Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 44 › Conversation 044-156

Nixon phone call with Eisenhower on White House decor and Fine art

Thursday, April 12, 1973 · 2:27 PM–2:28 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Eisenhower, Julie NixonConversation044-156 on Tape 44StartThursday, April 12, 1973 at 2:27 PMEndThursday, April 12, 1973 at 2:28 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 044-156 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his daughter, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, discuss her recent trip to Massachusetts where she accepted a peace prize on his behalf at the Middlesex Club. The conversation transitions into a discussion regarding the redecoration of the White House, specifically the selection of a new, vibrant landscape painting to replace the current portrait of Abraham Lincoln. They reach a consensus to wait for the acquisition of a colorful piece, similar to a Jasper Francis Cropsey painting currently displayed in the residence, rather than rushing the selection process.

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.7 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
I have jewelry for you, sir.
Hello.
Daddy?
Welcome back.
Hi.
How was your trip, honey?
Oh, it was great.
You know, it was pretty thrilling to accept that peace prize for you.
Oh, that's nice.
People were friendly and everything.
Oh, they were really ecstatic.
So friendly.
Massachusetts, too.
Good.
Middlesex Club.
Good.
Oh, that's a great club.
You're having a busy day, aren't you?
Yeah, they're all kind of busy.
I was going to tell you that
I'm going to have that reception for congressmen tonight.
It's likely to run, in my opinion, until, you know, almost 7 o'clock.
Daddy, you know, about changing the portrait, they're looking for a landscape, the Lincoln portrait.
I see.
They're looking very hard.
Do you think it's better just to wait till we get the landscape?
Oh, yes.
Wait, wait, wait.
There's no greater.
I just thought we ought to try to find something.
I agree.
Mother agrees, too.
But a bright landscape to get one, something that's not dull.
You know what?
They're looking for something like that beautiful crop seed that's on the second floor.
Right by the elevator, that beautiful, don't you love that one?
Something like that.
Right, honey.
Something cherry.
Something bright and colorful.
Cherry, yeah.
Okay.
Good.
All right, sweetie.
Bye.
I'll see you.
Bye.

NARA Description

On April 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:27 pm and 2:28 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 044-156 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 044-156

Date: April 12, 1973
Time: 2:27 pm-2:28 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Julie Nixon Eisenhower.

[See also Conversation No. 428-9]

       Julie Nixon Eisenhower's schedule
             -Trip
                   -Peace prize
                   -Massachusetts
                   -Middlesex Club

******************************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]

       The President’s schedule
            -Reception for Congressmen

******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 05/29/2019.
Segment will remain closed.]

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

[Personal Returnable]
[044-156-w001]
[Duration: 31s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

******************************************************************************

******************************************************************************

       White House
            -Lincoln portrait
                  -Landscape
                        -Color
                        -[Jasper Francis] Cropsey

Also recorded on April 12, 1973

  • 044-154 1:21 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:21 pm and 2:23 pm.
  • 428-005 1:21 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:21 pm and 2:23 pm.
  • 044-155 2:23 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:23 pm and 2:24 pm.
  • 044-164 2:23 PM · 6 sec — unknown person(s) and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:23 pm and 2:24 pm.
  • 428-009 2:23 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 2:23 pm.
  • 428-010 2:25 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:25 pm to 2:27 pm.
  • 428-011 2:27 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:27 pm to 2:28 pm.
  • 428-012 2:30 PM · 1 hr 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm.

All 46 conversations from April 12, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 044-156, April 12, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/044-156 (accessed October 5, 2026).