President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an urgent communication with his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger. The primary purpose of the brief interaction was to place an outgoing call through the White House switchboard. This request reflects the standard administrative procedure Nixon utilized to maintain secure, direct lines of communication with his top foreign policy official during his stay at the presidential retreat.
On December 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:35 am and 12:28 pm. The Camp David Study Desk taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 184-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 184-11
Date: December 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:35 am and 12:28 pm
Location: Camp David Study Desk
The President talked with the Camp David operator.
Request for a call to Henry A. KissingerNo transcript is available for this conversation. The audio may not contain audible speech, or the recording may not yet have been processed.