{"conversationCode":"152-009","tapeNumber":152,"conversationNumber":9,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-152-009","startDateTime":"1972-10-30T22:22:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-10-30T22:23:00.000Z","startDate":"30-Oct-1972","startTime":"5:22 PM","endDate":"30-Oct-1972","endTime":"5:23 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Daley, Richard J.;","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.","locationCode":"CDST","recordingDevice":"Camp David Study Table","latitudeEstimated":39.648333,"longitudeEstimated":-77.465,"chronCode":4,"chronRelease":"Fourth Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"10-Dec-2003","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 152-9\n\nDate: October 30, 1972\nTime: 5:22 pm - 5:23 pm\nLocation: Camp David Study Table\n\nThe President talked with Richard J. Daley.\n\n[See Conversation No. 222-13B]\n\n        Chicago commuter train accident\n            -Expression of sympathy\n            -The President's cancellation of trip\n            -Casualty figures\n            -Status\n            -Offer of aid\n                 -John Volpe\n            -The President's schedule\n            -Cancellation of parade\n            -The President's attempts to reach Daley\n                 -Greetings to Richard and Eleanor (Guilfoyle) Daley","filename":["152-009.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Daley, Richard J."],"prevCode":"152-008","nextCode":"153-001","transcript":[{"start":0.17,"end":15.47,"text":"Mr. Mayor, I just called to personally express my sympathy to you and to the people of Chicago for the terrible tragedy there."},{"start":16.55,"end":19.27,"text":"I wanted to tell you too that I, as you may have heard,"},{"start":19.66,"end":21.88,"text":"I decided to cancel my trip there tomorrow."},{"start":21.92,"end":25.73,"text":"I just thought that coming in, waving my arms and everything, I just didn't feel right about doing it."},{"start":25.86,"end":32.79,"text":"Well, we're very kind and compassionate of you and you're always that way."},{"start":32.95,"end":34.6,"text":"They tell me you've been out there all day."},{"start":34.68,"end":36.16,"text":"I tried to reach earlier."},{"start":36.2,"end":37.6,"text":"What's the latest report, Mr. Mayor?"},{"start":37.88,"end":41.47,"text":"Forty dead and about 190 injured."},{"start":42.15,"end":43.37,"text":"Have they got them all out yet?"},{"start":43.47,"end":44.23,"text":"They've got them all out."},{"start":44.25,"end":48.09,"text":"We just took the last two girls out about half an hour ago."},{"start":48.31,"end":52.31,"text":"I asked John Volpe to go out to do anything."},{"start":53.88,"end":58.74,"text":"Obviously, I don't know that there's anything we can do, but we want to find causes and all that sort of thing."},{"start":58.9,"end":66.77,"text":"Well, you're very nice, Mr. President, and I appreciate your condolences and good luck to you."},{"start":66.79,"end":67.59,"text":"Well, thank you."},{"start":67.63,"end":75.22,"text":"We won't see you before election, but after that we'll all get together and have a good laugh, I hope."},{"start":75.86,"end":77.62,"text":"Thank you, Mr. President."},{"start":77.79,"end":79.79,"text":"the parade for Wednesday night here, too."},{"start":79.81,"end":80.25,"text":"Oh, you did?"},{"start":80.78,"end":81.24,"text":"Oh, I see."},{"start":81.26,"end":82.76,"text":"Well, I think it's only right."},{"start":82.82,"end":88.17,"text":"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."},{"start":88.31,"end":89.59,"text":"You're right, Mr. President."},{"start":89.61,"end":90.95,"text":"So I made the decision myself."},{"start":90.99,"end":94.72,"text":"I tried to reach you before announcing it, but I went right ahead and announced it."},{"start":95.1,"end":95.92,"text":"Well, thank you very much."},{"start":96.42,"end":97.16,"text":"All right."},{"start":97.18,"end":98.44,"text":"Good luck to you and to Mrs. Day."},{"start":98.48,"end":99.66,"text":"Bye."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"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.","topics":["Chicago commuter train accident","Richard J. Nixon","Richard J. Daley","disaster response","John Volpe"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T08:55:05.552Z"},"topicSlugs":["chicago-commuter-train-accident","richard-j-nixon","richard-j-daley","disaster-response","john-volpe"],"audioDurationSec":103,"audioFiles":[{"file":"152-009.mp3","bytes":2465749,"durationSec":102.68,"bitrate":192111,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:33.322Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/152-009.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/152-009","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/152/conversation-152-009","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}