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Originally Released By The National Archives in 2002, the Complete Nixon Cabinet Room Tapes Can Be Heard Online For The First Time

For the first time, the recordings from the Nixon White House Cabinet Room are made available to the public in an accessible format. These recordings include every meeting, tour group, briefing, and private conversation that occurred in the Cabinet Room, as captured on the Nixon recording system between February 16, 1971, and July 11, 1973. Remarkably, these audio files were originally released by the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) Archives II at College Park, Maryland, in 2002, but were made available to onsite researchers only, and only in analog cassette format. With the assistance of the National Security Archive, these files are now available here, on nixontapes.org, and at the time of the creation of this page, these tapes, in whole or in part, are not available anywhere else outside of the reading room at NARA's Archives II.

What makes the Cabinet Room recordings unique is that the room itself could accommodate more participants than the average meeting recorded on a White House Telephone, in the Lincoln Sitting Room, or in the president's Executive Office Building retreat. Thus, these recordings often captured larger meetings with Congressional leaders, various domestic councils, presidential commissions, task forces, meetings of the National Security Council, an occasional Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting, top secret briefings by Director of Central Intelligence Richard Helms, an international summit meeting--such as the U.S.-Soviet meetings during June 1973, and, of course, Cabinet meetings, along with many other types of gatherings. Also, while taping at other White House locations was ended earlier in 1973 by Watergate-era Chief of Staff Al Haig, the Cabinet Room recordings continued until July 1973, even after the revelation of the taping system before the Watergate investigating committee by presidential aide Alexander Butterfield.

Below is a complete list of all Cabinet Room tapes, the range of dates that each tape recorded, a NARA-prepared summary of the conversations contained on the respective tape, and the audio files available for download, free of charge, as a service to researchers and the public. While it will be years more before scholars and researchers transcribe these recordings, this release marks the first time they have been made readily accessible to the public.

Note: there is one conversation summary for each tape reel, e.g. there is one summary for reel 47, which includes tapes 47a and 47b. Likewise, the dates recorded refer to all conversations taped on a reel, e.g. reel 48, which includes tapes 48a and 48b, includes conversations recorded between 2/23/71 and 2/26/71. Also, a "full" tape recorded approximately 2 hours, and the corresponding mp3 size of a full tape is generally between 110 and 115 megabytes. Tapes smaller than 110 to 115 megabytes contain less than two hours of recordings.

Also of interest may be the President's Daily Diary, for:
February 12-28, 1971 (5.2m)
March 1-31, 1971 (8.7m)
April 1-30, 1971 (8.0m)
May 1-15, 1971 (4.7m)
May 16-31, 1971 (4.2m)
June 1-15, 1971 (3.9m)
June 16-30, 1971 (4.4m)
July 1-31, 1971 (8.4m)
August 1-31, 1971 (6.4m)
September 1-20, 1971 (3.9m)
September 21-30, 1971 (3.7m)
October 1-31, 1971 (7.2m)
November 1-30, 1971 (6.8m)
December 1-31, 1971 (8.0m)
January 1-31, 1972 (6.2m)
February 1-16, 1972 (3.4m)
February 17-29, 1972 (9.6m)
March 1-31, 1972 (5.9m)
April 1-30, 1972 (7.7m)
May 1-19, 1972 (4.6m)
May 20-31, 1972 (4.3m)
June 1-30, 1972 (7.1m)
July 1-31, 1972 (6.1m)
August 1-31, 1972 (5.7m)
September 1-21, 1972 (4.8m)
September 22-30, 1972 (4.5m)
October 1-15, 1972 (4.4m)
October 16-31, 1972 (5.3m)
November 1-30, 1972 (5.3m)
December 1-31, 1972 (5.4m)
January 1-31, 1973 (5.3m)
February 1-28, 1973 (6.3m)
March 1-31, 1973 (8.4m)
April 1-30, 1973 (6.2m)
May 1-31, 1973 (7.6m)
June 1-30, 1973 (6.9m)
July 1-31, 1973 (4.6m)

Tapes

Dates Recorded

 Summary

Download Audio

Features*

47a

2/16/71 rtf (20k) mp3 (112m) Cabinet: 2/16 
47b     mp3 (11.4m)  
48a 2/23/71 - 2/26/71 rtf (20k) mp3 (108m) President's Science Advisory Committee: 2/23
48b     mp3 (63.5m)  
49a 3/2/71 - 3/8/71 rtf (17k) mp3 (112m) National Security Council (NSC): 3/8
49b     mp3 (60.9m)  
50a 3/9/71 - 3/23/71 rtf (82k) mp3 (115m) Republican Congressional Leaders (RCL): 3/9; Cabinet: 3/16; RCL: 3/23
50b     mp3 (115m)  
50c     mp3 (67m)  
51a 3/23/71 - 3/26/71 rtf (74k) mp3 (112m) Dairy Industry Leaders: 3/23; U.S. Mayors: 3/23; NSC: 3/25; Black Caucus: 3/25; Cabinet: 3/26
51b     mp3 (115m)  
51b_i     mp3 (111m)  
51c     mp3 (112m)  
51d     mp3 (30.4m)  
52a 4/8/71 rtf (37k) mp3 (112m) Council on International Economic Policy (CIEP): 4/8
52b     mp3 (105m)  
52c     mp3 (112m)  
52d     mp3 (33m)  
53a 4/13/71 - 4/17/71 rtf (25k) mp3 (112m) Cabinet: 4/13
53b     mp3 (112m)  
53c     mp3 (112m)  
53d     mp3 (18.1m)  
54a 4/19/71 - 4/20/71 rtf (31k) mp3 (112m) Executive Council of AFL-CIO Building & Construction Trades: 4/19
54b     mp3 (59.3m)  
55a 4/20/71 - 5/4/71 rtf (99k) mp3 (112m) Republican Senators: 4/20; Republican Congressmen: 4/22; Cabinet: 4/27; RCL: 5/4; President's Commission on School Finance, Panel on Nonpublic Education: 5/4
55b     mp3 (112m)  
55c     mp3 (112m)  
55d     mp3 (22.9m)  
56a 5/6/71 - Unk between 5/11/71 and 5/12/71 rtf (35k) mp3 (112m) President's Commission on Financial Structure and Regulation: 5/6; Signing of S.70, Telephone Bank Bill: 5/7; Cabinet: 5/11
56b     mp3 (106m)  
56c     mp3 (9.3m)  
57a 5/13/71 - 5/14/71 rtf (28k) mp3 (112m) Citizens' Committee for Government Reorganization: 5/13; Military and diplomatic officials: 5/13; Representatives of five major senior citizens' organizations: 5/14
57b     mp3 (62.9m)  
58a 5/18/71 - 5/20/71 rtf (32k) mp3 (110m) RCL: 5/18; Cabinet: 5/20; Bipartisan Congressional Leaders (BCL): 5/20
58b     mp3 (112m)  
58c     mp3 (46.2m)  
59a 6/3/71 - 6/7/71 rtf (27k) mp3 (109m) Police Chiefs: 6/3; President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB): 6/4; Executive Board of Directors of National Association of Home Builders: 6/7
59b     mp3 (46.4m)  
60a 6/8/71 - 6/10/71 rtf (44k) mp3 (112m) Cabinet: 6/8; Board of Directors of Amtrak: 6/8; Railroad executives: 6/10
60b     mp3 (110m)  
60c     mp3 (10.7m)  
61a 6/14/71 - 6/15/71 rtf (45k) mp3 (111m) State Department officials: 6/14; Railway union leaders: 6/14; RCL: 6/15
61b     mp3 (111m)  
61c     mp3 (59.5m)  
62a 6/17/1971 rtf (35k) mp3 (112m) BCL: 6/17; NSC: 6/17
62b     mp3 (104m)  
63a Unk between 6/17/71 and 6/28/71 - 6/29/71 rtf (41k) mp3 (112m) Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy: 6/28; National Commission on Productivity: 6/29
63b     mp3 (53m)  
64a Unk between 7/1/71 and 7/6/71 - 7/19/71 rtf (24k) mp3 (112m) Steel industry leaders and union representatives: 7/6; BCL: 7/19; Cabinet: 7/19
64b     mp3 (90.8m)  
65a 7/20/71 rtf (20k) mp3 (110m) RCL: 7/20
65b     mp3 (49m)  
66a 7/22/71 - 7/24/71 rtf (72k) mp3 (112m) Bipartisan Senate Leaders: 7/22
66b     mp3 (111m)  
66c     mp3 (110m)  
66d     mp3 (22.6m)  
67a 7/30/71 - 8/5/71 rtf (38k) mp3 (113m) United Transportation Union and railroad management: 7/30; Cabinet: 8/5
67b     mp3 (85.6m)  
67b_i     mp3 (3.8m)  
68a Unk between 8/1/71 and 8/5/71 - 8/10/71 rtf (33k) mp3 (111m) Joints Chiefs of Staff (JCS): 8/10; Cambodian delegation: 8/10
68b     mp3 (112m)  
68c     mp3 (86.5m)  
69a 8/13/71 - 8/16/71 rtf (20k) mp3 (110mb) NSC: 8/13; Cabinet: 8/16
69b     mp3 (72.3m)  
70a 8/17/71 rtf (29k) mp3 (113m) BCL: 8/17
70b     mp3 (28.9m)  
71a 9/7/71 rtf (26k) mp3 (111m) CIEP: 9/7
71b     mp3 (20m)  
72a 9/10/71 rtf (32k) mp3 (111m) Labor union representatives: 9/10
72b     mp3 (8.7m)  
73a 9/11/71 - 9/13/71 rtf (49k) mp3 (112m) Cost of Living Council (CLC): 9/11; Cabinet and wives: 9/13
73b     mp3 (111m)  
73c     mp3 (22.4m)  
74a 9/13/71 - 9/14/71 rtf (45k) mp3 (111m) Commission on International Trade and Investment Policy: 9/13; RCL: 9/14; Committee to Form a National Health Education Foundation: 9/14
74b     mp3 (31.2m)  
75a 9/14/71 - 9/16/71 rtf (56k) mp3 (111m) Agricultural leaders: 9/14; Elected state and local officials: 9/16
75b     mp3 (51.7m)  
76a 9/17/71 - 9/21/71 rtf (78k) mp3 (113m) BCL: 9/17; NSC: 9/20; White House Consumer Advisory Council: 9/21; International Seminar on Illicit Drug Traffic and Abuse: 9/21
76b     mp3 (111m)  
76c     mp3 (90.6m)  
77a 9/24/71 - 9/28/71 rtf (19k) mp3 (111m) Cabinet: 9/24; President of the Organization of African Unity: 9/28
77b     mp3 (18.7m)  
78a 9/30/71 - 10/12/71 rtf (30k) mp3 (111m) Leaders of national education organizations: 9/30; Southern Democratic Congressmen: 9/30; BCL: 10/7; BCL: 10/12
78b     mp3 (44m)  
79a 10/12/71 - Unk between 10/12/71 and 10/15/71 rtf (18k) mp3 (111m) Cabinet: 10/12
79b     mp3 (34.1m)  
80a Unk between 10/15/71 and 10/19/71 - 10/19/71 rtf (30k) mp3 (111m) RCL: 10/19
80b     mp3 (27.2m)  
81a 10/22/71 - 11/2/71 rtf (26k) mp3 (111m) Pay Board and Price Commission: 10/22; Cabinet Committee on Executive Reorganization: 11/2
81b     mp3 (33.7m)  
82a 11/4/71 - 11/15/71 rtf (25k) mp3 (112m) Selected House Republicans: 11/4; NSC: 11/12; CLC: 11/15
82b     mp3 (47.2m)  
83a 11/15/71 - 11/16/71 rtf (40k) mp3 (111m) Cabinet: 11/15; RCL: 11/16; Committee on Mental Retardation: 11/16
83b     mp3 (91.4m)  
84a Unk between 11/16/71 and 12/1/71 - 12/1/71 rtf (26k) mp3 (112m) NSC: 12/1
84b     mp3 (111m)  
84c     mp3 (111m)  
84d     mp3 (32.7m)  
85a Unk between 12/3/71 and 12/6/71 rtf (27k) mp3 (113m)  
85b     mp3 (111m)  
85c     mp3 (113m)  
85d     mp3 (26m)  
86a 12/9/71 - 12/22/71 rtf (23k) mp3 (113m) Signing of HR.10847, Revenue Act of 1971: 12/10; BCL: 12/15: President's Commission on Financial Structure and Regulation: 12/22
86b     mp3 (95.6m)  
87a 1/3/72 - 1/20/72 rtf (47k) mp3 (111m) Cabinet-level group on trade legislation: 1/3: Cabinet: 1/20
87b     mp3 (112m)  
87c     mp3 (64.4m)  
88a 1/24/72 - Unk between 1/28/72 and 1/31/72 rtf (23k) mp3 (112m) Signing of 1973 Budget Message with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Staff: 1/24; RCL: 1/26; Construction Industry Collective Bargaining Commission: 1/28
88b     mp3 (109m)  
88c     mp3 (91.6m)  
89a 2/2/72 rtf (9k) mp3 (110m) NSC: 2/2
89b     mp3 (12.6m)  
90a 2/7/72 - 2/14/72 rtf (40k) mp3 (111m) U.S. Attorneys, Treasury and Justice Department officials: 2/7; Henry Kissinger and his staff: 2/9; Congressional and administration officials: 2/14
90b     mp3 (72.6m)  
91a 2/17/72 rtf (17k) mp3 (96.1m) BCL: 2/17
92a 2/29/72 rtf (11k) mp3 (95.7m) BCL: 2/29
93a 2/29/72 - 3/6/72 rtf (33k) mp3 (113m) Cabinet: 2/29; Cabinet Committee on Education: 3/2; Council of Black Appointees, 3/6
93b     mp3 (75.2m)  
94a 3/7/72 - 3/10/72 rtf (35k) mp3 (112m) RCL: 3/7; Cabinet Committee on Education: 3/10; Signing of S.748, Inter-American Development Bank: 3/10;Signing of S.749, International Development Association: 3/10; Signing of S.2010, Asian Development Bank: 3/10
94b     mp3 (106m)  
94c     mp3 (112m)  
94d     mp3 (25.6m)  
95a 3/17/72 rtf (23k) mp3 (113m) BCL: 3/17; NSC: 3/17
95b     mp3 (87.6m)  
96a 3/20/72 - 3/23/72 rtf (30k) mp3 (111m) Cabinet Committee on International Narcotics Control: 3/20; General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament: 3/21; White House News Photographers' Association: 3/21; CLC: 3/23
96b     mp3 (84m)  
97a 3/23/72 - 3/28/72 rtf (24k) mp3 (111m) RCL: 3/28
97b     mp3 (29.2m)  
98a 4/12/72 rtf (20k) mp3 (112m) RCL: 4/12
98b     mp3 (21.4m)  
99a 4/20/72 - 5/3/72 rtf (63k) mp3 (111m) President's Panel on Nonpublic Education: 4/20; Domestic Council: 4/20; RCL: 5/3
99b     mp3 (111m)  
99c     mp3 (111m)  
100a 5/5/72 - 5/8/72 rtf (68k) mp3 (112m) PFIAB: 5/5; NSC: 5/8
100b     mp3 (112m)  
100c     mp3 (74.3m)  
101a 5/8/72 - Unk between 5/19/72 and 6/13/72 rtf (70k) mp3 (112m) Cabinet: 5/8; Cabinet 5/16; BCL: 5/19
101b     mp3 (113m)  
101c     mp3 (111m)  
101d     mp3 (12m)  
102a Unk between 5/30/72 and 6/12/72 - 6/13/72 rtf (30k) mp3 (111m) RCL: 6/13
102b     mp3 (114m)  
102c     mp3 (111m)  
102d     mp3 (22.2m)  
103a 6/13/72 - 7/1/72 rtf (72k) mp3 (111m) RCL: 6/13; Chief executives of broadcast industry: 6/22; National veteran leaders: 6/26; Republicans of the Senate Finance Committee: 6/27; CLC: 6/30; Representatives of maritime industry and labor unions: 7/1
103b     mp3 (109m)  
103c     mp3 (31m)  
104a Unk between 7/1/72 and 7/21/72 - Unk between 7/25/72 and 7/28/72 rtf (46k) mp3 (111m) Cabinet: 7/21; Mayors and county officials: 7/25; Chuck Colson and his staff: 7/25
104b     mp3 (115m)  
104c     mp3 (22.1m)  
105a 9/8/72 - 10/2/72 rtf (73k) mp3 (110m) Attorneys attending a training seminar on drug abuse law enforcement: 9/8; CIEP: 9/11; Signing of HR.10670, Provisions for survivors of retired military personnel: 9/21; Finance Committee of the Committee to Re-elect the President: 9/25; CLC: 9/29; RCL: 10/2
105b     mp3 (110m)  
105c     mp3 (45.9m)  
106a Unk between 9/5/72 and 9/7/72 - Unk between 9/7/72 and 9/9/72 rtf (33k) mp3 (112m) RCL: 9/7
106a track 2     mp3 (112m)  
106b     mp3 (111m)  
106b track 2     mp3 (114m)  
106c     mp3 (101m)  
106c track 2     mp3 (114m)  
106d track 2     mp3 (22.3m)  
107a 8/8/72 - 8/10/72 rtf (60k) mp3 (112m) RCL: 8/8; CLC: 8/10
107b     mp3 (115m)  
107c     mp3 (112m)  
107d     mp3 (22.5m)  
108a 10/6/72 - 10/17/72 rtf (28k) mp3 (104m) Black Executive Advisory Committee of the Committee to Re-elect the President: 10/6; Senate Republicans Leaders: 10/12; Pay Board: 10/13; National Advisory Council for Drug Abuse Prevention: 10/17
108b     mp3 (112m)  
108c     mp3 (110m)  
108d     mp3 (25.1m)  
109a 10/27/72 rtf (11k) mp3 (113m) Spanish-speaking campaign surrogates: 10/27
109b     mp3 (114m)  
109c     mp3 (111m)  
109d     mp3 (22.3m)  
110a Unk between 10/27/72 and 11/8/72 - 12/20/72 rtf (23k) mp3 (111m) Black administration officials: 11/29
110b     mp3 (112m)  
110c     mp3 (61.1m)  
111a 12/20/72 - 1/24/73 rtf (28k) mp3 (109m) National Committee on Productivity: 12/20; Cabinet: 1/23; BCL: 1/24; Cabinet: 1/24
111b     mp3 (112m)  
111c     mp3 (111m)  
111d     mp3 (22.3m)  
112a 1/31/73 - Unk between 2/6/73 and 2/8/73 rtf (36k) mp3 (111m) Signing of 1973 Economic Report to Congress: 1/31; Pay Board and Price Commission: 2/5; RCL: 2/6
112b     mp3 (112m)  
112c     mp3 (8.8m)  
113a 1/24/73 - 1/26/73 rtf (41k) mp3 (110m) Cabinet: 1/24; RCL: 1/26; BCL: 1/26; Signing of 1974 Budget Message to Congress: 1/26
113b     mp3 (109m)  
114a 2/16/73 rtf (11k) mp3 (111m) Cabinet: 2/16
114b     mp3 (110m)  
114c     mp3 (112m)  
114d     mp3 (22.5m)  
115a Unk between 2/16/73 and 3/6/73 rtf (11k) mp3 (113m)  
115b     mp3 (112m)  
115c     mp3 (112m)  
115d     mp3 (22.8m)  
116a 3/6/73 rtf (23k) mp3 (112m) National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors: 3/6
116b     mp3 (112m)  
116c     mp3 (112m)  
116d     mp3 (19.1m)  
117a 3/6/73 - 3/9/73 rtf (66k) mp3 (109m) National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors: 3/6; NSC: 3/8; Cabinet: 3/9
117b     mp3 (114m)  
117c     mp3 (111m)  
117d     mp3 (22.5m)  
118a 3/13/73 rtf (39k) mp3 (112m) RCL: 3/13
118b     mp3 (111m)  
118c     mp3 (88.8m)  
119a 3/13/73 - Unk between 3/20/73 and 3/30/73 rtf (41k) mp3 (113m) Selected Cabinet members and Administration officials: 3/13; RCL: 3/20
119b     mp3 (112m)  
119c     mp3 (112m)  
119d     mp3 (22.6m)  
120a 5/1/73 - 5/10/73 rtf (38k) mp3 (110m) Cabinet: 5/1; Cabinet: 5/10
120b     mp3 (112m)  
120c     mp3 (112m)  
120d     mp3 (27.3m)  
121a 5/15/73 - 5/23/73 rtf (76k) mp3 (110m) BCL: 5/15; Cabinet: 5/18; RCL: 5/23
121b     mp3 (112m)  
121c     mp3 (40.3m)  
122a 4/10/73 - 4/18/73 rtf (29k) mp3 (112m) BCL: 4/10; NSC: 4/12; BCL: 4/18
122b     mp3 (111m)  
122c     mp3 (111m)  
122d     mp3 (22.5m)  
123a 4/19/73 - 5/1/73 rtf (32k) mp3 (112m) American Jewish Leaders: 4/19; Cabinet: 4/20; BCL: 5/1
123b     mp3 (112m)  
123c     mp3 (59.5m)  
124a Unk between 5/23/73 and 5/25/73 - 6/7/73 rtf (77k) mp3 (112m) Cabinet: 5/25; BCL: 5/29; RCL: 6/5; Cabinet: 6/7
124b     mp3 (113m)  
124c     mp3 (111m)  
124d     mp3 (23.7m)  
125a Unk between 6/7/73 and 6/11/73 - 6/11/73 rtf (28k) mp3 (113m) Labor-Management Advisory Committee: 6/11
125b     mp3 (12.1m)  
126a 6/13/73 - 6/19/73 rtf (31k) mp3 (112m) Cabinet: 6/13; BCL: 6/13; U.S. and Soviet diplomatic delegations: 6/19
126b     mp3 (72.4m)  
127a 6/22/73 - Unk between 6/22/73 and 7/10/73 rtf (46k) mp3 (112m) BCL: 6/22
127b     mp3 (112m)  
127c     mp3 (112m)  
127d     mp3 (23.3m)  
128a 7/10/73 - 7/11/73 rtf (79k) mp3 (112m) RCL: 7/10; Cabinet: 7/11
128b     mp3 (112m)  
128c     mp3 (109m)  
129a Unk between 7/11/73 and 7/18/73 rtf (7k) mp3 (111m)  
129b     mp3 (112m)  
129c     mp3 (112m)  
129d     mp3 (22.6m)  

Features*: This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Rather, it meant to serve as a guide for the more frequent types of gatherings in the Cabinet Room that may attract the greatest amount of researcher interest.

 

 

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