Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 140 › Conversation 140-056

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Henry A. Kissinger

Monday, August 21, 1972 · 11:20 AM ET · Camp David Study Table · 9 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation140-056 on Tape 140StartMonday, August 21, 1972 at 11:20 AMEndMonday, August 21, 1972 at 11:20 AMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 140-056 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated a brief telephone communication through the Camp David operator to establish contact with his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger. The primary purpose of this call was to facilitate an immediate discussion regarding sensitive foreign policy or national security matters. This interaction served as an administrative bridge to connect the President with his key advisor.

Audio

Download MP3 · 0.2 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Dr. Kissinger, please.
Thank you, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On August 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 11:20 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 140-056 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 140-56

Date: August 21, 1972
Time: 11:20 am
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 207-4]

     Request for a call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on August 21, 1972

  • 140-055 10:26 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:26 am to 10:41 am.
  • 207-002 10:26 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 10:26 am.
  • 207-003 10:26 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:26 am to 10:41 am.
  • 140-057 11:20 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:20 am and 12:28 pm.
  • 207-004 11:20 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 11:20 am.
  • 207-005 11:20 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:20 am and 12:28 pm.
  • 140-058 12:28 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:28 pm to 12:31 pm.
  • 207-006 12:28 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:28 pm to 12:31 pm.

All 18 conversations from August 21, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 140-056, August 21, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/140-056 (accessed October 9, 2026).