Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 190 › Conversation 190-011

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Camp David and Telecommunications

Wednesday, May 17, 1972 · 8:20 PM–8:35 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Camp David OperatorConversation190-011 onTape 190 (tape position 00:44:56–00:49:58)StartWednesday, May 17, 1972 at 8:20 PMEndWednesday, May 17, 1972 at 8:35 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 190-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon requested that the Camp David operator cancel a previously placed call to the signaler. The brief exchange focused exclusively on managing telecommunications logistics while the President was at Aspen Lodge. The interaction concluded with the operator confirming they would handle the request.

Audio

Download MP3 · 106.1 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 00:44:56 into the tape and ends around 00:49:58.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.

45:17I can't call the signaler, but you just cancel it right here.
45:22All right, I'll take this then.

NARA Description

On May 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 8:35 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 190-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 190-11

Date: May 17, 1972
Time: Unknown between 8:20 and 8:35 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 131-20]

Also recorded on May 18, 1972

  • 131-020 8:20 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 8:35 pm.
  • 132-001 12:00 AM · 43 sec — Bill Beckman and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-002 12:00 AM · 47 sec — Bill Beckman and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-003 12:00 AM · 1 min — Bill Beckman and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-004 12:00 AM · 38 sec — Unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-005 12:00 AM · 47 sec — Bill Beckman and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-006 12:00 AM · 52 sec — Bill Beckman and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.
  • 132-007 12:00 AM · 2 min — Bill Beckman and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:00 am on May 18, 1972 and 11:49 pm on June 6, 1972.

All 90 conversations from May 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 190-011, May 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/190-011 (accessed September 18, 2026).