Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-047
Nixon phone call with Petersen on Watergate
Sunday, April 15, 1973 · 4:00 PM–5:15 PM ET · White House Telephone · 20 sec
AI Summary
Assistant Attorney General Henry E. Petersen contacted the White House operator to place an outgoing call, with President Richard M. Nixon audible in the background. The interaction primarily served to facilitate a connection for the President, reflecting the ongoing administrative logistics during the height of the Watergate investigation. No substantive policy discussions or decisions are recorded in this brief bridge call.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On April 15, 1973, Henry E. Petersen, White House operator, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 5:15 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-047 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 38-47
Date: April 15, 1973
Time: Unknown between 4:00 pm and 5:15 pm
Location: White House Telephone
-28-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 38-47 (cont’d)
Henry E. Petersen talked with the White House operator. The President can be heard in the
background.
Telephone call
Phone number
Questions [?]Also recorded on April 15, 1973
- 038-042 2:22 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:22 pm and 3:27 pm.
- 038-043 3:27 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:27 pm to 3:44 pm.
- 038-044 3:44 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:44 pm and 3:48 pm.
- 038-045 3:48 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Richard G. Kleindienst talked on the telephone from 3:48 pm to 3:49 pm.
- 038-046 3:50 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:50 pm.
- 038-048 4:00 PM · 7 min — Henry E. Petersen, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles N. Shaffer, and Earl J. Silbert talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 5:15 pm.
- 038-049 4:00 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 5:15 pm.
- 038-050 5:17 PM · 24 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 5:17 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 038-047, April 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/038-047 (accessed October 12, 2026).