Nixon White House TapesTape 253 › Conversation 253-012

Nixon & Colson on Communication and Personal correspondence

Wednesday, May 26, 1971 · 2:20 PM–2:21 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building ·14 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Colson, Charles W.Conversation253-012 onTape 253 (tape position 00:46:09–00:47:43)StartWednesday, May 26, 1971 at 2:20 PMEndWednesday, May 26, 1971 at 2:21 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 253-012 ↗

Charles W. Colson informs President Nixon that he has successfully contacted Karen regarding a note he had previously sent her. This brief exchange confirms the delivery of the correspondence and follows up on a pending administrative or personal task. No further policy-related actions were taken during this minute-long interaction.

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Yeah.
You know, I got a hold of Karen just now.
And I told her that I had sent it to her.
That I had written a note to her.

On May 26, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:20 pm to 2:21 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 253-012 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 253-12

Date: May 26, 1971
Time: 2:20 pm - 2:21 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Charles W. Colson

[See Conversation No. 3-132]
  • 003-130 2:17 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Edward J. Kiernan talked on the telephone from 2:17 pm to 2:19 pm.
  • 003-131 2:19 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:19 pm and 2:20 pm.
  • 253-011 2:19 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:19 pm and 2:20 pm.
  • 003-132 2:20 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 2:20 pm to 2:21 pm.
  • 003-133 2:21 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:21 pm and 3:12 pm.
  • 253-013 2:21 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:21 pm and 3:12 pm.
  • 253-014 2:21 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:21 pm and 3:12 pm.
  • 253-015 2:21 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:21 pm and 3:12 pm.

Conversation 253-012, May 26, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/253-012 (accessed September 18, 2026).