Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 24 › Conversation 024-039

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Melvin Laird

Tuesday, May 9, 1972 · 11:12 AM–11:16 AM ET · White House Telephone · 6 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation024-039 on Tape 24 (tape position 00:52:09–00:52:15)StartTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 11:12 AMEndTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 11:16 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 024-039 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a request for the White House operator to connect him via telephone to Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird. The brief exchange serves as a logistical coordination to establish direct communication between the President and the Secretary. No further policy discussions or substantive matters were addressed during this brief call.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Okay, Laird, please.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:12 am and 11:16 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-039 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 24-39

Date: May 9, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:12 am and 11:16 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See also Conversation No. 338-8]

     Request for a call to Melvin R. Laird

Also recorded on May 9, 1972

  • 024-038 11:07 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 11:07 am to 11:12 am.
  • 338-006 11:07 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:07 am and 11:12 am.
  • 338-007 11:12 AM · 27 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 11:12 am and 11:16 am.
  • 338-008 11:12 AM · 11 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 11:12 am and 11:16 am.
  • 024-040 11:16 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Melvin R. Laird talked on the telephone from 11:16 am to 11:21 am.
  • 338-009 11:16 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Melvin R. Laird met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:16 am and 11:21 am.
  • 024-041 11:21 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:21 am and 11:23 am.
  • 338-010 11:21 AM · 10 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 11:21 am and 11:23 am.

All 96 conversations from May 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 024-039, May 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-039 (accessed October 9, 2026).