Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 21 › Conversation 021-062
Nixon phone call with Colson on ITT scandal and Washington Star
Monday, March 13, 1972 · 6:29 PM–6:34 PM ET · White House Telephone
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss strategies for managing negative press coverage regarding the International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) scandal. They specifically address efforts to influence the Washington Star and journalist Smith Hempstone, as well as the investigation into Dita Beard and the involvement of White House staff. The conversation focuses on countering damaging narratives through media management and monitoring ongoing inquiries.
- ITT scandal
- Washington Star
- Charles Colson
- Dita Beard
- Media relations
- Press manipulation
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.8 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 71.1 MB
This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:20:19 into the tape and ends around 02:25:13.
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available yet for this conversation. The recording may contain no audible speech, or it may not have been processed.
NARA Description
On March 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 6:29 pm to 6:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 021-062 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 21-62
Date: March 13, 1972
Time: 6:29 pm - 6:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
[See Conversation No. 323-14]
International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
-Colson’s call to Smith Hempstone
-Robert Walter’s article in the Washington Star
-Grinnell company
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Dillon Reed
-Divestiture
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Washington Star
-Editorial
-Apology
-Ad
-Call to Hempstone
-Crosby S. Noyes
-Panda story
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-Jack N. Anderson
-Call to Walters
-Investigation
-Typewriter experts
-Dita D. Beard
-Washington Star
-Hempstone
-Newbold Noyes
-Crosby NoyesAlso recorded on March 13, 1972
- 021-061 6:28 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 6:28 pm.
- 323-013 6:28 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 6:28 pm.
- 323-014 6:29 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:29 pm to 6:34 pm.
- 323-015 6:34 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 8:09 pm.
- 323-016 6:34 PM · 2 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 6:34 pm and 8:09 pm.
- 323-017 6:34 PM · 5 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 6:34 pm and 8:09 pm.
- 323-018 6:34 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 8:09 pm.
- 323-019 6:34 PM · 5 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 6:34 pm and 8:09 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 021-062, March 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/021-062 (accessed October 3, 2026).