Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 273 › Conversation 273-040

Nixon with unidentified visitors in his EOB office on William L. Safire

Sunday, August 15, 1971 · 5:43 PM–7:14 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 13 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation273-040 on Tape 273 (tape position 04:03:09–04:03:17)StartSunday, August 15, 1971 at 5:43 PMEndSunday, August 15, 1971 at 7:14 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 273-040 ↗

President Nixon contacted the White House operator to facilitate a telephone connection with his speechwriter, William L. Safire. The interaction served as a logistical request to initiate direct communication with a key staff member. No further substantive policy matters were recorded during this brief administrative exchange.

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Position in tape: 04:03:09 – 04:03:17

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273c.mp3

No transcript is available yet for this conversation. The recording may contain no audible speech, or it may not have been processed.

On August 15, 1971, 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 5:43 pm and 7:14 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 273-040 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 273-40

Date: August 15, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:43 and 7:14 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Requested a call to William L. Safire
  • 273-035 5:43 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 273-036 5:43 PM · 48 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 5:43 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 273-037 5:43 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 273-038 5:43 PM · 23 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 5:43 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 273-039 5:43 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 273-041 5:43 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William L. Safire, and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 273-042 5:43 PM · 53 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 273-043 5:43 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 7:14 pm.

Conversation 273-040, August 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/273-040 (accessed October 12, 2026).