Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-078
Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on John D. Ehrlichman
Monday, April 16, 1973 · 8:45 PM ET · White House Telephone · 17 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon consulted with a White House operator to determine the whereabouts of John D. Ehrlichman. Upon learning that Ehrlichman was unavailable while picking up his son, Nixon instructed the operator to notify him once Ehrlichman returned. This brief exchange highlights the President's ongoing efforts to maintain communication with his inner circle during the unfolding Watergate scandal.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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 16, 1973, White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 8:45 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-078 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 38-78
Date: April 16, 1973
Time: 8:45 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The White House operator talked with the President.
-43-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 38-78 (cont’d)
John D. Ehrlichman’s location
[There is no Conversation No. 38-79]Also recorded on April 17, 1973
- 038-080 8:45 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:45 pm and 8:58 pm.
- 038-081 8:45 PM · 21 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:45 pm and 8:58 pm.
- 427-014 8:45 PM · 13 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 8:45 pm.
- 427-015 8:45 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:45 pm and 8:58 pm.
- 427-016 8:45 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:45 pm and 8:58 pm.
- 038-082 8:58 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen talked on the telephone from 8:58 pm to 9:14 pm.
- 427-017 8:58 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:58 pm to 9:14 pm.
- 038-083 9:18 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:18 am and 9:19 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 038-078, April 17, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/038-078 (accessed October 5, 2026).