Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 783 › Conversation 783-009

Nixon & Bush on Personal health and Presidential friendships

Tuesday, September 19, 1972 · 11:25 AM–11:26 AM ET · Oval Office · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bush, Prescott S.Conversation783-009 on Tape 783StartTuesday, September 19, 1972 at 11:25 AMEndTuesday, September 19, 1972 at 11:26 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 783-009 ↗

President Nixon held a brief, informal meeting with his longtime friend and political ally Prescott S. Bush to offer encouragement before Bush’s upcoming surgery. The conversation centered on expressing mutual well-wishes and reflecting on their shared history of personal and political battles. No policy decisions were made during the interaction, as it functioned primarily as a gesture of support during a health crisis.

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hospital for an operation and I just want to tell you we're thinking about you and we know you're going to pull through and just have in mind how you sink those good long cuts and you'll do this that well in that operation right well well I'll tell you well don't worry about that it's nothing more important than talking to a good friend I remember all those battles we've been through
My dog is so bad now that I couldn't get it.
That's right, that's right, that's right.
That's right.
And I just wish you the very best.
And give all the nurses my best.
Okay.

On September 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Prescott S. Bush met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:25 am to 11:26 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 783-009 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 783-9

Date: September 19, 1972
Time: 11:25 am - 11:26 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Prescott S. Bush.

[See Conversation No. 30-2]
  • 030-001 11:17 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:17 am.
  • 783-005 11:18 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:18 am.
  • 783-006 11:18 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:18 am.
  • 783-007 11:19 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Marion Scully, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:19 am to 11:25 am.
  • 030-002 11:25 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Prescott S. Bush talked on the telephone from 11:25 am to 11:26 am.
  • 783-008 11:25 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:25 am.
  • 783-010 11:40 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:40 am to 11:45 am.
  • 783-011 11:45 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 12:12 pm.

Conversation 783-009, September 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/783-009 (accessed October 1, 2026).