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White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973

What is the data?

This dataset provides information about the Nixon Administration’s White House Tapes. The White House Tapes contain sound recordings of President Richard Nixon's telephone calls recorded at the White House in Washington, D.C. and the Presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland. The Tapes also contain sound recordings of meetings held in the White House’s Oval Office and Cabinet Room, the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building, and Aspen Lodge at Camp David. These recordings document many of the major events, decisions, and discussions of the Nixon Administration from February 16, 1971 to July 18, 1973.

This dataset contains metadata about the meetings and telephone calls recorded by the White House taping system. The metadata offers details for all 22,723 conversations, including title, time and date of recording, audiotape, recording device, geographic coordinates, participants, and a brief descriptive statement.

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, part of the National Archives and Records Administration, is working to fully digitize the White House Tapes. For digitized audio recordings and more information about the White House Tapes, please visit: http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/forresearchers/find/tapes/index.php

How do I access the data?

This dataset is available for download in one comma-separated values (CSV) file, as well as a zipped file containing seven JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) files. The data dictionary outlines and defines the fields available in the CSV file.

What high value criteria does it meet?

Access to the government's permanent records:

  • can be used to increase agency accountability and responsiveness
  • improves public knowledge of the agency and its operations
  • furthers the core mission of the agency
  • creates economic opportunity
  • responds to need and demand as identified through public consultation 

Is this the first time the data is available?

This is the first time that the information about White House Tapes conversations is publicly available in a standardized, integrated, and open format. The data has been improved and refined through human analysis and machine scripting. For example, NARA staff added value by identifying, reconciling, and creating over 4,700 individual conversation participant names across more than 61,900 participant entries.

This is the first time the data is available as refined data in CSV and JSON format.

Who may be interested in this information?

Historians, political scientists, academics, researchers, archivists, foreign policy analysts, journalists, and citizens.

Who do I contact if I have questions about this data?

Tapes Team, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
E-mail: nixon@nara.gov

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