Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 138 › Conversation 138-012

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Charles W. Colson

Sunday, July 30, 1972 · 1:56 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 11 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation138-012 on Tape 138StartSunday, July 30, 1972 at 1:56 PMEndSunday, July 30, 1972 at 1:56 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 138-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon communicated with the Camp David operator to coordinate a telephonic conversation with Charles W. Colson. The operator confirmed that Colson would be available to return the President's call within approximately thirty minutes. The interaction served strictly as a logistical arrangement to facilitate direct communication between the two men.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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?
Yes, Mr. Coulson should be to a phone in about a half an hour if you'd like for him to return the call.
Fine, okay.
All right.

NARA Description

On July 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 1:56 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 138-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 138-12

Date: July 30, 1972
Time: 1:56 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The Camp David operator talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 198-23]

     Request for a call to Charles W. Colson
         -Return call by Colson

Also recorded on July 30, 1972

  • 138-011 1:32 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:32 pm and 1:56 pm.
  • 198-021 1:32 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:32 pm and 1:56 pm.
  • 198-022 1:32 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:32 pm and 1:56 pm.
  • 198-023 1:56 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 1:56 pm.
  • 138-013 1:58 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 1:58 pm.
  • 198-024 1:58 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 1:58 pm.
  • 138-014 2:22 PM · 20 sec — Charles W. Colson and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David from 2:22 pm to 2:42 pm.
  • 198-025 2:22 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:22 pm to 2:42 pm.

All 23 conversations from July 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 138-012, July 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/138-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).