Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-042

Nixon phone call with Graham on White House protocols and Call screening

Monday, April 30, 1973 · 10:20 PM–10:32 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsWhite House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Graham, William F. ("Billy")Conversation045-042 on Tape 45StartMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:20 PMEndMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:32 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-042 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon speaks with the White House operator to rectify confusion regarding current call-screening protocols following restrictive instructions issued by Bruce Kehrli. Nixon clarifies that while routine calls should be routed through Rose Mary Woods, he insists that all calls from Cabinet members be put through to him directly. After settling these administrative procedures, the President approves the connection of an incoming call from Reverend Billy Graham.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
The president?
Yeah.
The president.
Reverend Billy Graham is calling you.
No, no.
No.
Operator.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Harleman just told me that you've been instructed not to put calls through.
No, I haven't heard any member of the cabinet except Weinberger and the others put all calls through to me directly right now.
Do you understand that?
Yes, I do, sir.
We have been instructed not to.
Who instructed you not to?
Mr. Curly gave us different people to call.
No.
All right.
Any calls that come in to me, you know,
Not available.
Put them to... First, Ms. Woods will screen them.
All right.
Put them to her.
All right.
But honey, any calls from cabinet members are to me directly.
You understand?
Yes, I do, sir.
All right.
And you don't want to talk to Mr. Graham now.
Oh, I'll talk to him.
All right.
Sure, sure, sure, sure.
Hello?

NARA Description

On April 30, 1973, 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. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-042 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-42

Date: April 30, 1973
Time: Unknown between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

      Telephone call from William F. (“Billy”) Graham

      Instructions to switchboard concerning calls
            -Bruce A. Kehrli’s instructions
            -Rose Mary Woods
            -Cabinet members
            -Graham

Graham can be heard at the end of the conversation before the call was cut off.

Also recorded on May 1, 1973

  • 045-039 10:09 PM · 5 min — 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.
  • 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.
  • 045-043 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 181 conversations from May 1, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-042, May 1, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-042 (accessed October 12, 2026).