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Conversation 012-033

TapeTape 12StartThursday, October 21, 1971 at 10:51 AMEndThursday, October 21, 1971 at 10:52 AMTape start time00:57:02Tape end time00:58:06ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose MaryRecording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon contacted his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, to address a technical issue with a malfunctioning buzzer in her Old Executive Office Building (OEOB) workspace. Beyond the maintenance request, Nixon directed Woods to transcribe a rough draft of a speech he recorded on tape. He explicitly commanded that the material remain strictly confidential and prohibited Woods from sharing or showing the tape to anyone without his express authorization, citing concerns about unauthorized access by staff members.

Rose Mary WoodsSpeechwritingConfidentialityOffice maintenanceWhite House operations
AudioNARA Description

On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 10:51 am to 10:52 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-033 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 12-33

Date: October 21, 1971
Time: 10:51 am- 10:52 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Rose Mary Woods.

[See Conversation No. 281-23]

     Repair request
          -Buzzer
                -Old Executive Office Building [OEOB] office

     Tape
            -President’s draft of speech
            -Availability
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Miss Wood, sir.
Hi, Rose.
Hi.
How are you feeling?
You home?
No, no.
No, I'm not.
Is that bell not ringing?
Did you try it?
Yeah, I've been trying.
It hasn't worked, I think, for several days.
Oh, it works from over in your office here, but I guess I'll tell them the EOB one doesn't work then.
Fine.
Fine.
Okay.
I am sending over, I've sent over one tape and I'm sending another.
This is very rough, deliberately, but I just want you to run it off and bring it back over and have it over to me.
Second, under no circumstances, no matter who comes in, is it to be shown to anybody.
No, all right.
You know what I mean?
Yes.
Under no circumstances, no matter who comes in, is anybody to see it.
All right.
It's, I'm working on it and I'll let you know when.
You know, all the boys who have to look at things have to want to look at it.
Sure, well, I won't show it to anyone unless you tell me to.
That's right.
You said I'm working on something privately.
Well, they don't get in here.
My door is shut.
Well, you never know.
Somebody says, well, they want a copy and so forth and so on.
They're not supposed to have any copies.
All right.
All right.
Fine.
Fine.
Thanks.
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