Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 152 › Conversation 152-009

Nixon phone call with Daley on Chicago commuter train accident

Monday, October 30, 1972 · 5:22 PM–5:23 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Daley, Richard J.Conversation152-009 on Tape 152StartMonday, October 30, 1972 at 5:22 PMEndMonday, October 30, 1972 at 5:23 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 152-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Richard Nixon called Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley to express his personal condolences following a fatal commuter train accident in Chicago. During the discussion, Nixon informed the Mayor of his decision to cancel an upcoming trip to the city to avoid appearing insensitive, a move supported by the cancellation of a local parade. The two leaders briefly discussed the rescue efforts, with Nixon offering the assistance of Secretary of Transportation John Volpe to investigate the cause of the tragedy.

  • Chicago commuter train accident
  • Richard J. Nixon
  • Richard J. Daley
  • disaster response
  • John Volpe

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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. Mayor, I just called to personally express my sympathy to you and to the people of Chicago for the terrible tragedy there.
I wanted to tell you too that I, as you may have heard,
I decided to cancel my trip there tomorrow.
I just thought that coming in, waving my arms and everything, I just didn't feel right about doing it.
Well, we're very kind and compassionate of you and you're always that way.
They tell me you've been out there all day.
I tried to reach earlier.
What's the latest report, Mr. Mayor?
Forty dead and about 190 injured.
Have they got them all out yet?
They've got them all out.
We just took the last two girls out about half an hour ago.
I asked John Volpe to go out to do anything.
Obviously, I don't know that there's anything we can do, but we want to find causes and all that sort of thing.
Well, you're very nice, Mr. President, and I appreciate your condolences and good luck to you.
Well, thank you.
We won't see you before election, but after that we'll all get together and have a good laugh, I hope.
Thank you, Mr. President.
the parade for Wednesday night here, too.
Oh, you did?
Oh, I see.
Well, I think it's only right.
I mean, at a time like this, at a time like this, to have all that shouting and yelling around, it just wouldn't be right.
You're right, Mr. President.
So I made the decision myself.
I tried to reach you before announcing it, but I went right ahead and announced it.
Well, thank you very much.
All right.
Good luck to you and to Mrs. Day.
Bye.

NARA Description

On October 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Richard J. Daley talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:22 pm to 5:23 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 152-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 152-9

Date: October 30, 1972
Time: 5:22 pm - 5:23 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Richard J. Daley.

[See Conversation No. 222-13B]

        Chicago commuter train accident
            -Expression of sympathy
            -The President's cancellation of trip
            -Casualty figures
            -Status
            -Offer of aid
                 -John Volpe
            -The President's schedule
            -Cancellation of parade
            -The President's attempts to reach Daley
                 -Greetings to Richard and Eleanor (Guilfoyle) Daley

Also recorded on October 30, 1972

  • 152-005 10:33 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:33 am to 10:43 am.
  • 152-006 10:43 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:43 am and 10:44 am.
  • 222-010 10:43 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:43 am and 10:44 am.
  • 152-007 10:44 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:44 am to 10:48 am.
  • 222-011 10:44 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:44 am to 10:48 am.
  • 222-012 4:40 PM · 13 sec — Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:40 pm and 4:58 pm.
  • 152-008 5:00 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:00 pm and 5:22 pm.
  • 222-013 5:00 PM · 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, White House operator, Richard J. Daley, unknown person(s), Camp David operator, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:00 pm to 5:40 pm.

All 23 conversations from October 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 152-009, October 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/152-009 (accessed October 5, 2026).