Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-106

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on J. Edgar Hoover and FBI

Tuesday, May 2, 1972 · 10:57 AM–10:58 AM ET · White House Telephone · 18 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan)Conversation023-106 on Tape 23StartTuesday, May 2, 1972 at 10:57 AMEndTuesday, May 2, 1972 at 10:58 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-106 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon spoke with First Lady Pat Nixon to inform her of the passing of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. The conversation focused on the timing of Hoover’s death earlier that morning. Nixon signaled the need to prepare for the forthcoming official announcement regarding the vacancy and the loss of the longtime bureau head.

Audio

Download MP3 · 0.4 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 10:57 am to 10:58 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-106 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-106

Date: May 2, 1972
Time: 10:57-10:58 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon.

[See also Conversation No. 717-3]

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/21/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[023-106-w001]
[Duration: 17s]

       J. Edgar Hoover's death
              -The President's forthcoming announcement
              -Time of death
                     -May 2, 1972

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

Also recorded on May 2, 1972

  • 717-001 10:54 AM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:54 am to 10:55 am.
  • 023-105 10:55 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 10:57 am.
  • 717-002 10:55 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 10:57 am.
  • 717-003 10:57 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:57 am to 10:58 am.
  • 717-004 10:58 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:58 am and 11:04 am.
  • 023-108 11:04 AM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:04 am.
  • 717-005 11:04 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:04 am.
  • 717-006 11:04 AM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:04 am and 11:10 am.

All 67 conversations from May 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-106, May 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-106 (accessed October 23, 2026).