Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 278 › Conversation 278-025

Nixon with unidentified visitors in his EOB office on Robert H. Finch

Sunday, September 12, 1971 · 4:31 PM–4:37 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation278-025 on Tape 278 (tape position 00:33:57–00:34:09)StartSunday, September 12, 1971 at 4:31 PMEndSunday, September 12, 1971 at 4:37 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 278-025 ↗

President Nixon requested that the White House operator place a telephone call to either Hobart D. Lewis or Robert H. Finch. The interaction was brief, serving strictly as an administrative request to facilitate communication with one of these two individuals. No further substantive policy matters were discussed during this brief exchange.

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Come on.

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 4:31 pm and 4:37 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 278-025 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 278-25

Date: September 12, 1971
Time: Unknown between 4:31 pm and 4:37 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Request for a call to Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis or Robert H. Finch
  • 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.
  • 008-090 4:35 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:35 pm.
  • 008-091 4:35 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:35 pm and 4:37 pm.
  • 008-092 4:37 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:37 pm.
  • 008-093 4:37 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert H. Finch talked on the telephone from 4:37 pm to 4:55 pm.

Conversation 278-025, 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/278-025 (accessed October 9, 2026).