President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to facilitate communication with external political figures. He specifically requested that a call be placed to Representative Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery. This interaction highlights the President's reliance on administrative staff to manage his direct outreach to members of Congress.
On August 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 8:50 pm and 9:43 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 555-017 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 555-17
Date: August 5, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:50 pm and 9:43 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President talked with the White House operator.
Requested a call to Gillespie V. ("Sonny") MontgomeryNo transcript is available for this conversation. The audio may not contain audible speech, or the recording may not yet have been processed.