Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 36 › Conversation 036-019

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Robert H. Finch and 1973 Inauguration

Saturday, January 20, 1973 · 1:46 AM–1:49 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation036-019 on Tape 36StartSaturday, January 20, 1973 at 1:46 AMEndSaturday, January 20, 1973 at 1:49 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss Robert H. Finch’s decision to travel to the Virgin Islands during the 1973 inauguration events. While Herbert G. Klein confirmed that Finch had prior business and personal commitments, the President and Haldeman expressed concern that missing the official inaugural festivities would be perceived negatively. Ultimately, the President directed that any public inquiries regarding Finch's absence should be handled by Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Yeah.
Mr. President, Mr. Haldeman.
Yeah, thank you.
Go ahead, please.
Yeah, hello.
Yeah, Bob and Carol are in the Virgin Islands.
I called the home and talked to their daughter, Kathy, and she said they had been planning to go all along on business and then staying over for vacation.
And so I talked to Herb Klein because I figured he would be able to.
And he said, yeah, that Bob was here last weekend, you know, when I was talking to him.
He had gone to New York on business.
and was here a couple days then left Tuesday and he's uh he's giving the main address at the YPO meeting there which is paying his expenses and getting him there and all and then uh stand down and he said he wasn't at all disturbed he's in good spirits he had told him between Christmas and New Year's he was going to do this told her and that he had these meetings in New York that was going to go on down
Well, he may not be disturbed, but I don't think it's a very smart thing for him to miss the inauguration.
Well, that's what Herb said.
What did Herb think?
Herb said the same thing.
I told him the same thing and said, you know, you're making a mistake.
You should be here with the people here and all this.
And he said apparently there was some problem with Carol that he had promised her a vacation and a trip and all this.
Okay.
Well, he had to do it.
And Herb said he had talked to them just before he left about, you know, checking readings.
Well, if the question arises, just have Ziegler handle it.
I mean, it
It won't wash, though.
I mean, you see, he was in the Virgin Islands.
He had a speech to make or some damn thing.
Commitment to do OBO.
Maybe it'll pass.
It's a strange one.
It is strange, isn't it?
Yeah.
I just thought maybe there must be something we didn't do.
We didn't invite him or something.
No, no.
I thought that, too.
But Herb said no, that he wasn't it.
Herb had argued with him back at
Christmas time when he talked to him about it, that he shouldn't go, and then he said again early in the week that he thought he ought to stay here or come back for the inaugural.
Bob said, no, they're dead.
Okay.
Well, just so we know.
Okay, thank you.
All right.

NARA Description

On January 20, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 1:46 am to 1:49 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-19

Date: January 20, 1973
Time: 1:46 am - 1:49 am
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

       H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman's telephone call

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman between 1:46 and 1:49 am.

       Robert H. Finch’s location
            -Carol Finch
            -Haldeman’s conversations with Kathy Finch
            -Herbert G. Klein
                  -Conversation with Haldeman
                  -Conversation with Finch
            -Travel schedule
                  -1973 Inauguration events
                        -Klein’s view
                                                -17-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 36-19 (cont’d)

                        -The President’s view
                  -Ronald L. Ziegler
             -1973 Inauguration plans

Also recorded on January 20, 1973

  • 036-014 7:29 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 7:29 pm to 7:30 pm.
  • 036-141 7:30 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone on an unknown date, sometime between 7:30 pm on January 19, 1973 and 12:21 am on January 20, 1973.
  • 036-016 12:49 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:49 am and 1:03 am.
  • 036-017 1:03 AM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:03 am and 1:04 am.
  • 036-018 1:04 AM · 41 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 1:04 am to 1:46 am.
  • 036-020 8:35 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:35 am and 9:32 am.
  • 036-021 9:32 AM · 27 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 9:32 am to 9:59 am.
  • 036-022 10:01 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:01 am.

All 16 conversations from January 20, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-019, January 20, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/036-019 (accessed October 11, 2026).