Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 153 › Conversation 153-024

Nixon phone call with Woods on 1972 Election and Correspondence

Tuesday, November 14, 1972 · 3:21 PM–3:23 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose MaryConversation153-024 on Tape 153StartTuesday, November 14, 1972 at 3:21 PMEndTuesday, November 14, 1972 at 3:23 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 153-024 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his secretary Rose Mary Woods coordinate her travel to Camp David to assist with the drafting and processing of personalized thank-you letters following the 1972 election. The President emphasizes the urgency of reaching out to labor leaders and Democrats to maintain political support, noting that current draft forms are inadequate. Nixon instructs Woods to arrange transportation via helicopter with Jack Brennan to ensure she arrives the following morning to finalize these communications.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello.

Rose, what is your situation with regard to—how's your work coming there?

What I'm in the middle of actually is between meetings is to try to really get these forum letters into a very personalized basis for various groups of people.

Uh-huh.

that if you could be here it would be helpful, you know, so that I could run them off and then send them back and so forth.

And then—no, I can put a lot of them on dictaphone, which I have—which I'm going to do, but I think it's going to—I think it's going to—I think we can get it out faster.

For example, we want to get—we want to strike a little faster on them than I had realized due to the fact that on the Democrats and the labor people we want our letters, my letters to get to them.

our Democratic friends can reach them and bring them back in the fold.

Sure.

So what is your situation right now?

Well, the things I'm working on for the most part, I can pack in a couple bags and just bring them up.

Well, could you come—if I arrange with Brennan, could you come up on a helicopter?

I'll be busy until about 430 with Roy Ash and his group.

They're coming in now.

But could you do that, or would it be better for you to come tomorrow or what?

Let's see, we've got all this stuff to get signed and out today.

I could never make it up there by 4.30.

Fine.

Because I don't have any clothes or anything.

Right, fine, fine.

Then why don't you plan?

I could have a driver pick me up in the morning.

Or there's a chopper coming up with the vice president in the morning.

Why don't you do that?

You come up on that.

I don't know what time that is, but I can check that.

Well, either that, it doesn't make it, or you should come up on another chopper, because it's all work, and just, you call Brennan, tell him you have to come, come on the chopper, it's much easier than driving, okay?

Okay, and will tomorrow morning be all right, then?

Yes, it'll be fine.

Okay, and I should plan to stay for... Well, not long, a couple of days, maybe a day or two.

Okay.

I mean, until we get the letters done, and I want you to take them back and put them in the mail and so forth.

I've gotten...

Chet Coulson and Don Rogers working on the first naming for the labor people, of which there are several hundreds right now.

And also they're going to put in little personalized sentences on several of them.

But I've got to work the general form out myself.

It's inadequate, the one they have here.

Yeah, well, that's why I was anxious for you to see it, because I do think it has to be really special.

Well, they haven't been through this form thing.

I know how to write a damn thing, and I'm going to spend time on these.

So I'm going to whip on them right now.

I'm going to get up tonight if I can.

Okay.

And I'll come up and I'll check with Jack and be up in the morning.

Fine, fine.

Okay.

NARA Description

On November 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:21 pm to 3:23 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 153-024 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 153-24

Date: November 14, 1972
Time: 3:21 pm - 3:23 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Rose Mary Woods.

[See Conversation No. 224-29]

       Woods's schedule

******************************************************************************
                                              -29-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]

      The President’s schedule
           -Meetings

      1972 election
           -Thank you letters
                  -Personalization
                  -Woods’ assistance
                        -Trip to Camp David
                  -Dictaphone
                  -Timing
                        -Democrats
                        -Labor leaders

******************************************************************************

      Woods's schedule
          -Trip to Camp David
                 -Arrangements
                       -John V. ("Jack") Brennan
                             -Helicopter
                       -The President’s forthcoming meeting with Roy L. Ash
                       -Time
                             -Work load
                       -Transportation
                             -Helicopter
                                   -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
                                   -Time
                                         -Brennan

******************************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]
                                               -30-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                         Conversation No. 153-24 (cont’d)

       1972 election
            -Thank you letters
                   -Labor leaders
                        -Charles W. Colson
                        -Donald F. Rodgers
                        -Personalization
                        -General form
                              -Quality
                   -Woods’ trip to Camp David

******************************************************************************

Also recorded on November 14, 1972

153-022 3:11 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:11 pm to 3:18 pm.
224-028 3:11 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 3:11 pm to 3:18 pm.
153-023 3:18 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:18 pm and 3:21 pm.
224-029 3:21 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 3:21 pm to 3:23 pm.
153-025 3:23 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:23 pm and 7:34 pm.
225-001 3:23 PM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John V. Brennan met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:23 pm and 4:15 pm.
225-002 3:23 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:23 pm and 7:34 pm.
225-003 3:23 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:23 pm and 7:34 pm.

All 56 conversations from November 14, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 153-024, November 14, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/153-024 (accessed October 9, 2026).