Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 31 › Conversation 031-141

Nixon phone call with Johnson on Presidential outreach and Personal health

Thursday, October 19, 1972 · 12:07 PM–12:08 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Johnson, James E.Conversation031-141 on Tape 31StartThursday, October 19, 1972 at 12:07 PMEndThursday, October 19, 1972 at 12:08 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 031-141 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon called James E. Johnson to express his personal sympathies and offer support regarding the health of Johnson's son. Beyond these condolences, the two discussed Johnson’s upcoming trip to Wheaton College. Nixon shared his own experience of speaking at the college during his vice-presidential campaign and encouraged Johnson to mention this history during his own address.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Mr. James Johnson, Mr. President.
Hello.
Mr. President?
Yes, I just wanted to tell you I heard about your boy and I just want to wish you the very best and you tell him we're praying for him and we know he's going to come out of it.
Mr. President, that's awesome of you to say that.
Well, this is one of those things that happens that...
But I know that it's going to be very hard for you and your family, but you and your wife.
But just stick in there.
We shall, and we're praying every day to keep the faith.
And I talked to Billy Graham the other day.
He said you were going to Wheaton.
Yes, sir.
Right.
Well, I'm glad you're going out there.
I spoke there many years ago.
Oh, wonderful.
When I was running for vice president.
Oh, I see.
You can say that when you speak with the president.
I spoke there many years ago before most of them were born.
I certainly will.
Okay.
I will.
Thank you very much.
Good luck to you.
Yes, sir.
Bye.

NARA Description

On October 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and James E. Johnson talked on the telephone from 12:07 pm to 12:08 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 031-141 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 31-141

Date: October 19, 1972
Time: 12:07 pm - 12:08 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with James E. Johnson.

[See Conversation No. 805-15]

        Johnson's son
            -Health
            -Mrs. Johnson

        Johnsons's schedule
            -Wheaton College
                -The President's talk with William F. (“Billy”) Graham

Also recorded on October 19, 1972

  • 031-140 12:03 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 12:07 pm.
  • 805-011 12:03 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 12:07 pm.
  • 805-012 12:03 PM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 12:07 pm.
  • 805-013 12:03 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 12:07 pm.
  • 805-014 12:03 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 12:07 pm.
  • 805-015 12:07 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and James E. Johnson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:07 pm to 12:08 pm.
  • 370-001 12:38 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 1:48 pm.
  • 370-002 12:38 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 1:48 pm.

All 78 conversations from October 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 031-141, October 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/031-141 (accessed October 10, 2026).