Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 186 › Conversation 186-004

Kissinger, Scowcroft & Camp David Operator on Public Relations

Friday, February 2, 1973 · 3:43 PM–8:50 PM ET · Camp David Study Desk · 3 min

ParticipantsKissinger, Henry A.; Camp David Operator; [Unknown person(s)]; Scowcroft, Brent G. (Gen.)Conversation186-004 on Tape 186StartFriday, February 2, 1973 at 3:43 PMEndFriday, February 2, 1973 at 8:50 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study DeskSourceNixon Library record for 186-004 ↗

AI Summary

Henry Kissinger consulted with his staff to review recent messages and professional feedback following his well-received television appearance on the CBS program with Marvin Kalb. He subsequently coordinated with General Brent Scowcroft to confirm the successful transmission of a communiqué regarding the implementation of the Paris Peace Accords with the Soviet Union. The conversation concluded with Kissinger arranging for an assistant to explain his scheduling constraints to Catherine Hoffman due to ongoing meetings with President Nixon and Prime Minister Edward Heath.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Operator?
Mr. Kissinger, can you ring my office?
Sure.
Hello?
Mr. Kissinger?
Yes, can you tell me any calls that came in this afternoon?
Yes.
Paul, did you, no, no, let's start down here.
All right, Chuck Colson, Gerard Smith, Saul Peck, Nancy McGinnis, and Zandra Gallery from London.
Who?
lady denver gallery oh yes all right and we got a message from marvin called i wanted you to know that literally from all over the country especially from university areas hundreds of phone calls have been coming in to cbs today asking for transcripts and types of last evening special mr cobb said he doesn't think you realize how good you were the response has been sensational
And then Frank Stanton called Mr. Cobb to say it was unbelievable.
It was the most fabulous public service, and you should be terribly pleased.
And Secretary Richardson wanted you to know what a magnificent job he thought you did last night on the Cobb program.
And here's another note up here from Julie.
She says you are welcome to use Guido's apartment this weekend in case he doesn't speak with you before you leave.
He wishes you well on the trip.
Okay.
And that's it.
Uh, okay.
Is Stoker out there?
Yes, he is.
Come on, Mark.
Yes, Henry.
Uh, you got everything off to the, to the prenatal and you checked that it didn't refer to the November, but to the January.
Right.
Good.
It's all gone.
Uh, well, he's all gone.
Anything else of consequence?
No.
No, nothing, uh,
no a few little things nothing can't wait till tomorrow nothing significant okay uh is dick still there uh yes i think so just do you want to talk with him yeah let me check see if he is no he isn't okay i wonder whether somebody could call miss hoffman
at 229-7325 and explain that I've been constantly tied up with the President and the Prime Minister, and I'm a prisoner and can't make any private calls.
Sure.
Okay.
Right.
229-7235.
7325.
7325.
Thank you.
Will do.

NARA Description

On February 2, 1973, Henry A. Kissinger, Camp David operator, unknown person(s), and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm. The Camp David Study Desk taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 186-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 186-4

Date: February 2, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm
Location: Camp David Study Desk

Henry A. Kissinger talked with the Camp David operator.

       Request for a call to Kissinger’s office

Kissinger talked with an unknown woman at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 5:50 pm.

[See Conversation No. 241-2]

       Recent telephone calls
              -Charles W. Colson
              -Gerard C. Smith
              -Saul Pett
              -Nancy Maginnes
              -Lady Zender Gallery of London
              -Kissinger’s recent television appearance
                     -Reaction
                              -Marvin L. Kalb
                                      -Universities
                                      -Telephone calls to Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                                             -Request for tapes and transcripts
                                      -Conversation with Frank Stanton
                              -Elliot L. Richardson

       Note from Julianne Pinneau
                                             -4-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 186-9 (cont’d)

              -Possible accommodations fro Kissinger
                     -Guido Goldman’s apartment
                            -Kissinger’s forthcoming trip to Hanoi
                                   -Goldman’s regards

       Request for a conversation with Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft

Kissinger talked with Scowcroft at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.

       US-Soviet Union relations
             -Anatoliy A. Dobrynin
             -Delivery communiqué on implementing Paris Peace Accords
                    -November 1972
                            -January 1973

       Request for a conversation with Col. Richard T. Kennedy

       Request for a call to Catherine Hoffman [?]
             -Message
                      -Kissinger’s schedule
                      -Kissinger’s meetings with President and Edward R. G. Heath
             -Telephone number

Also recorded on February 2, 1973

  • 186-001 3:43 PM · 42 sec — Camp David operator, William Hirsch, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-002 3:43 PM · 32 sec — William Hirsch and Charles C. ("Charlie") Sumrell talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-003 3:43 PM · 4 min — Henry A. Kissinger, Camp David operator, Paul ("Stern") Kissinger, and Louis Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-005 3:43 PM · 3 min — Henry A. Kissinger, Camp David operator, and Cmdr. Jonathan T. Howe talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-006 3:43 PM · 20 sec — Charles C. ("Charlie") Sumrell and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-007 3:43 PM · 33 sec — Frank A. Sisco, Camp David operator, and Charles A. Grunden talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-008 3:43 PM · 6 min — Frank A. Sisco, Camp David operator, unknown person(s), and Farrell D. Morlan talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.
  • 186-009 3:43 PM · 2 min — Charles C. ("Charlie") Sumrell, Camp David operator, and Farrell D. Morlan talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 8:50 pm.

All 33 conversations from February 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 186-004, February 2, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/186-004 (accessed October 10, 2026).