Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 35 › Conversation 035-047

Colson & Warren on Public Relations and Richard Nixon

Monday, January 1, 1973 · 11:20 AM–12:38 PM ET · White House Telephone ·2 min

ParticipantsColson, Charles W.; White House operator; Warren, Gerald L.Conversation035-047 onTape 35StartMonday, January 1, 1973 at 11:20 AMEndMonday, January 1, 1973 at 12:38 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-047 ↗

AI Summary

Charles W. Colson contacted Gerald L. Warren to coordinate the administration's public narrative regarding President Nixon’s work ethic on New Year’s Day. Colson emphasized the need to highlight that the President arrived at the office by 7:30 a.m. to focus on inaugural preparations, congressional messages, and staff meetings. Additionally, they clarified that the President’s limited television viewing was specifically to observe First Lady Pat Nixon in the Rose Bowl parade, while also briefly noting that the status of Henry Kissinger’s return from Paris remained unconfirmed.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Thank you.

Hello?

Is Jerry there?

Hello?

Is Jerry there, please?

Calling you.

Mr. Coulson.

Hi, Jerry.

I just stepped out of the president's office for a second.

He wants you to be sure to make the point that he was in at 7.30 this morning, that he's been working all day, that he got here ahead of anyone on the staff.

He did indeed.

But the policeman had to get the keys to let him in his office.

The guard did.

But he's been working all day in the White House.

Reading, preparation for inaugural, phone conversations with staff, meeting with various staff, I wouldn't name them.

messages to the Congress, working on preparation for inaugural and various messages to the Congress, and that he did come over here to the EOB office this morning to watch Mrs. Nixon on TV.

He wanted to see her in the Rose Bowl parade.

Okay.

So he's been watching a little bit of television to see her.

This is true.

While the set's been on.

Just basically to see her.

Right.

All right?

I'll do it.

He wants to get that 730 line out there.

We'll move it.

Okay.

Thanks.

And he didn't say anything about when Henry's coming back, did he?

No, did not.

Okay.

Thanks.

NARA Description

On January 1, 1973, Charles W. Colson, White House operator, and Gerald L. Warren talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:20 am and 12:38 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-047 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-47

Date: January 1, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:20 am and 12:38 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Charles W. Colson talked with the White House operator.

       Request for a call to Gerald L. Warren

Colson talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 11:20 am and 12:38 pm.

       Request to speak with Warren

Colson talked with Warren at unknown time between 11:20 am and 12:38 pm.

       Warren’s forthcoming press conference
            -The President's schedule
                  -Work on New Year’s Day
                       -Arrival
                              -Timing
                                    -Compared to White House staff
                                    -Guard
                                          -Keys to office
                       -Activities
                              -Reading
                              -Preparations for 1973 Inauguration
                              -Telephone conversations and meetings with staff
                              -Messages to Congress
                              -Preparations for 1973 Inauguration
                  -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                       -Rose Bowl Parade
                              -The President’s viewing on television [TV]
                                    -Executive Office Building [EOB]
            -Henry A. Kissinger’s return [from Paris]
                                               -49-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                           (rev. Oct.-07)

Also recorded on January 1, 1973

829-015 11:14 AM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:14 am and 11:16 am.
829-016 11:14 AM · 54 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:14 am and 11:16 am.
392-010 11:17 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 11:17 am.
392-011 11:17 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:17 am and 11:20 am.
392-012 11:17 AM · 15 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 11:17 am and 11:20 am.
392-013 11:17 AM · 34 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 11:17 am and 11:20 am.
035-048 11:20 AM · 17 sec — Charles W. Colson and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:20 am and 12:38 pm.
392-014 11:20 AM · 1 hr 53 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Manolo Sanchez, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:20 am to 1:10 pm.

All 32 conversations from January 1, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-047, January 1, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/035-047 (accessed September 18, 2026).