Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 540 › Conversation 540-013
Nixon White House recording on Oval Office security and Alarm systems
Tuesday, July 20, 1971 · 8:05 AM–10:23 AM ET · Oval Office · 17 sec
AI Summary
This recording captures a brief, routine administrative exchange between two unidentified individuals regarding the testing of security alarms. The participants discuss door sensors and protocol for entering and exiting the Oval Office. No substantive policy matters or political developments are addressed during the brief interaction.
- Oval Office security
- White House operations
- Alarm systems
- Access control
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
NARA Description
On July 20, 1971, unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:05 am and 10:23 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 540-013 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 540-13
Date: July 20, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:05 am and 10:23 am
Location: Oval Office
An unknown man talked with an unknown man.
******************************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
cleared for release. The withdrawal is now categorized as a PRMPA Federal Statute (A) and
was reviewed under deed of gift 01/21/2020.]
[Federal Statute]
[540-013-w001]
[Duration: 17s]
[Conversation No. 540-13A]
Alarm check
-Door
-Permission to enter and exit rom
[End of telephone conversation]
******************************************************************************Also recorded on July 20, 1971
- 065-001 7:35 AM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 7:35 am and 8:05 am.
- 065-002 7:35 AM · 2 hr 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and Republican Congressional leaders, including Hugh Scott, John C. Stennis, Robert P. Griffin, Margaret Chase Smith, Gordon L. Allott, Norris Ctton, Peter H. Dominick, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, Richard H. Poff, Barber B. Conable, Jr., John J. Rhodes, Robert C. ("Bob") Wilson, Robert T. Stafford, H. Allen Smith, Robert J. Dole, Henry A. Kissinger, Clark MacGregor, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, William E. Timmons, Kenneth E. BeLieu, Richard K. Cook, Harry S. Dent, Herbert G. Klein, Patrick J. Buchanan, Bryce C. Harlow, and Ronald L. Ziegler, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 7:35 am and 10:23 am.
- 540-001 7:35 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:35 am and 7:53 am.
- 540-002 7:35 AM · 5 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:35 am and 7:53 am.
- 540-003 7:35 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:35 am and 7:53 am.
- 540-004 7:53 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:53 am to 8:05 am.
- 540-005 8:05 AM · 11 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:05 am and 10:23 am.
- 540-014 8:05 AM · 3 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:05 am and 10:23 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 540-013, July 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/540-013 (accessed October 11, 2026).