Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-116

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Alexander Butterfield

Friday, May 21, 1971 · 8:36 PM–8:48 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation003-116 on Tape 3 (tape position 02:21:12–02:21:18)StartFriday, May 21, 1971 at 8:36 PMEndFriday, May 21, 1971 at 8:48 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-116 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a brief telephone call to connect with Alexander P. Butterfield. The President requests that the operator facilitate this communication to reach his Deputy Assistant. No substantive policy discussions or further actions are recorded during this exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Alex Butterfield, please.

NARA Description

On May 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:36 pm and 8:48 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-116 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 003-116

Date: May 21, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:36 pm and 8:48 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Call to Alexander P. Butterfield

Also recorded on May 22, 1971

  • 003-114 8:30 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone from 8:30 pm to 8:36 pm.
  • 003-115 8:36 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:36 pm and 8:48 pm.
  • 003-216 8:36 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:36 pm and 8:48 pm.
  • 003-117 8:48 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:48 pm.

Cite this conversation

Conversation 003-116, May 22, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-116 (accessed October 12, 2026).