Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 37 › Conversation 037-118

Nixon phone call with Cake on Morale and Political loyalty

Thursday, March 15, 1973 · 12:11 PM–12:12 PM ET · White House Telephone · 58 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Cake, Ralph H.Conversation037-118 on Tape 37StartThursday, March 15, 1973 at 12:11 PMEndThursday, March 15, 1973 at 12:12 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 037-118 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated this brief call to Ralph H. Cake to inquire about his health and provide personal encouragement. The President expressed appreciation for Cake's loyalty and contributions, urging him to maintain his resolve as a supporter of the administration. The conversation served primarily as a morale-boosting gesture rather than a discussion of specific policy matters.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Hello.
Hello.
I'm just calling to see if you're holding on.
Who is it?
This is Dick Nixon.
Oh, President, it's wonderful of you to call me.
Well, I'll tell you, we're just thinking about you, and we miss you, but you keep an old spirit up, Ralph.
I'll do, sir.
You bet your life, and we'll... You have to remember, you're one of our front-line soldiers, and... You're doing the right thing all the way along.
Well, we... Stay right with it.
Don't you give an inch on it.
We won't, and let me say, we couldn't have done it if you hadn't helped.
Oh, well, you're just too wonderful.
Well, you take care now, will you?
I will, and thank you so much.
Okay, bye.
Thank you so much.
Thanks, bye.

NARA Description

On March 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ralph H. Cake talked on the telephone from 12:11 pm to 12:12 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 037-118 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 37-118

Date: March 15, 1973
Time: 12:11 pm-12:12 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ralph H. Cake.

[See Conversation No. 880-6A]

       Cake's health
                                               - 84 -

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

       Advice to President

Also recorded on March 15, 1973

  • 880-003 11:58 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:58 am to 12:05 pm.
  • 037-117 12:05 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:11 pm.
  • 880-004 12:05 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:11 pm.
  • 880-005 12:05 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:11 pm.
  • 880-006 12:11 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Ralph H. Cake, Ronald L. Ziegler, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:11 pm to 12:25 pm.
  • 880-007 12:25 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:25 pm and 12:26 pm.
  • 880-008 12:26 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Max L. Friedersdorf, Debbie Ploch, and James M. Collins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:26 pm to 12:35 pm.
  • 880-009 12:35 PM · 46 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:35 pm to 1:02 pm.

All 83 conversations from March 15, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 037-118, March 15, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/037-118 (accessed October 1, 2026).