Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 136 › Conversation 136-008

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Ronald L. Ziegler

Saturday, July 22, 1972 · 2:31 PM–2:37 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 8 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation136-008 on Tape 136 (tape position 00:42:05–00:42:13)StartSaturday, July 22, 1972 at 2:31 PMEndSaturday, July 22, 1972 at 2:37 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 136-008 ↗

President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an urgent communication. The primary purpose of the brief telephone exchange was to request that White House Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler be connected to the President. This administrative action highlights the President's ongoing need for staff coordination while stationed at Camp David.

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Yes please.
Thank you Mr. President.

On July 22, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:31 pm and 2:37 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 136-008 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 136-8

Date: July 22, 1972
Time: Unknown between 2:31 and 2:37 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table (telephone)

The President talked to the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 197-11]

       Request for Ronald L. Ziegler
  • 136-006 2:17 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:17 pm and 2:25 pm.
  • 136-007 2:17 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:17 pm and 2:25 pm.
  • 197-010 2:25 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:25 pm to 2:31 pm.
  • 197-011 2:31 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:31 pm and 2:37 pm.
  • 136-009 2:37 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at Camp David from 2:37 pm to 2:44 pm.
  • 197-012 2:37 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:37 pm to 2:44 pm.
  • 136-010 2:44 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:44 pm and 2:46 pm.
  • 197-013 2:44 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:44 pm and 2:46 pm.

Conversation 136-008, July 22, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/136-008 (accessed October 12, 2026).