Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 206 › Conversation 206-021

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

Sunday, August 20, 1972 · 6:25 PM–10:32 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 7 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation206-021 on Tape 206StartSunday, August 20, 1972 at 6:25 PMEndSunday, August 20, 1972 at 10:32 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 206-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a brief communication via the Camp David internal telephone system to reach an operator. The interaction consists solely of an administrative request for the operator to hold the line while he manages his telephonic correspondence. No substantive policy matters or political developments are addressed during this brief exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Sir, hold on please.

NARA Description

On August 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 10:32 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 206-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 206-21

Date: August 20, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:25 pm and 10:32 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 140-53]

Also recorded on August 20, 1972

206-014 4:00 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 5:59 pm.
206-015 4:00 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 5:59 pm.
140-052 6:25 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 6:30 pm.
206-016 6:25 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 10:32 pm.
206-017 6:25 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 10:32 pm.
206-018 6:25 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 9:45 pm.
206-019 6:25 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 10:32 pm.
206-020 6:25 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:25 pm and 10:32 pm.

All 28 conversations from August 20, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 206-021, August 20, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/206-021 (accessed October 9, 2026).