Nixon White House TapesTape 36 › Conversation 036-052

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Alexander M. Haig Jr.

Monday, January 22, 1973 · 5:55 PM–6:19 PM ET · White House Telephone ·12 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  White House operatorConversation036-052 onTape 36StartMonday, January 22, 1973 at 5:55 PMEndMonday, January 22, 1973 at 6:19 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-052 ↗

President Nixon initiates a request for the White House operator to connect him with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. This brief administrative interaction serves as the preliminary step for the President to establish direct communication with his assistant. No further substantive policy discussions occur during this specific exchange.

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Hague, please.
Yes, sir.

On January 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-052 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 36-52

Date: January 22, 1973
Time: Unknown between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See also Conversation No. 400-14D]

       Request for a telephone call to Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
  • 036-047 4:51 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:51 pm.
  • 400-014 5:00 PM · 1 hr 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Manolo Sanchez, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Walter R. Tkach, White House operator, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm.
  • 036-048 5:55 PM · 10 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 036-049 5:55 PM · 2 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 036-050 5:55 PM · 51 sec — Walter R. Tkach and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 036-051 5:55 PM · 47 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 036-053 6:19 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 6:19 pm to 6:22 pm.
  • 036-054 6:22 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:22 pm and 7:14 pm.

Conversation 036-052, January 22, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/036-052 (accessed September 18, 2026).