Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 164 › Conversation 164-054

Nixon phone call with Camp David operator on Barry Goldwater

Monday, April 30, 1973 · 5:49 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 32 sec

ParticipantsCamp David operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation164-054 on Tape 164StartMonday, April 30, 1973 at 5:49 PMEndMonday, April 30, 1973 at 5:49 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 164-054 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with a Camp David operator to facilitate urgent communications with Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler and personal secretary Rose Mary Woods. The primary objective was to coordinate a response to a telegram sent by Senator Barry Goldwater, who was currently traveling to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Nixon directed the operator to ensure Goldwater’s staff was informed that he had personally returned the Senator’s call.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Mr. Ziegler, please, and also get Rose for me.
All right, sir.
Senator Goldwater is en route by air to New Bedford, Mass.
He won't be back till about 11.30 this evening.
And his secretary says that he did send you a telegram.
Well, you tell his secretary to be sure that he knows I returned the call.
Right.
Will do.
Thank you, sir.

NARA Description

On April 30, 1973, Camp David operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David at 5:49 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 164-054 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 164-54

Date: April 30, 1973
Time: 5:49 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table
                                               -37-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                          Conversation No. 164-54 (cont’d)

The Camp David operator talked to the President.

     Request for telephone call
          -Ronald M. Ziegler
          -Rose Mary Woods

     Barry M. Goldwater’s location
           -New Bedford, Massachusetts

     Goldwater’s telegram to President

     President’s call to Goldwater

Also recorded on April 30, 1973

  • 164-052 4:20 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 4:20 pm.
  • 164-055 5:50 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:50 pm to 5:51 pm.
  • 164-056 5:52 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:52 pm to 5:53 pm.
  • 164-057 5:54 PM · 24 sec — Ronald L. Ziegler and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:54 pm to 5:55 pm.
  • 164-058 6:04 PM · 13 sec — Rose Mary Woods and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David from 6:04 pm to 6:05 pm.
  • 164-059 6:11 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 6:11 pm.
  • 164-060 6:11 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:11 pm and 6:50 pm.
  • 164-061 6:50 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at Camp David from 6:50 pm to 6:51 pm.

All 22 conversations from April 30, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 164-054, April 30, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/164-054 (accessed October 12, 2026).