hello.

I understand you've been under the weather.

Mr. President, I had a rough time and I feel great.

Well, that's the stuff.

Well, I heard about that operation, the ordinary thing, but I thought, well, Pitches is just too tough, you know, for a couple of knives, you know, to cut him down.

Unless they stick it in your back.

Yeah, wonderful.

Yeah, and I just want to wish you the very best and tell you to get back in there because we need you.

Thank you very much.

Yeah, how's your morale?

I showed that letter, that note that you sent me, I showed it to the entire hospital staff.

And your career is just wonderful.

Thank you very, very much.

You're home now or in the hospital?

I just got home about two hours ago.

Yeah, my note said that you either would come home or would be in the hospital.

Well, you tell your...

It's an amazing thing that they can do.

Sure.

Well, after all, you know, and there's an awful lot of people walking around just great who've had that operation.

Do you remember George Grissom?

Yeah.

He's my cardiologist.

Oh, gosh, he's a wonderful person.

Wonderful person.

Okay, Pete, you just keep it all morale up, you know.

Thank you.

You just keep up what you're doing.

How do you feel?

I'm fine.

You know, I can't get sick.

You know, they won't let me.

Well, the world needs you.

Yeah, well, we'll just try to fight the good fight just like you are, you know.

Everybody, everybody is.

for you.

I don't care how it ends up.

You'll see the results.

Well, good there.

That's good.

You get back.

As a matter of fact, I don't get to go to the Grove anymore, but I want you to get back in good shape so you can represent me at the Grove and you can drink my portion.

Thank you.

That's wonderful.

Okay, Pete.

Good to talk to you.

Bye.

Also recorded on January 27, 1972

019-139 2:24 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:24 pm and 2:32 pm.
658-021 2:24 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:24 pm and 2:32 pm.
658-022 2:32 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Peter J. Pitchess met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:32 pm to 2:34 pm.
019-141 2:34 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 2:40 pm.
658-023 2:34 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 2:40 pm.
658-024 2:34 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 2:40 pm.
019-142 2:40 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 2:40 pm to 2:45 pm.
658-025 2:40 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:40 pm to 2:45 pm.

All 50 conversations from January 27, 1972 →

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Nixon, de Guigne & Butterfield on Bohemian Grove and Presidential travel June 17, 1971 · 7 min
Nixon, Haldeman & Hughes on Spiro Agnew and World Bank July 27, 1971 · 1 hr 2 min
Nixon, Haldeman & Bull on John B. Connally and Bohemian Grove July 27, 1971 · 23 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 019-140, January 27, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417192599). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-140 (accessed November 2, 2026).