Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 132 › Conversation 132-027

Beckman phone call on Camp David and smoke detectors

Thursday, May 18, 1972 · 12:00 AM–11:49 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 4 min

ParticipantsBeckman, Bill; [Unknown person(s)]Conversation132-027 on Tape 132 (tape position 00:18:08–00:22:35)StartThursday, May 18, 1972 at 12:00 AMEndTuesday, June 6, 1972 at 11:49 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 132-027 ↗

AI Summary

Bill Beckman and technical personnel conducted a series of functional tests on the smoke detection system at the Camp David study. The participants coordinated the triggering and clearing of alarms in specific rooms to verify the equipment's responsiveness and connectivity. The session concluded successfully after the technicians confirmed the system was operating as intended.

  • Camp David
  • smoke detectors
  • technical testing
  • facility maintenance
  • security systems

Audio

Download MP3 · 10.2 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Go ahead, please.
Beckman speaking, sir.
Hey, you know what that means.
All right, just keep talking.
I want to try... What about you at now?
Back in the study.
Back in the study.
Back in the study.
Back in the what?
Three?
Four?
Are you sure now?
I don't know.
I think it's bedroom three.
I don't know what the hell it comes under on me.
Yeah, I'll light the one off in the study right here, because they've got a stool up and everything on it.
Okay, just a sec.
Let me... Go ahead and light it off one time, then clear it.
I'll clear it up here, and then he'll take and light it off again in a few minutes.
Okay, you're going to hang on the phone here?
Yeah.
Okay.
Thank you all.
I don't know.
You hear that?
Yeah.
Is that the right one?
Uh, yeah, that's number three.
Okay, hang on a minute.
We'll call it.
Now, kind of blow the smoke away.
Blow the smoke away so we can play it.
Just raise your hand.
Okay, it's cleared up here.
Okay.
Try it, will that reach that?
Yeah, it'll reach that.
Okay, now have him try it.
You want some more in it?
Yeah.
Okay, throw a little bit more in the truck.
He's got a bomb.
What?
Is it going out?
No, not yet.
Not yet?
Now, man, looks like it's smoking a bay up there.
Keep smoking.
Keep smoking.
There it is.
Okay, now it's going off.
Okay, I've got one wire completely, completely disconnected.
Okay, have him clear it again.
Let me try it one more time.
Okay, here.
You only blinked here a couple times.
Huh?
Is it blinking now?
No.
It's not blinking now, is it, Joe?
No.
Okay.
Do you want to try it again or what?
No.
No.
One more time, Joey.
He's getting pissed because he's wasting a fucking cigarette on you, Rodney.
I'm telling you, he's getting a lot of nicotine.
He's getting a lot of nicotine, Joe.
The whole series is turning you on with the way you're going on.
There it goes.
You getting that?
Yeah.
All right, then.
You want me to clear it?
Yep.
Yeah.
It stopped.
It did.
Thank you.
Is that all?
Yeah, for right now.
Okay.
What are you guys doing?
What do you think we're doing?
You don't have the need to know.
Oh.
It's classified work that they're doing.
Uh-huh.
Sounds like a fish story to me.
I'm going to tell you, you're a junior in 6th grade, so you don't need to know.
Can you hear me over here?
Okay, okay, okay

NARA Description

Bill Beckman and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 132-027 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 132-27

Date: Unknown between May 18, and June 6, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:00 am, May 18 and 11:49 pm, June 6
Location: Camp David Study Table

Bill Beckman talked with an unknown man.
      Location

     Smoke detectors
         -Testing

The unknown man conferred with an unknown person at an unknown time.

[End of conferral]

     Tests

The unknown man conferred with an unknown person at an unknown time.

[End of conferral]

     Tests
             -Adjustments

     Joke

Also recorded on May 18, 1972

  • 132-001 12:00 AM · 43 sec — Bill Beckman and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-002 12:00 AM · 47 sec — Bill Beckman and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-003 12:00 AM · 1 min — Bill Beckman and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-004 12:00 AM · 39 sec — Unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-005 12:00 AM · 47 sec — Bill Beckman and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-006 12:00 AM · 52 sec — Bill Beckman and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-007 12:00 AM · 2 min — Bill Beckman and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-008 12:00 AM · 37 sec — Bill Beckman and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.

All 90 conversations from May 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 132-027, May 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/132-027 (accessed October 12, 2026).