Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-053

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on George P. Shultz

Tuesday, May 15, 1973 · 1:00 PM ET · White House Telephone · 30 sec

ParticipantsWhite House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation046-053 on Tape 46StartTuesday, May 15, 1973 at 1:00 PMEndTuesday, May 15, 1973 at 1:00 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 046-053 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to have Secretary of the Treasury George P. Shultz return his call. The President emphasized that while the matter was not urgent, the conversation needed to occur before 1:30 p.m. This brief exchange served as a logistical coordination to facilitate direct communication between the two officials.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Hello?
Secretary Schultz hasn't returned from his luncheon speech.
However, he's expected any moment.
John, any word?
Yeah, he can call me.
It's not urgent.
It's just he was trying to reach me.
So tell him that whenever he gets back at his convenience.
All right, sir.
It would have to be before 1.30, however.
Before 1.30.
All right.

NARA Description

On May 15, 1973, White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 1:00 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-053 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 46-53

Date: May 15, 1973
Time: 1:00 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

[See also Conversation no. 918-27]

     George P. Shultz’s location

Also recorded on May 15, 1973

  • 046-052 12:24 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:24 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 918-025 12:24 PM · 36 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:24 pm to 1:00 pm.
  • 918-026 12:24 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:24 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 918-027 1:00 PM · 29 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at 1:00 pm.
  • 918-028 1:00 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:04 pm.
  • 046-054 1:04 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:04 pm and 1:07 pm.
  • 918-029 1:04 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:04 pm and 1:07 pm.
  • 046-055 1:07 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 1:07 pm to 1:08 pm.

All 67 conversations from May 15, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 046-053, May 15, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-053 (accessed October 1, 2026).