Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 688 › Conversation 688-014

Nixon & Bull on Charles W. Colson and Camp David

Saturday, March 18, 1972 · 1:20 PM–1:21 PM ET · Oval Office · 50 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation688-014 on Tape 688 (tape position 02:23:54–02:25:18)StartSaturday, March 18, 1972 at 1:20 PMEndSaturday, March 18, 1972 at 1:21 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 688-014 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to coordinate his daily schedule and manage the availability of staff members. The conversation focused on the arrival of Charles W. Colson and whether the President would depart for Camp David. Ultimately, Nixon decided against visiting Camp David himself but signaled that staff members were free to use the retreat if they desired.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yes, sir.
Would you just say that, uh, Colston is in?
I don't want him to come, sir.
He's in and he's available.
Oh, I need to come to him now, sir.
Although, uh, no plans in the arrangements were made for Camp David.
Yeah.
Maybe we should know that he is available.
I truly wish to know others.
Well, I won't be going because I have to...
Let's just go.
We just want to know who's not behind things.
Let anybody else, let staff people go if they want.
It would be nice if they could go today.
But I thought they wouldn't bother me if they were there anyway.
I understand.

NARA Description

On March 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:20 pm to 1:21 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 688-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 688-14

Date: March 18, 1972
Time: 1:20 pm - 1:21 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     The President's schedule
          -Charles W. Colson
               -Meeting with the President
          -Possible trip to Camp David
               -Staff

Bull left at 1:21 pm.

Also recorded on March 18, 1972

  • 688-010 12:11 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:11 pm and 12:15 pm.
  • 688-012 12:15 PM · 50 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm.
  • 688-013 1:16 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Marjorie P. Acker met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:16 pm to 1:17 pm.
  • 688-015 1:21 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Marjorie P. Acker met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:21 pm to 1:22 pm.
  • 688-016 1:22 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:22 pm and 1:24 pm.
  • 688-017 1:22 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:22 pm and 1:24 pm.
  • 688-018 1:24 PM · 2 hr 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, Charles W. Colson, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Helen Drown, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:24 pm to 3:40 pm.
  • 021-110 2:21 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 2:21 pm to 2:22 pm.

All 24 conversations from March 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 688-014, March 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/688-014 (accessed October 3, 2026).