Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 217 › Conversation 217-005
Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Camp David and Telecommunications
Friday, October 6, 1972 · 8:35 PM–8:40 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 9 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to request assistance with his telecommunications at the Aspen Lodge. The brief exchange focused on establishing a connection to a specific cultural or media broadcast. No significant policy decisions or substantive political discussions occurred during this technical support interaction.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On October 6, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:35 pm and 8:40 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 217-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 217-5 Date: October 6, 1972 Time: Unknown between 8:35 pm and 8:40 pm Location: Camp David Hard Wire The President talked with the Camp David operator. [See Conversation No. 147-3]
Also recorded on October 7, 1972
- 147-001 8:30 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:30 pm and 8:32 pm.
- 147-002 8:32 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:32 pm to 8:35 pm.
- 217-004 8:32 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:32 pm to 8:35 pm.
- 147-003 8:35 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:35 pm and 8:40 pm.
- 147-004 8:40 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:40 pm to 9:00 pm.
- 217-006 8:40 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:40 pm to 9:00 pm.
- 217-007 9:00 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 9:00 pm on October 6, 1972 and 10:16 am on October 7, 1972.
- 217-008 9:00 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 9:00 pm on October 6, 1972 and 10:16 am on October 7, 1972.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 217-005, October 7, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/217-005 (accessed October 11, 2026).