Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-004

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Robert McClory and Congress

Monday, January 31, 1972 · 3:55 PM–3:57 PM ET · White House Telephone · 9 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation020-004 on Tape 20 (tape position 00:09:51–00:10:05)StartMonday, January 31, 1972 at 3:55 PMEndMonday, January 31, 1972 at 3:57 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 020-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the White House operator to initiate an outgoing call to Congressman Robert McClory of Illinois. The primary purpose of this brief exchange was to facilitate communication with the Representative. No substantive political discussions occurred as the President merely provided the operator with the necessary contact information.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Mr. McClory, please.
Who, please?
Bob McClory, Congressman McClory.
Right, sir.
Illinois.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On January 31, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 3:57 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 20-4

Date: January 31, 1972
Time: Unknown between 3:55 pm and 3:57 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 661-3A]

     Request for a call to Robert McClory

Also recorded on January 31, 1972

  • 661-003 3:51 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Ronald L. Ziegler, White House operator, and Robert McClory met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:51 pm and 4:00 pm.
  • 020-005 3:57 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert McClory talked on the telephone from 3:57 pm to 3:58 pm.
  • 020-006 4:00 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 4:01 pm.
  • 661-004 4:00 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 4:01 pm.
  • 661-005 4:00 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 4:01 pm.
  • 020-007 4:01 PM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Leslye A. Arsht talked on the telephone from 4:01 pm to 4:03 pm.
  • 661-006 4:01 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Leslye A. Arsht met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:01 pm to 4:03 pm.
  • 020-008 4:03 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:03 pm and 4:04 pm.

All 32 conversations from January 31, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 020-004, January 31, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-004 (accessed October 23, 2026).