Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-039

Nixon, Volpe & Woods on Watergate scandal and Presidential address

Monday, April 30, 1973 · 10:09 PM–10:16 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsWoods, Rose Mary; White House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Keyes, Paul W.; Volpe, John A.Conversation045-039 on Tape 45StartMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:09 PMEndMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:16 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-039 ↗

AI Summary

Rose Mary Woods facilitates a telephone conversation between Ambassador John A. Volpe and the White House during a period of significant political instability. Volpe expresses his admiration and support for President Nixon following a televised address, praising the President’s courage and commitment to maintaining the integrity of the office. Volpe also offers to provide specific suggestions regarding White House staff reorganization, which he agrees to transmit via a formal cable marked for the President’s personal attention.

Audio

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NARA Description

On April 30, 1973, Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, Paul W. Keyes, and John A. Volpe talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:09 pm and 10:16 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-039 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-39

Date: April 30, 1973
Time: Unknown between 10:09 pm and 10:16 pm
Location: White House Telephone
                                              -25-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 45-39 (cont’d)

Rose Mary Woods talked with the White House operator.

     Telephone call from John A. Volpe

Woods placed the telephone on hold at an unknown time.

     Telephone call from Volpe

Woods conferred with the President, Paul W. Keyes, and an unknown woman at an unknown
time after 9:28 pm.

[Begin conferral]

     H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
           -Attitude
           -John D. Ehrlichman
                 -Car

     Woods’s telephone calls to Haldeman and Ehrlichman
         -Resignations

[End conferral]

Woods talked with Volpe at 10:12 pm.

     Volpe’s schedule

     President’s speech
           -Volpe’s appreciation
           -President’s courage

     Volpe’s dinner with Gen. Phillip B. Davidson, Jr. [?]
          -Italian generals

     President’s speech
           -President’s courage

     Volpe’s schedule
          -Telephone call to Vatican
                                             -26-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 45-39 (cont’d)

           -Request for mass
           -[Pope Paul VI] Giovanni Battista Motini

     White House staff reorganization
          Volpe’s suggestions
               -Cable to President

     Volpe’s best wishes
          -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
          -First Family

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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Yes, please.

Hi, would you like to put Ambassador Volpe on the line?

Yes.

Thank you.

Yes, this was.

What's on?

I'm trying to get him back on.

Okay, thanks.

Hold on this call.

That's when I was just going to tell you what you can.

And he was nice yesterday and the other one wasn't.

I didn't say anything.

I just could tell by her attitude when just even hopped in the car while Alderman stood there.

He called it for you.

And I know he wants to thank you and I think he should.

Wait, wait, wait.

I'm being wealthy here.

It was.

It was very beautifully said.

And I have to tell you, I called him today and told him...

I told him today that I wished him well.

John, I didn't call at all.

I didn't even call him at all.

I called Bob today and I said I...

I just want you to know that...

Thank you.

Hello?

Hello, Mr.

Ambassador.

How are you?

I have been up all night.

I just couldn't go to sleep and I didn't want to go to sleep because I had something I wanted to hear from my man.

And he said it.

Did you hear it over there?

I heard it a little bit.

Sure, I know.

It's after 3.

Yeah, there are very few men with that.

That's right.

Yes.

there i think he just passed along to him rosemary my fondest regards

You know, he'll be so pleased that you thought of staying up so late to wait and listen and particularly pleased that you agreed with what he said and how he said it.

Well, he lays on the line, dear, and there's no doubt that there shouldn't be any doubt in the American people's minds as to the fact that this man, Tom Herrihy-Warder, is determined that the presidency of the United States is going to remain, well, it's going to be a place of integrity and that the institution itself must be preserved.

That's right.

And he had a very tough problem and he just faced up to it like he does to every tough problem.

Oh, that's wonderful.

I'll have a note on his desk when he gets there in the morning telling him, and he'll appreciate that very, very much.

Tell him that I am prouder than ever of him.

If anything John Volpe can do, I have one suggestion for him in this total

I don't think we probably ought to talk on a telephone about...

I have one suggestion, which I'll put into a cable, which I'll get off the first thing in the morning.

All right.

Why don't you send it marked for my attention?

I'll mark it for your attention.

Okay.

Thank you so very much.

It's all for you, dear.

Oh, it's so nice to talk with you, and I know how much the President and Mrs. Nixon and all the family will appreciate your calling.

Tell them that our hearts, our prayers, and just everything we've got are with them, and this is something that John Bolte can do.

All he has to do is open his mouth.

All right.

I surely will tell him.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Best of luck to you.

Good night.

Also recorded on April 30, 1973

045-040 10:12 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:12 pm and 10:16 pm.
045-041 10:16 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 10:16 pm to 10:20 pm.
045-042 10:20 PM · 1 min — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and William F. ("Billy") Graham talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm.
045-043 10:20 PM · 25 sec — Rose Mary Woods and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm.
045-044 10:20 PM · 5 min — William P. Rogers, President Richard M. Nixon, and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm.
045-045 10:20 PM · 5 min — William F. ("Billy") Graham and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm.
045-046 10:20 PM · 15 sec — White House operator and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm.
045-047 10:20 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:33 pm.

All 62 conversations from April 30, 1973 →

Nixon phone call with Haig on Watergate and Republican Party leadership May 21, 1973 · 2 min
Nixon phone call with Haldeman on William Rogers and Henry Kissinger November 17, 1972 · 7 min
Nixon phone call with Haig on Watergate and Presidential address May 1, 1973 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Lewis on Watergate scandal and Public relations May 1, 1973 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Watergate scandal and Special Prosecutor May 1, 1973 · 6 min
Nixon & Ziegler on Watergate and Public Relations May 1, 1973 · 17 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-039, April 30, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-039 (accessed November 2, 2026).