Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 278 › Conversation 278-031

Nixon with unidentified visitors in his EOB office on Communication

Sunday, September 12, 1971 · 5:31 PM–5:33 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 16 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation278-031 on Tape 278 (tape position 00:50:51–00:51:06)StartSunday, September 12, 1971 at 5:31 PMEndSunday, September 12, 1971 at 5:33 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 278-031 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to facilitate a communication to an unidentified individual currently aboard a ship. He also provided instructions regarding a scheduled 7:00 PM broadcast on ABC. This brief exchange served to coordinate presidential messaging and media engagement.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

See if you can just get a message to her on the ship.
Area 7 o'clock tonight ABC.

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 5:31 pm and 5:33 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 278-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 278-31

Date: September 12, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:31 pm and 5:33 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The White House operator talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 8-101]

Also recorded on September 12, 1971

  • 008-099 5:14 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 5:14 pm.
  • 008-100 5:15 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 5:15 pm to 5:31 pm.
  • 278-030 5:15 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:15 pm to 5:31 pm.
  • 008-101 5:31 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:31 pm and 5:33 pm.
  • 008-102 5:31 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:31 pm and 5:33 pm.
  • 008-103 5:33 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 5:33 pm to 5:53 pm.
  • 278-032 5:33 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:33 pm to 5:53 pm.
  • 008-104 5:53 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:53 pm and 9:23 pm.

All 32 conversations from September 12, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 278-031, 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/278-031 (accessed October 9, 2026).