Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 491 › Conversation 491-017

Nixon with unidentified visitors in the Oval Office

Wednesday, May 5, 1971 · 10:15 AM–10:27 AM ET · Oval Office · 7 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation491-017 on Tape 491 (tape position 03:11:55–03:12:22)StartWednesday, May 5, 1971 at 10:15 AMEndWednesday, May 5, 1971 at 10:27 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 491-017 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon requested that the White House operator place a call to an individual referred to as a "spectator." This brief administrative interaction served as a logistical step to initiate a communication or meeting with an external party. No substantive policy discussions occurred during this brief exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Spectator alert, please.

NARA Description

On May 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 491-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 491-17

Date: May 5, 1971
Time: Unknown between 10:15 am and 10:27 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 2-85]

Also recorded on May 5, 1971

  • 002-083 10:15 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:30 am.
  • 002-084 10:15 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Harry F. Byrd, Jr. talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:30 am.
  • 002-085 10:15 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:30 am.
  • 491-015 10:15 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 491-016 10:15 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Harry F. Byrd, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 491-018 10:15 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 491-019 10:15 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 002-086 10:27 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Melvin R. Laird talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:27 am and 10:33 am.

All 77 conversations from May 5, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 491-017, May 5, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/491-017 (accessed October 12, 2026).