Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 31 › Conversation 031-150

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Charles W. Colson

Friday, October 20, 1972 · 9:15 AM ET · White House Telephone · 13 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation031-150 on Tape 31StartFriday, October 20, 1972 at 9:15 AMEndFriday, October 20, 1972 at 9:15 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 031-150 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a brief request for the White House operator to summon Charles W. Colson to the Oval Office. This logistical coordination serves to facilitate an immediate, private meeting between the President and his special counsel. The primary objective is the scheduling of this consultation, marking a standard administrative interaction during the workday.

Audio

Download MP3 · 0.3 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Could you ask Mr. Coulson to come to the OB, please?
Yes, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On October 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:15 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 031-150 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 31-150

Date: October 20, 1972
Time: 9:15 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 371-5]

        Request for a meeting with Charles W. Colson

Also recorded on October 20, 1972

  • 371-001 8:16 AM · 14 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 8:16 am and 8:25 am.
  • 371-003 8:25 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:25 am to 8:40 am.
  • 371-004 9:11 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:11 am to 9:14 am.
  • 371-005 9:15 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:15 am to 9:16 am.
  • 371-006 9:16 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:16 am to 9:50 am.
  • 371-007 9:50 AM · 2 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 9:50 am and 10:04 am.
  • 371-008 9:50 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 10:04 am.
  • 371-009 10:04 AM · 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Gen. William Westmoreland met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:04 am to 10:35 am.

All 22 conversations from October 20, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 031-150, October 20, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/031-150 (accessed October 10, 2026).