Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 140 › Conversation 140-024

Nixon, Meany & Camp David Operator on Labor relations and Building trades

Thursday, August 17, 1972 · 10:56 AM–10:58 AM ET · Camp David Study Table · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David Operator; Meany, GeorgeConversation140-024 on Tape 140StartThursday, August 17, 1972 at 10:56 AMEndThursday, August 17, 1972 at 10:58 AMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 140-024 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and AFL-CIO President George Meany held a brief, cordial telephone conversation primarily to exchange birthday greetings regarding Nixon’s grandson. Meany informed the President that the national building trades had unanimously adopted the administration’s position, which Nixon praised as the "guts" of the labor movement. The two concluded the call by briefly discussing the President's ongoing work on his upcoming acceptance speech and local weather conditions.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Mr. President, Mr. Meany for you.
Hello.
Go ahead, sir.
Hello.
Hello, Mr. President.
I just wanted to say that in case the White House operator told you that I tried to reach you last night.
I'm at Camp David.
I didn't have any big thing, but I learned from one of my spies that you and your grandson had your birthday yesterday.
So I just wanted to congratulate you.
Well, thank you very much.
You're really lucky to have a boy.
He was born the same day you were.
Same day.
But just a few years after you.
I'll tell you a little story.
We were having a little ice cream and cake last night.
My daughter said,
And she reads the paper.
She said, well, Daddy, you're a crusty old 78.
And the kid looked up and he says, and I'm a crusty old five.
That's great.
Well, thank you very much.
Right, right.
I don't know if you heard, but the building trade unanimously adopted our position.
Oh, good.
That's right.
That's the national.
National building trade unanimously adopted our position.
That's the guts of the organization.
That's the guts.
Our other boys want to go around and play games.
That's right.
We understand.
Okay.
Right.
Well, is it raining down there?
Yes, it's sort of drizzling.
We're fogged in up here.
I'm trying to put some words together for an acceptance speech.
Yeah, yeah.
Hard work.
Well, anyway, give the boy my best.
All right.
Thank you very much.
Bye.
Bye.

NARA Description

On August 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and George Meany talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:56 am to 10:58 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 140-024 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 140-24

Date: August 17, 1972
Time: 10:56 am - 10:58 am
Location: Camp David Study Table

The Camp David operator talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 203-14]

     Call from George Meany

The President talked with Meany between 10:56 and 10:58 am.

     The President’s schedule

     Birthday greetings
          -Grandson's birthday

     National building trades

     Weather

     The President's schedule
          -Acceptance speech

Also recorded on August 17, 1972

  • 140-023 10:16 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:16 am to 10:54 am.
  • 203-014 10:56 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George Meany met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:56 am to 10:58 am.
  • 140-025 11:10 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 11:10 am.
  • 203-015 11:10 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 11:10 am.
  • 203-016 11:10 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:10 am and 11:22 am.
  • 140-026 11:22 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:22 am to 11:29 am.
  • 203-017 11:22 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 11:22 am to 11:29 am.
  • 203-018 11:29 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:29 am and 1:15 pm.

All 49 conversations from August 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 140-024, August 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/140-024 (accessed October 12, 2026).