Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 490 › Conversation 490-019
United States Secret Service agents on Secret Service
Tuesday, May 4, 1971 · 1:11 PM–2:05 PM ET · Oval Office · 53 sec
AI Summary
Secret Service agents entered the Oval Office to perform technical preparations, likely involving the testing or calibration of the White House taping system. The brief recording consists primarily of room noise and muffled background chatter, indicating that no substantive policy discussions occurred. This exchange was purely operational in nature, serving as an equipment check rather than an administrative or political meeting.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On May 4, 1971, United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:11 pm and 2:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 490-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 490-19 Date: May 4, 1971 Time: Unknown between 1:11 pm and 2:05 pm Location: Oval Office Unknown people (Secret Service agents) entered. ********************************************************************** [Previous non-historical (H) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 11/12/2019. Segment cleared for release.] [Non-Historical] [490-019-w001] [Duration: 52s] [This portion of the tape is mostly room noise with some muffled background conversation.] ********************************************************************** The conversation was cut off at an unknown time before 2:05 pm.
Also recorded on May 4, 1971
- 490-017 12:35 PM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jeane L. Dixon, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:35 pm and 1:11 pm.
- 042-084 1:11 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:11 pm and 1:12 pm.
- 042-085 1:11 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:11 pm and 1:12 pm.
- 251-048 1:11 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:11 pm to 1:12 pm.
- 251-049 1:11 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 an unknown time between 1:11 pm and 1:12 pm.
- 251-050 1:11 PM · 2 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 1:11 pm and 1:12 pm.
- 042-086 1:12 PM · 53 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William B. Macomber, Jr. talked on the telephone from 1:12 pm to 1:13 pm.
- 251-051 1:12 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William B. Macomber, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:12 pm to 1:13 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 490-019, May 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/490-019 (accessed October 12, 2026).