Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 157 › Conversation 157-007
Nixon phone call with Cox on Camp David and 1973 Inauguration
Wednesday, December 6, 1972 · 3:25 PM–3:31 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 4 min
AI Summary
President Nixon held a brief phone conversation with his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, and his wife, Pat Nixon, while staying at Camp David. The call touched on family travel preparations, including Edward Cox's recent bar exam results, and logistical planning for the 1973 inaugural events. Additionally, the President and Mrs. Nixon discussed minor administrative matters regarding White House office aesthetics, specifically the lighting requirements for photography and the search for a new, comfortable office chair.
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Transcript (AI-generated)
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Hello.
Miss Patricia, sir.
Daddy, hi.
Well, how's everything going there?
Everything's fine.
We've been working with our passports and things and got Ed a coat.
So everything's going along.
Fine, fine.
Great.
Ed, really appreciate your call.
That was very nice.
On the ball.
Well, I know it's a terrible experience.
I know.
Wait for that bar.
Yeah.
It's such a long wait.
That's the thing.
It's all done now.
It's great.
Did Helene get in?
No, she hasn't gotten in.
When's Helene getting in?
Oh, 4...
I know when she's coming, Daddy, because I called about 4.50.
Oh, I see.
Fine, fine.
Exactly.
Is it bad weather up there?
It's raining here.
Yeah.
It's been kind of rainy, but I've been inside all day, so it isn't much different.
But you haven't gone in the pool yet today.
No, but I might go in then.
Not bad to go in when it's raining.
You really don't mind it.
Four or five o'clock, maybe I'll take a crack at it.
Good.
And things are going well out there.
Yeah, we're getting a lot of things, working on a lot of things.
I know.
Well, anyway, you will see, and you'll all have a...
Have a good time, okay?
Okay.
Bye.
Oh, Daddy?
Yeah?
Mama wanted to say something to you, okay?
All right.
She's sitting in the hall with us.
Oh, fine.
Dick?
Oh, yeah, hi.
I was talking to Rose today, and she wanted to know if you were having any kind of a family gathering during the inaugural period.
Oh, sure.
Sure, there.
The time I think they're working on is the Sunday afternoon.
inauguration is a Saturday and we have a church service Sunday morning where we have to that's for VIPs and then Sunday afternoon we're saving for the for the family reception you know another thing that'll be the whole everybody the whole bunch Saturday Sunday afternoon um you know over in your oval office you know those lights that are so bright that people keep turning up do you ever use those do you light your office that way or just use the lamps
I tell you, we do have to turn those up for photographs sometimes.
You see, we always use them down.
We saw them have them down.
But now and then, they turn the lights up for pictures.
You can check it out with Ollie, whether he thinks they have to have them.
But that's what they do.
whenever they're going to have the, you know, the press photos or so forth.
They just turn the lights up and then just as soon as they... Because, you know, when those are bright, that room looks just...
I know, but they only do it for that one instant and then they turn them down again.
Yeah.
So it's the way it works.
Okay.
The, uh...
Are you getting me a plan?
Has Clem found the chair yet?
Are you working on that?
Well, they were out of it, Matt, and they have a better-looking one that they think is even better-looking.
Why?
And they're going to send it tomorrow.
Are you going to be here tomorrow?
No, I have to stay here tomorrow.
Well, Bill Rogers has one of these chairs in his office that Clem got him.
and kim was going to bring it over and see how it looked in your office because bill rogers is away yeah all right well i'll take a look i don't know whether it looks good but then you'll want to know well i don't really you want to sit in it to see if it's comfortable yeah we can we work something out okay well that's all i all the scuttlebutt they seem to have that's really good news that he passed the bar isn't it yeah that's great yeah
getting ready for their trip.
That's really good.
That's good.
Okay.
NARA Description
On December 6, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:25 pm to 3:31 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 157-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 157-7
Date: December 6, 1972
Time: 3:25 pm - 3:31 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with Tricia Nixon Cox.
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 157-7 (cont’d)
[See Conversation No. 233-13]
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
Trip preparations
The President’s call to Edward R. F. Cox
-Bar examination
-Results
Helene (Closie) Drown
-Arrival
Tricia Nixon Cox conferred with Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon at an unknown time between 3:25 pm
and 3:31 pm.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 11s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weather
-Camp David
The President’s schedule
-Swimming
-Work
Mrs. Nixon talked with the President at an unknown time between 3:25 pm and 3:31 pm.
1973 Inauguration
-Reception for Nixon family relatives
-Mrs. Nixon’s conversation with Rose Mary Woods
-Church service
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 157-7 (cont’d)
-Scheduling
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
The President’s schedule
White House
-Oval Office
-Lighting
-Photograph sessions
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
-Brightness
-Chair
-Clement E. Conger
-The President’s schedule
-William P. Rogers
-The President’s office
-Comfort
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
Cox
-Bar examination
-Trip
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************Also recorded on December 6, 1972
- 233-013 3:25 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 3:25 pm to 3:31 pm.
- 157-008 3:31 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:40 pm.
- 157-009 3:31 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:40 pm.
- 157-010 3:31 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:40 pm.
- 157-012 3:31 PM · 14 sec — Camp David operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:40 pm.
- 157-013 3:31 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:40 pm.
- 157-014 3:31 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:40 pm.
- 157-015 3:31 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:40 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 157-007, December 6, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/157-007 (accessed October 10, 2026).