Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 37 › Conversation 037-166

Nixon phone call with Dean on Watergate and Richard A. Moore

Tuesday, March 20, 1973 · 12:59 PM–1:00 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Dean, John W., IIIConversation037-166 on Tape 37StartTuesday, March 20, 1973 at 12:59 PMEndTuesday, March 20, 1973 at 1:00 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 037-166 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John W. Dean III coordinate a meeting to review a nearly finalized draft letter prepared with the assistance of Richard A. Moore. They discuss the urgency of the document's release, with Dean suggesting it should be sent that afternoon. Ultimately, they agree to meet at 1:30 pm to discuss the final version of the text.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Oh, yes, sir.
Oh, anything you want to take up?
Yeah, I've got this draft letter, and you might want to read it, to react to it.
We're just going to continue to stomp and hone it until it's ready to go.
It's 90% there now.
Well, why don't you wait until you're through, then?
If you're not ready to... All right.
When you get ready, you and Moore want to bring it in this afternoon sometime.
All right, sir.
You don't want to send it today, then, or do you plan to send it?
I think it ought to go out sometime this afternoon, yes, sir.
Well...
Well, as soon as you think it's worth discussing, you come in.
Otherwise, I think what will happen is the committee may... What time is there?
Have you got Dick Moore there, too?
Are you working on it?
He just stepped down to make some changes in his office, and I'd say we could be ready in 30 minutes or so, if it's good with your schedule, sir.
Yeah.
Sure, sure.
All right.
Shall we say 1.30?
Good.
1.30.
All right.

NARA Description

On March 20, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John W. Dean, III talked on the telephone from 12:59 pm to 1:00 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 037-166 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 37-166

Date: March 20, 1973
Time: 12:59 pm-1:00 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John W. Dean III.

[See Conversation No. 884-11]

       Draft letter
               -Richard A. Moore
               -Timing of release
               -President's schedule
                      -Meeting with President

Also recorded on March 20, 1973

  • 884-011 12:59 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John W. Dean, III met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:59 pm to 1:00 pm.
  • 037-167 1:00 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 884-012 1:00 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 884-013 1:00 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 884-014 1:00 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 884-015 1:00 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 884-016 1:00 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 884-017 1:00 PM · 1 hr 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John W. Dean, III, and Richard A. Moore met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:00 pm to 2:31 pm.

All 46 conversations from March 20, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 037-166, March 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/037-166 (accessed October 2, 2026).