Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 44 › Conversation 044-047

Nixon phone call with Bull on Vietnam War and Oval Office

Wednesday, March 28, 1973 · 12:35 PM–12:36 PM ET · White House Telephone · 34 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation044-047 on Tape 44StartWednesday, March 28, 1973 at 12:35 PMEndWednesday, March 28, 1973 at 12:36 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 044-047 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to calculate the exact number of formal, televised addresses he had delivered from the Oval Office regarding the Vietnam War during his presidency. The President sought this data to contextualize his public communication efforts over the previous four years. Bull was tasked with finalizing this count, including the most recent address, for the President's review.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Yeah.
Ready with Mr. Bolson.
Yes, sir.
Get the number of times that I have spoken from the Oval Office on Vietnam over the four years.
Well, including, of course, the last time.
All right, sir.
Fine.
You know what I mean?
Just the formal addresses.
The formal televised addresses.
Televised addresses from the Oval Office.
Right.
All right, sir.
Fine.
How many times?
Okay, sir.
Thank you.
Fine.

NARA Description

On March 28, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:35 pm and 12:36 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 044-047 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 044-047

Date: March 28, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:35 pm and 12:36 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.

[See also Conversation No. 425-9]

       President's televised speeches from Oval Office on Vietnam
             -Number

Also recorded on March 28, 1973

  • 044-043 12:28 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:28 pm and 12:30 pm.
  • 425-005 12:28 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:28 pm to 12:30 pm.
  • 425-006 12:28 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:28 pm and 12:34 pm.
  • 044-044 12:30 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:34 pm.
  • 044-045 12:30 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:34 pm.
  • 044-046 12:34 PM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:34 pm and 12:35 pm.
  • 425-008 12:34 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:34 pm to 12:35 pm.
  • 425-009 12:35 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:35 pm to 12:36 pm.

All 65 conversations from March 28, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 044-047, March 28, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/044-047 (accessed October 2, 2026).