Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 278 › Conversation 278-021

Nixon with unidentified visitors in his EOB office on Presidential protocol

Sunday, September 12, 1971 · 3:44 PM–3:51 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 6 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation278-021 on Tape 278 (tape position 00:25:12–00:25:22)StartSunday, September 12, 1971 at 3:44 PMEndSunday, September 12, 1971 at 3:51 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 278-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator regarding the protocol for placing an outgoing call to an unnamed individual. He explicitly directed the operator not to interrupt the recipient if they were currently attending a social event. This brief exchange served as a procedural directive to ensure presidential communication did not cause undue social disruption.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Listen, don't get him out of a social event.

NARA Description

On September 12, 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 3:44 pm and 3:51 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 278-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 278-21

Date: September 12, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:44 pm and 3:51 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 8-86]

Also recorded on September 12, 1971

  • 008-086 3:44 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:44 pm and 3:51 pm.
  • 008-087 3:51 PM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:51 pm to 4:28 pm.
  • 278-022 3:51 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:51 pm to 4:28 pm.
  • 008-088 4:31 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:31 pm.
  • 008-089 4:31 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:31 pm.
  • 278-023 4:31 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 4:31 pm.
  • 278-024 4:31 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 4:31 pm.
  • 278-025 4:31 PM · 5 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 4:31 pm and 4:37 pm.

All 32 conversations from September 12, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 278-021, September 12, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/278-021 (accessed October 9, 2026).