Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 35 › Conversation 035-124

Nixon, Rowan & Martin on Birthday and Entertainment

Wednesday, January 10, 1973 · 3:49 PM–3:50 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Rowan, Dan; Martin, DickConversation035-124 on Tape 35StartWednesday, January 10, 1973 at 3:49 PMEndWednesday, January 10, 1973 at 3:50 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-124 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon spoke with entertainers Dan Rowan and Dick Martin to express his personal appreciation for a humorous birthday skit they produced for his 60th birthday. The discussion included lighthearted banter about the skit’s writer, Paul Keyes, and the President's plan to share the performance with his White House staff. The call concluded with a brief analysis of the upcoming Super Bowl, specifically comparing the strengths of the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Redskins.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yes, sir.
I have Mr. Dick Martin and Mr. Dan Rowland on the line.
Hello?
Hello, Mr. President.
Hi, Mr. President.
Well, I just wanted to tell you that in your very busy schedules for you, the two of you, to take off the time to make that really hilarious skit, I had rather, like anybody, dreaded reaching the
advanced age of 60, but it made it the best birthday I've ever had.
Well, we enjoyed doing it, and Paul just had a ball with it.
I don't see how you fellows do it with such a lousy writer.
We have to teach him how to write.
Right, right.
We were really kind of hoping, Mr. President, you'd keep him back there a little longer because things were going so well.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, I'll tell you, it was really great in that, of course, those football stuff and everything, but when your two phases came on, I turned the keys, and I said, my God, we can't afford these guys.
So, but it's really great.
We enjoyed it, and we hope you have a very happy birthday.
Well, let me say this.
I hope everything goes well, and as I told you when...
So you, San Clemente, be sure they pay you enough.
Thank you.
Okay?
And give my best to your wives.
Thank you.
Thanks a lot.
How many points?
Listen, I'll tell you, anybody that gives points is a nut on either side.
I think it's pretty dead even.
I think it's pretty even.
I think just between you and me that it's a moment that Miami...
They have to be given an edge because they're younger and faster.
On the other hand, the Redskins have something going for them that could be the differential, and that is that they may be a little hungrier.
And the experience.
You know, us old guys get very hungry.
Okay.
It's so kind of you to call.
Oh, listen, after what you did, I incidentally, we of course are going to keep it only with him, but I told all of them and he could show the White House staff.
I thought they'd get such a bang to see you.
Okay.
Happy birthday.
Bye.
Bye-bye.

NARA Description

On January 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Dan Rowan, and Dick Martin talked on the telephone from 3:49 pm to 3:50 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-124 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-124

Date: January 10, 1973
Time: 3:49 - 3:50 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.

[See Conversation No. 395-11]

      Appreciation for birthday gift
           -Skit
                 -Paul W. Keyes
                 -Football
           -San Clemente

      Best wishes

      Super Bowl game
           -Point spread
           -Miami Dolphins
                 -Age, speed
           -Washington Redskins
                 -Desire to win
                 -Experience

      Skit
             -Screening for staff
                   -The President’s conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

Also recorded on January 10, 1973

  • 395-007 3:35 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Melvin R. Laird met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:35 pm and 3:41 pm.
  • 035-123 3:41 PM · 6 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 3:41 pm to 3:46 pm.
  • 395-008 3:41 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:41 pm to 3:46 pm.
  • 395-009 3:46 PM · 26 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 3:46 pm and 3:49 pm.
  • 395-010 3:46 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:46 pm and 3:49 pm.
  • 395-011 3:49 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Dan Rowan, and Dick Martin met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:49 pm to 3:50 pm.
  • 035-125 3:50 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:50 pm and 7:28 pm.
  • 395-012 3:50 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:50 pm and 4:11 pm.

All 24 conversations from January 10, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-124, January 10, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/035-124 (accessed October 11, 2026).