Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 165 › Conversation 165-013

Nixon phone call with Camp David operator on Roy L. Ash

Saturday, May 12, 1973 · 11:56 AM–11:58 AM ET · Camp David Study Table · 12 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David operatorConversation165-013 on Tape 165StartSaturday, May 12, 1973 at 11:56 AMEndSaturday, May 12, 1973 at 11:58 AMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 165-013 ↗

President Nixon requested that the Camp David operator connect him via telephone to Roy L. Ash, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The brief exchange served as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication between the President and his budget chief. No substantive policy discussions occurred during this administrative interaction.

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Mr. Ash again, please.
Yes, sir.

On May 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:56 am and 11:58 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 165-013 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 165-13

Date: May 12, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:56 am and 11:58 am
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

     Telephone call to Roy L. Ash
  • 165-012 11:50 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Roy L. Ash talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:50 am to 11:56 am.
  • 165-014 11:58 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Roy L. Ash talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:58 am to 12:00 pm.
  • 165-015 12:22 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:22 pm to 12:30 pm.
  • 165-016 12:30 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:31 pm.
  • 165-017 12:31 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:31 pm to 12:36 pm.
  • 165-018 12:36 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:36 pm and 12:37 pm.
  • 165-019 12:37 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:37 pm to 12:54 pm.
  • 165-020 12:54 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:54 pm and 12:59 pm.

Conversation 165-013, May 12, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/165-013 (accessed October 12, 2026).