Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 37 › Conversation 037-071
Nixon, Kissinger & Downey on PRC and prisoner release
Friday, March 9, 1973 · 2:35 PM–2:46 PM ET · White House Telephone ·1 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger spoke with William Downey to inform him that the People's Republic of China, following negotiations with Chou En-lai, had agreed to release his brother, John T. Downey, on the following Monday. The participants discussed the timing of the official White House announcement scheduled for 3:00 p.m. and acknowledged the urgency of the release due to concerns regarding the health of John Downey’s mother. The call concluded with William Downey expressing gratitude for the administration's successful intervention.
- John T. Downey
- PRC
- Henry Kissinger
- prisoner release
- Chou En-lai
- diplomacy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On March 9, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and William Downey talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 2:46 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 037-071 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 37-71
Date: March 9, 1973
Time: Unknown between 2:35 pm and 2:46 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President and Henry A. Kissinger [?] talked with William Downey.
[See Conversation No. 418-5C]
Message from People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Chou En-Lai
-Release of John T. Downey
-Henry A. Kissinger
-White House announcement
-William Downey’s reaction
-William and John Downey’s mother’s health [?]
- 47 -
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
(rev. Sept-09)Also recorded on March 9, 1973
- 037-068 2:12 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:12 pm and 2:15 pm.
- 418-003 2:12 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:12 pm and 2:15 pm.
- 418-005 2:15 PM · 50 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, William Downey, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Thomas J. Meskill met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 3:05 pm.
- 037-069 2:16 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 2:16 pm to 2:18 pm.
- 037-070 2:35 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 2:46 pm.
- 037-072 2:35 PM · 15 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 2:46 pm.
- 037-073 2:46 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:46 pm.
- 037-074 2:46 PM · 2 min — Henry A. Kissinger and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:46 pm and 2:53 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 037-071, March 9, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/037-071 (accessed September 18, 2026).