Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 22 › Conversation 022-022

Nixon phone call with Colson on ITT scandal and Dita Beard

Sunday, March 26, 1972 · 7:39 PM–7:44 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation022-022 on Tape 22 (tape position 00:55:01–01:00:09)StartSunday, March 26, 1972 at 7:39 PMEndSunday, March 26, 1972 at 7:44 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 022-022 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles W. Colson discussed the sudden collapse and reported heart seizure of Dita D. Beard during her intense questioning by Senator Edward M. Kennedy regarding the ITT case. Colson provided the President with details on the medical incident and speculated on the potential political fallout and media narrative surrounding the event. The two men agreed that the dramatic nature of the situation would likely dominate news coverage in the coming days.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 51% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
I'm sorry to disturb you, Mr. President.
I just told Manola to take you a message that Mr.
Beard had a heart attack following very sharp questioning from Senator Kennedy.
He did?
Yes, sir.
A heart seizure.
We don't know how serious.
And I don't have any details.
I do know that, according to the wires and according to our reports, that Ted Kennedy was engaged in a series of very...
As the wires in the back get very awkward when you're questioning, a very sharp engagement between the two is going to be going to get interrupted as one question, and after adding a question, it's going to be passed down to the other party.
So it's going to have to be a hell of a dramatic change, especially following Kevin's question.
Yeah.
You couldn't write a script like that without a jury book.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, it's a heart seizure.
That's the doctor diagnosing it.
That's the way they described it.
The coralli had to be tested.
A little while ago, I was trying to get the details.
I couldn't.
It happened about two hours ago.
But I still think it was the details.
I suppose that they're just trying to think of the way they're going to be able to play it.
Correct.
They're going to play it.
No, I don't think so.
They're not playing it that way.
But she might die, of course.
That's the reason it's hard for them to play that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What about the question that I said to you, I don't know what she said to you.
I don't know.
more you deal with what i probably will with it now but i just thought you'd be interested i wonder if he shouldn't get a few wires that one woman on your hands enough what i mean
It really is true.
Well, it is.
Well, it is.
Well, it is.
Well, it is.
Well, it is.
Well, it is.
is that representative of what is being recorded is very dramatic and very very important journey apparently
I didn't want to interrupt you.
I didn't want to interrupt you.
Oh, no, no, no.
That's very interesting.
It could be a hell of a thing.
That's right.
I think tomorrow will be a hell of a thing.
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NARA Description

On March 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 7:39 pm to 7:44 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 022-022 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 22-22

Date: March 26, 1972
Time: 7:39 pm - 7:44 pm
                                               19

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)



Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

     International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
           -Colson message to the President
                 -Manolo Sanchez
           -Dita D. Beard
                 -Health
                      -Questioning by Edward M. Kennedy
                      -News report
                      -Senators’ response
                            -Conference
                      -Diagnosis
                            -Colson’s talk with an unknown doctor
                      -Time
                      -Diagnosis
                            -News photographs
           -Kennedy
                 -Questioning of Beard
                      -Beard’s consent to be questioned
                            -Motives
                      -Content
                            -Unknown Colson source
                            -Report
                      -Possible wires to Kennedy
                      -President’s possible statement
                 -Questioning
                      -Public response
                      -News reports
                            -Helen A. Thomas
                            -Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin
           -Beard
                 -Questioning by Edward J. Gurney
                 -Health
                      -Senators’ response
                      -Developments
           -Unknown reporter
           -White House strategy
                 -Response

     The President’s schedule
                                              20

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)

Also recorded on March 27, 1972

  • 022-021 7:21 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:21 pm and 7:39 pm.
  • 327-001 8:42 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:42 am and 9:21 am.
  • 327-002 8:42 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:42 am and 9:21 am.
  • 327-003 8:42 AM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:42 am and 9:21 am.
  • 022-023 9:21 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 9:21 am to 9:22 am.
  • 327-004 9:21 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:21 am to 9:22 am.
  • 327-005 9:25 AM · 1 hr 6 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 9:25 am and 10:55 am.
  • 022-024 10:55 AM · 46 sec — Ronald L. Ziegler, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 11:11 am.

All 35 conversations from March 27, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 022-022, March 27, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/022-022 (accessed October 12, 2026).