Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 15 › Conversation 015-046

Nixon phone call with Butterfield on Oval Office and Administrative procedures

Thursday, November 18, 1971 · 5:57 PM–5:58 PM ET · White House Telephone · 24 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation015-046 on Tape 15 (tape position 01:01:31–01:01:55)StartThursday, November 18, 1971 at 5:57 PMEndThursday, November 18, 1971 at 5:58 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 015-046 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield coordinate the signing of administrative documents that Butterfield had been holding. Due to the President's immediate need to depart, they finalize a plan for Nixon to review and sign the materials in the Oval Office shortly thereafter. Butterfield agrees to facilitate the process by meeting the President while he is en route.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Did you say you had something to sign?
I've got a number of things, sir, but I didn't want to interrupt you.
Why don't we get over with right now?
Want me just to bring him over?
I have to leave now.
Okay.
Well, I'll tell you what you can do.
No, I'll come over to the Oval Office and sign him there.
I'll catch him on the way over.
All right, sir.
Very good.

NARA Description

On November 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield talked on the telephone from 5:57 pm to 5:58 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 015-046 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 15-46

Date: November 18, 1971
Time: 5:57 pm - 5:58 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     Items for signature
          -Oval Office

Also recorded on November 18, 1971

  • 015-041 5:09 PM · 2 min — Donald H. Rumsfeld, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:09 pm and 5:16 pm.
  • 015-042 5:09 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:09 pm and 5:16 pm.
  • 015-044 5:16 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 5:16 pm to 5:17 pm.
  • 015-045 5:30 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:30 pm and 5:57 pm.
  • 015-049 5:55 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 7:16 pm.
  • 621-008 6:01 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:01 pm to 6:04 pm.
  • 015-047 6:04 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:04 pm and 6:56 pm.
  • 621-009 6:04 PM · 1 min — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:04 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 77 conversations from November 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 015-046, November 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/015-046 (accessed September 22, 2026).