Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-197

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on personal communication

Monday, February 26, 1973 · 5:21 PM ET · White House Telephone · 50 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation043-197 on Tape 43StartMonday, February 26, 1973 at 5:21 PMEndMonday, February 26, 1973 at 5:21 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-197 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon attempted to initiate a telephone call to First Lady Pat Nixon via the White House operator. Upon learning that the First Lady was already engaged in another conversation, Nixon declined to have his call put through or to interrupt her. The request was ultimately dropped after the President determined that the communication was not of an urgent nature.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Ring Mrs. Nixon, please.
Yes, sir.
Mr. President, we show that she's talking to someone right now.
Should I interrupt?
No, no.
Not important.
All right.
Thank you, sir.

NARA Description

On February 26, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 5:21 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-197 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-197

Date: February 26, 1973
Time: 5:21 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 413-29]

       Request for a call to Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

       Status of call to Mrs. Nixon

Also recorded on February 26, 1973

  • 413-028 4:50 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:50 pm to 5:15 pm.
  • 413-029 5:21 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 5:21 pm.
  • 413-030 5:21 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:21 pm to 5:22 pm.
  • 413-031 5:22 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:22 pm and 5:36 pm.
  • 043-198 5:36 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at 5:36 pm.
  • 043-199 5:36 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:36 pm and 6:03 pm.
  • 413-032 5:36 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:36 pm to 5:37 pm.
  • 413-033 5:40 PM · 1 hr 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, William L. Safire, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:40 pm to 7:15 pm.

All 20 conversations from February 26, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-197, February 26, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-197 (accessed October 2, 2026).