Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 31 › Conversation 031-145
Nixon phone call with Tkach on Eleanor McGovern and Medical assistance
Thursday, October 19, 1972 · 5:06 PM–5:08 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and General Walter Tkach discussed the delivery of a private offer of medical assistance for Eleanor McGovern, the wife of political opponent George McGovern. Tkach confirmed that he coordinated the message through Lon Thompson, ensuring that any necessary military or civilian medical facilities and transportation would be made available. Nixon expressed satisfaction with the gesture, emphasizing the private nature of the outreach and praising Thompson's cooperation.
- Eleanor McGovern
- Medical assistance
- George McGovern
- White House outreach
- Lon Thompson
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On October 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone from 5:06 pm to 5:08 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 031-145 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 31-145
Date: October 19, 1972
Time: 5:06 pm - 5:08 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Gen. Walter R. Tkach.
[See Conversation No. 370-15]
Eleanor (Stegeberg) McGovern
-Doctor
-Lon Thompson
-Conveyance of President’s message on medical facilities
-McGovern’s location
-Private nature of message
-Military or civilian
-Transportation
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 26s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
-Thompson
-Relationships with McGovern
-Tkach’s viewAlso recorded on October 19, 1972
- 370-014 5:00 PM · 6 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 5:00 pm and 5:06 pm.
- 370-015 5:06 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Walter R. Tkach met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:06 pm to 5:08 pm.
- 031-146 5:10 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 5:10 pm.
- 031-147 5:10 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:14 pm.
- 370-016 5:10 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 5:10 pm.
- 370-017 5:10 PM · 7 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 5:10 pm and 5:14 pm.
- 370-018 5:10 PM · 13 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 5:10 pm and 5:14 pm.
- 031-148 5:14 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 5:14 pm to 5:17 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 031-145, 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/031-145 (accessed October 10, 2026).