Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 31 › Conversation 031-049

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Barry M. Goldwater

Monday, October 16, 1972 · 9:33 AM–10:12 AM ET · White House Telephone · 17 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation031-049 on Tape 31StartMonday, October 16, 1972 at 9:33 AMEndMonday, October 16, 1972 at 10:12 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 031-049 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon communicated with the White House operator to facilitate a potential follow-up call with Senator Barry Goldwater. The operator reported that Goldwater was currently traveling in Alabama and would be unavailable for the remainder of the week. Nixon instructed that the call could be returned later in the day if possible, noting that there was no urgency regarding the request.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President, Senator Goldwater is traveling.
He's en route to Alabama.
And they said he'll be traveling all week, and we might be able to reach him.
If he can call sometime today, it's fine.
No hurry.
All right.
Fine.

NARA Description

On October 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:33 am and 10:12 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 031-049 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 31-49

Date: October 16, 1972
Time: Unknown between 9:33 am and 10:12 am
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 799-9A]

        Barry M. Goldwater's schedule
            -Possible return call

Also recorded on October 16, 1972

  • 799-006 8:50 AM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:50 am to 9:29 am.
  • 799-007 9:29 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:29 am and 9:32 am.
  • 031-048 9:32 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:32 am.
  • 799-008 9:32 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 9:32 am.
  • 031-050 9:33 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:33 am and 10:12 am.
  • 031-051 9:33 AM · 49 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:33 am and 10:47 am.
  • 799-009 9:33 AM · 39 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr., and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:33 am to 10:12 am.
  • 799-010 10:13 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:13 am to 10:19 am.

All 97 conversations from October 16, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 031-049, October 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/031-049 (accessed October 1, 2026).