Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 30 › Conversation 030-047

Nixon phone call with Connally on Health and wellness

Tuesday, October 3, 1972 · 1:56 PM–2:07 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.Conversation030-047 on Tape 30StartTuesday, October 3, 1972 at 1:56 PMEndTuesday, October 3, 1972 at 2:07 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 030-047 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John B. Connally discussed their respective health statuses and logistical challenges during a telephone conversation. Connally provided updates on his recovery from a sinus infection, his upcoming travel schedule, and the personal difficulties of relocating his household. The two also addressed the rescheduling of a television appearance, which Connally coordinated with staff to ensure proper planning.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Governor Connolly, sir.
Hello.
You are.
Hello.
Mr. President.
I tell you, I just didn't want to bother you, but I hear you've been having such a terrible time.
I've had an infected sinus since I last saw you, and I just have not been able to get rid of it.
It's really something, but you aren't feeling too bad, huh?
No, I'm not feeling too bad at all.
I'm planning to go to St. Louis tomorrow to make a speech to the international lumbermen, and I'm planning to be out in California nearly all of next week.
Right, right, right.
Well, I think it was wise for you to put off your TV.
You might as well do that when you feel like it, you know?
Well, my voice has been so darn husky that it would be terrible to try to record it anyway.
That's what I figured.
But what I mean is time is not that important.
I mean, you can do it next week as well as this.
Would you plan to do it next week then?
We plan to do it next week.
Right.
If all goes well, George is checking with Jeb Magruder and all the other people over there.
Right.
Being sure that we're... Well, they can hold the time and everything.
Time is right on the thing.
Well, what does it... How does it affect you otherwise?
It's just in your head and throat, huh?
Yes, that's all.
It started off with a chest cold and then developed into this, what they call sinusitis, and I've got badly infected sinuses, but it's...
I feel much better now.
I felt better.
Frankly, last week, didn't want to do anything.
Sure, sure.
We're moving.
We moved...
Monday and yesterday and everything is a hell of a mess.
God, that's a hell of a chore.
It really is.
Yes, sir.
I know what you've been through.
Yesterday and Monday, huh?
Yes, sir.
So it's just been one thing after another.
We came down here Sunday to a wedding in Houston and just stayed and we started moving in yesterday and still at it today.
Nellie's in Dallas today in addition to everything else.
She's trying to
up shopping for a house in Jamaica, so we got lots of iron in the fire.
When you move, what do you move?
You move from the, you mean, from Washington?
We kept our home in Houston, but we rented it out to Judge Connolly.
He had most of his own furniture, so we had to store all of our furniture and crystal and everything in the world.
And of course, we took a lot of stuff with us to Washington in our apartment.
Sure.
And a thousand and one brick abroad books and
So we're now assembling it all again.
Sure.
And it's a major operation, really.
Well, that's that.
Well, I'm fine.
I just couldn't feel better.
I went on this tour from California, kind of wearing the cut across the country, but this week...
just finished the salt thing today and then we got a i've got a couple of things the rest of the week you know but all all uh all uh washington however next week i'm going out to uh as you know to atlanta we're going to have the atlanta one next week and so on you moved it up a week
Moved it up a week.
This week just didn't fit in very well.
We had too many good events internationally, we thought, to do it this week.
Well, I think that's right anyway.
How do you feel?
I just feel the same way.
I talked to Bob about it Sunday, and I agreed with him.
Right.
Well, he said that he'd check with you.
I asked him to.
Well, the main thing is to breathe a little fresh air and feel better, okay?
All right.
Tell Nellie I don't envy her that damn movement.
I just always hated to move.
Bye.

NARA Description

On October 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 1:56 pm to 2:07 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 030-047 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 30-47

Date: October 3, 1972
Time: 1:56 pm - 2:07 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John B. Connally.

[See Conversation No. 355-8]

       Connally’s health
             -Schedule
                     -St. Louis
                            -International lumbermen
                     -California
                     -Television appearance
                            -George Christian
                                    -Jeb Stuart Magruder

       Connally
             -Schedule
             -Houston
             -Idanell (Brill)(“Nellie”) Connally
                     -Dallas
                     -Jamaica
             -House moving
                     -Washington, DC
                     -Houston
                             -Judge Connally [first name unknown]
                     -Washington, DC

       The President's health

              -California

       The President's schedule
              -Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT]
              -Washington, DC
              -Atlanta
              -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman's conversation with John Connally

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 6m 59s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

       John Connally’s health

       Nellie Connally

Also recorded on October 3, 1972

  • 355-008 1:56 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:56 pm to 2:07 pm.
  • 030-048 2:07 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:07 pm and 2:08 pm.
  • 355-009 2:07 PM · 8 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 2:07 pm and 2:08 pm.
  • 030-049 2:08 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 2:08 pm to 2:09 pm.
  • 355-010 2:08 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:08 pm to 2:09 pm.
  • 030-050 2:09 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:09 pm and 2:10 pm.
  • 355-011 2:09 PM · 9 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 2:09 pm and 2:10 pm.
  • 355-012 2:09 PM · 9 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 2:09 pm and 2:10 pm.

All 64 conversations from October 3, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 030-047, October 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/030-047 (accessed October 1, 2026).