Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 148 › Conversation 148-004

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Wilbur D. Mills

Tuesday, October 10, 1972 · 8:20 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 20 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation148-004 on Tape 148StartTuesday, October 10, 1972 at 8:20 PMEndTuesday, October 10, 1972 at 8:20 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 148-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the Camp David operator to place a telephone call to Representative Wilbur D. Mills. The President explicitly prioritized this connection over a pending call with Charles W. Colson, directing the operator to hold the latter until Mills was reached. This interaction reflects the President's urgent need to coordinate with the powerful House Ways and Means Committee Chairman.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President?

Detroit Congressman William.

Wilbur Mills, please.

Wilbur Mills?

I have Mr. Coles for you, too, sir.

Well, tell him I have to wait till I get Mr. Mills.

I'll call him back.

All right, sir.

Will do.

Bye.

NARA Description

On October 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 8:20 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 148-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 148-4

Date: October 10, 1972
Time: 8:20 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 219-6]

        Request for a call to Wilbur D. Mills

        The President's schedule
            -Charles W. Colson
            -Mills

Also recorded on October 11, 1972

148-001 8:15 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 8:15 pm.
148-003 8:16 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:16 pm to 8:20 pm.
219-005 8:16 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:16 pm to 8:20 pm.
148-005 8:20 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 8:24 pm.
219-006 8:20 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 8:20 pm.
219-007 8:20 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 8:24 pm.
148-006 8:24 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:24 pm to 8:44 pm.
219-008 8:24 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:24 pm to 8:44 pm.

All 48 conversations from October 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 148-004, October 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/148-004 (accessed October 11, 2026).