Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-096
Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Thomas F. Eagleton and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
Thursday, May 17, 1973 · 3:05 PM–3:06 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Ronald Ziegler discussed efforts to verify the medical history of Thomas F. Eagleton, specifically investigating potential records at Barnes Hospital and the Mayo Clinic. Ziegler confirmed that the administration had no involvement in the medical record searches, aiming to reassure J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., who was concerned about possible leaks or exposure. Nixon instructed Ziegler to immediately relay these findings to Buzhardt to resolve his concerns.
- Thomas F. Eagleton
- J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
- Medical records
- White House internal investigations
- Administration leaks
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On May 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 3:05 pm to 3:06 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-096 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 46-96
Date: May 17, 1973
Time: 3:05 pm - 3:06 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.
-57-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
[See also Conversation No. 438-12]
Thomas F. Eagleton’s medical history
-Psychiatrist’s office
-Barnes hospital
-St. Louis, Missouri
-Mayo Clinic
-President’s meeting with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
-Administration’s involvement
-Location of office
-St. Louis, Missouri
-Mayo Clinic
-New York
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-News reports
Ziegler’s forthcoming conversation with Howard K. SmithAlso recorded on May 17, 1973
- 438-012 3:05 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:05 pm to 3:06 pm.
- 046-097 3:06 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:11 pm.
- 438-013 3:06 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:11 pm.
- 438-014 3:06 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:11 pm.
- 046-098 3:11 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 3:11 pm to 3:16 pm.
- 438-015 3:11 PM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon, J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:11 pm to 3:43 pm.
- 046-099 3:43 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 3:53 pm.
- 438-016 3:43 PM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 3:53 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 046-096, May 17, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-096 (accessed October 12, 2026).