Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 157 › Conversation 157-027

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Charles W. Colson

Saturday, December 9, 1972 · 1:58 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 20 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation157-027 on Tape 157StartSaturday, December 9, 1972 at 1:58 PMEndSaturday, December 9, 1972 at 1:58 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 157-027 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate a telephone call with Charles W. Colson. After being informed of Colson's whereabouts at Princeton University, the President instructed the operator to have Colson reach out to him as soon as he became available. This brief exchange served as an administrative arrangement to establish communication between the President and a key advisor.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Operator, Mr. Colson has gone to Princeton as soon as he gets in.
You have him give me a call, please?
Yes, sir.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On December 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 1:58 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 157-027 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 157-27

Date: December 9, 1972
Time: 1:58 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 235-8]

       Request for a call to Charles W. Colson
            -Colson’s location
                   -Princeton University

Also recorded on December 9, 1972

  • 157-026 12:22 PM · 35 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:22 pm to 12:58 pm.
  • 235-004 12:22 PM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:22 pm to 12:58 pm.
  • 235-005 12:58 PM · 29 sec — Helene (Colesie) Drown, William Hirsch, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:58 pm and 1:58 pm.
  • 235-006 12:58 PM · 15 sec — Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and Helene (Colesie) Drown met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:58 pm and 1:58 pm.
  • 235-007 12:58 PM · 1 min — Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Helene (Colesie) Drown, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:58 pm and 1:58 pm.
  • 235-008 1:58 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 1:58 pm.
  • 235-009 1:58 PM · 56 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:58 pm and 4:00 pm.
  • 157-028 4:00 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 6:50 pm.

All 41 conversations from December 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 157-027, December 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/157-027 (accessed October 10, 2026).