Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 36 › Conversation 036-137

Nixon phone call with Bull on John C. Stennis and FBI

Tuesday, January 30, 1973 · 9:42 PM–9:43 PM ET · White House Telephone · 16 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation036-137 on Tape 36StartTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 9:42 PMEndTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 9:43 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-137 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to contact Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler regarding the shooting of Senator John C. Stennis. Nixon directed that an announcement be made emphasizing that the President had formally ordered an FBI investigation into the incident. This conversation served to establish the administration's public posture and demonstrate the President’s proactive involvement in the federal response.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I'm going to hold a Ziegler, tell him that the president has ordered the FBI.
You understand?
Yes, sir.
Okay.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On January 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 9:42 pm to 9:43 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-137 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-137

Date: January 30, 1973
Time: 9:42 pm - 9:43 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.

[See Conversation No. 406-49]

       John C. Stennis shooting
            -Contact Ronald L. Ziegler
            -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] involvement
                  -The President’s role

Also recorded on January 31, 1973

  • 036-135 9:40 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 9:40 pm to 9:41 pm.
  • 406-047 9:40 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:40 pm to 9:41 pm.
  • 036-136 9:41 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:41 pm and 9:42 pm.
  • 406-048 9:41 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:41 pm and 9:42 pm.
  • 406-049 9:42 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:42 pm to 9:43 pm.
  • 036-138 9:43 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:43 pm and 9:55 pm.
  • 406-050 9:43 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:43 pm to 9:55 pm.
  • 036-139 9:55 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 9:55 pm to 9:57 pm.

All 86 conversations from January 31, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-137, January 31, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/036-137 (accessed October 9, 2026).