Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 139 › Conversation 139-001

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

Tuesday, August 8, 1972 · 9:10 PM–10:53 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 10 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation139-001 on Tape 139StartTuesday, August 8, 1972 at 9:10 PMEndTuesday, August 8, 1972 at 10:53 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 139-001 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated a brief telephone communication through the Camp David operator to request a connection with his special counsel, Charles W. Colson. The exchange served exclusively as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication with a key administration advisor. No substantive policy discussions or decisions occurred during this brief interaction.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Colson, please.
Thank you, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On August 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:10 pm and 10:53 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 139-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 139-1

Date: August 8, 1972
Time: Unknown between 9:10 pm and 10:53 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 200-2]

     Request for a call to Charles W. Colson

Also recorded on August 9, 1972

  • 200-001 9:10 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:10 pm and 10:53 pm.
  • 200-002 10:15 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 10:15 pm and 10:53 pm.
  • 139-002 10:53 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:53 pm to 11:31 pm.
  • 200-003 10:53 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:53 pm to 11:31 pm.
  • 200-004 11:31 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 11:31 pm on August 8, 1972 and 10:18 am on August 9, 1972.
  • 200-005 10:19 AM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-006 10:19 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-007 10:19 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.

All 23 conversations from August 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 139-001, August 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/139-001 (accessed October 12, 2026).