Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 154 › Conversation 154-004

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Charles Colson

Saturday, September 23, 1972 · 5:10 PM–5:32 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 14 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation154-004 on Tape 154StartSaturday, September 23, 1972 at 5:10 PMEndSaturday, September 23, 1972 at 5:32 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 154-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon communicated with the Camp David operator to initiate an urgent telephone call to Charles W. Colson. When the operator reported that Colson could not be immediately located, the President opted to abandon the attempt and instructed the operator to call him back later. No substantive policy matters were addressed during this brief administrative exchange regarding the logistics of reaching a staff member.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Hello?
Yes sir, on your call to Mr. Coulson, we're paging him right now, trying to locate him.
Oh, well that's all right.
You can call me back.
Very good, sir.

NARA Description

On September 23, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:32 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 154-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 154-4

Date: September 23, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:10 pm and 5:32 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The Camp David operator talked with the President.

[See Conversation no. 213-8]

            Charles W. Colson

Also recorded on September 23, 1972

  • 154-003 4:50 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 4:50 pm to 5:10 pm.
  • 213-003 4:50 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 4:50 pm.
  • 213-004 4:50 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 4:50 pm.
  • 213-005 4:50 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 4:50 pm.
  • 213-006 4:50 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 4:50 pm to 5:10 pm.
  • 213-007 5:10 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:32 pm.
  • 213-008 5:10 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:32 pm.
  • 213-009 5:10 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:32 pm.

All 16 conversations from September 23, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 154-004, September 23, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/154-004 (accessed October 12, 2026).