Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 31 › Conversation 031-004

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Ronald L. Ziegler

Thursday, October 5, 1972 · 6:50 PM–7:50 PM ET · White House Telephone · 11 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation031-004 on Tape 31StartThursday, October 5, 1972 at 6:50 PMEndThursday, October 5, 1972 at 7:50 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 031-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the White House operator to facilitate a telephone connection with his Press Secretary, Ronald L. Ziegler. The conversation served as a brief administrative request to initiate communication with a key staff member. No further policy or substantive matters were discussed during this short bridge to the intended party.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Mr. Zegler, please.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On October 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:50 pm and 7:50 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 031-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 31-4

Date: October 5, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:50 pm and 7:50 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

        Request for a call to Ronald L. Ziegler

Also recorded on October 5, 1972

  • 031-003 3:02 PM · 18 sec — Manolo Sanchez and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:02 pm.
  • 792-003 3:03 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:03 pm and 3:04 pm.
  • 792-004 3:04 PM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Clark MacGregor, Robert J. Dole, Bryce N. Harlow, John N. Mitchell, White House photographer, James D. Hodgson, Donald E. Johnson, and John F. Evans, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:04 pm to 4:53 pm.
  • 792-005 4:53 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:53 pm and 4:55 pm.
  • 792-006 4:55 PM · 1 hr 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Samuel Lubell, Charles W. Colson, White House photographer, unknown person(s), H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:55 pm to 6:23 pm.
  • 031-005 7:40 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, unknown person(s), and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 7:40 pm to 7:48 pm.
  • 031-006 7:48 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:48 pm and 7:50 pm.
  • 031-007 7:50 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 7:50 pm to 8:05 pm.

All 36 conversations from October 5, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 031-004, October 5, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/031-004 (accessed October 25, 2026).