Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 644 › Conversation 644-016

Nixon, United States Secret Service agents & Hess on Presidential security

Monday, January 10, 1972 · 1:25 PM–1:34 PM ET · Oval Office · 4 min

ParticipantsUnited States Secret Service agents; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Hess, StephenConversation644-016 on Tape 644 (tape position 03:08:10–03:12:06)StartMonday, January 10, 1972 at 1:25 PMEndMonday, January 10, 1972 at 1:34 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 644-016 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417180399 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Secret Service agents coordinate security logistics regarding an individual identified as Charlie. The discussion centers on the immediate requirement for a uniformed officer to be stationed at the Oval Office. The brief exchange concludes with instructions to facilitate this security presence.

Audio

Download MP3 · 2.3 MB

NARA Description

On January 10, 1972, United States Secret Service agents, President Richard M. Nixon, and Stephen Hess met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:25 pm and 1:34 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 644-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 644-16

Date: January 10, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:25 pm and 1:34 pm
Location: Oval Office

An unknown man [Secret Service agent] talked with an unknown person.

[Conversation No. 644-16A]

     The President's location
          -Area outside oval office
               -Reception area

[The President only heard talking with an unknown person [Stephen Hess?] in the hallway.]

[End of telephone conversation]

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 1:25 pm.

An agent talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 1:25 pm and 1:34 pm.

[Conversation No. 644-16B]

**************************************************************************

[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 08/04/2022.]
[Unintelligible]
[644-016-w003]
[Duration: 1m 5s]

     General conversation [?]

**************************************************************************

**************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Federal Statute (A) withdrawal. This segment was rereviewed 08/04/2022
with new guidance. Segment cleared for release.]
[Federal Statute]
[644-016-w001]
[Duration: 6s]

     Inquiry about telephone call

**************************************************************************

     Need for agent

     The President's schedule

**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Previous PRMPA Federal Statute (A) withdrawal reviewed 08/04/2022. Segment will remain
closed.]
[Federal Statute]
[644-016-w002]
[Duration: 3s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

**************************************************************************

This recording was cut off at an unknown time before 1:34 pm.

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

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

This is the office right now.
He's in the reception area.
He's at the reception area.

— 2 min 38 s with no transcribed speech —

Charlie.
Charlie.
Charlie.
Charlie.
Charlie.
Yes.
Yes, .
Do you want a uniform up here?
Yeah.
Yeah.
He's down there.
He's down at home.
I need a uniform up here.

Also recorded on January 10, 1972

  • 018-031 1:11 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Peter M. Flanigan talked on the telephone from 1:11 pm to 1:12 pm.
  • 644-015 1:24 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:24 pm to 1:25 pm.
  • 313-001 1:34 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:34 pm and 1:42 pm.
  • 313-002 1:34 PM · 7 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 1:34 pm and 1:42 pm.
  • 313-003 1:34 PM · 6 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 1:34 pm and 1:42 pm.
  • 018-032 1:42 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:42 pm.
  • 018-033 1:42 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:42 pm and 2:36 pm.
  • 018-034 1:42 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:42 pm and 2:36 pm.

All 87 conversations from January 10, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 644-016, January 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417180399). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/644-016 (accessed November 13, 2026).