Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 22 › Conversation 022-127

Nixon phone call with Arbuthnot on Condolences and Vietnam War

Saturday, April 15, 1972 · 12:25 PM–12:27 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Arbuthnot, Raymond J.Conversation022-127 on Tape 22 (tape position 04:44:55–04:46:37)StartSaturday, April 15, 1972 at 12:25 PMEndSaturday, April 15, 1972 at 12:27 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 022-127 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417193219 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon called Raymond J. Arbuthnot to offer condolences on the death of his wife, Zelda. The conversation touched on Nixon's recent trip to Canada, the state of Arbuthnot's ranch, and support for Nixon's actions in Vietnam, including attacks on the North. Arbuthnot expressed strong support for the President's policies, and they briefly discussed Charles "Bebe" Rebozo. Arbuthnot mentioned he would be traveling East soon and hoped to see the President.

Condolences
Vietnam War
Canadian trip
Ranch
Charles G. Rebozo
Support for President

Audio

Download MP3 · 2.2 MB

NARA Description

On April 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond J. Arbuthnot talked on the telephone from 12:25 pm to 12:27 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 022-127 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 22-127

Date: April 15, 1972
Time: 12:25 pm - 12:27 pm

Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Raymond J. Arbuthnot.

[See Conversation No. 329-39]

******************************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 09/11/2018.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[022-127-w001]
[Duration: 1m 40s]

     Death of Zelda Arbuthnot
          -Condolences

     The President's Canadian trip

     Raymond J. Arbuthnot’s ranch

     Vietnam
          -Support of the President
          -Attacks on the North

     The President’s family

     Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
          -Meeting with the President
          -Age

     Raymond J. Arbuthnot
         -Trip east
               -Entertainment
         -Raymond J. Arbuthnot’s daughters
               -President’s greetings

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was made by an AI model listening to the recording (gemini-3.8-flash) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Speaker names are the model's inference from the voices and the participant list. Words and names can still be wrong — verify against the audio and the finding aid before citing.

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).

Operator[unintelligible] I'll place the call.

NixonRay?

ArbuthnotYes, Mr. President.

NixonListen, I just got back from Canada and learned about Zelda. I'm so sorry.

ArbuthnotWell, thank you. Thank you. She had been failing so long.

NixonYeah. It's tough.

ArbuthnotIt's a blessing. It really is. She was totally incapacitated.

NixonYeah. Where are you? Out at the ranch?

ArbuthnotYes, I'm out at the ranch, and we're getting along fine.

NixonGood. How's the ranch looking?

ArbuthnotPretty good. We had an inch and seven tenths of rain a couple days ago.

NixonOh, boy! That really helps, doesn't it?

ArbuthnotWell, that greened it right up. It's really wonderful. We're proud of what you're doing. Give them hell over there in Vietnam.

NixonDon't worry, we're giving it to them.

ArbuthnotI see you bombed Haiphong and-

NixonWe bombed a lot of other things.

ArbuthnotGood.

NixonThey have no right to march into the south like that.

ArbuthnotWell, that's what we all feel. There's so much sentiment for you out here you just can't imagine.

NixonWell, good. Pat and the girls wanted to be, to send their very best to you, and-

ArbuthnotWell, God bless them.

Nixon-Bebe was, Bebe told me when I arrived. He's here.

ArbuthnotWell, good. You know, he and I were both born the same day.

NixonI know that, but he's not quite as old as you, is he? Or a year older?

ArbuthnotNo, I'm, oh, I'm a year older, yeah. He was born, well, two years older.

NixonWell, anyway, Ray-

ArbuthnotI'm coming back East pretty soon. I want to see you.

NixonFine, and we'll give you a room, give you a bed.

ArbuthnotAll right, sir. [laughs]

NixonGive my best to the girls, will you?

ArbuthnotI sure will. You tell the folks hi for me.

NixonOkay, my friend.

ArbuthnotThanks so much for calling.

NixonBye.

ArbuthnotBye-bye.

Also recorded on April 15, 1972

022-125 11:55 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:20 pm.
329-033 11:55 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:20 pm.
022-126 12:20 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 12:20 pm to 12:22 pm.
329-037 12:20 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:20 pm to 12:22 pm.
329-038 12:22 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:22 pm and 12:25 pm.
329-039 12:25 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond J. Arbuthnot met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:25 pm to 12:27 pm.
329-040 12:27 PM · 1 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 12:27 pm and 1:00 pm.
329-041 12:27 PM · 4 sec — 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 12:27 pm and 1:00 pm.

All 27 conversations from April 15, 1972 →

Nixon phone call with Kiernan on Law enforcement May 26, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon, Kissinger & Dobrynin on Soviet Cosmonaut Program June 30, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Dobrynin on Soviet Union and Diplomacy July 1, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon phone call with Wiggins on Condolences and Rose Hills Memorial Park September 18, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Acheson on Condolences and White House military aide October 13, 1971 · 4 min
Nixon phone call with Kendall on Condolences and Billy Graham October 15, 1971 · 2 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 022-127, April 15, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417193219). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/022-127 (accessed November 15, 2026).