Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 8 › Conversation 008-054

Price phone call on Presidential speech and Speechwriting

Wednesday, September 8, 1971 · 3:08 PM–7:40 PM ET · White House Telephone · 41 sec

ParticipantsPrice, Raymond K., Jr.; White House operatorConversation008-054 on Tape 8 (tape position 01:44:33–01:45:14)StartWednesday, September 8, 1971 at 3:08 PMEndWednesday, September 8, 1971 at 7:40 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 008-054 ↗

Raymond K. Price, Jr. coordinates with his office staff regarding the final preparations for an upcoming presidential address to Congress. The participants confirm the draft’s current word count of 3,197 words and address a specific inquiry raised by Alexander P. Butterfield. Price concludes the brief exchange by instructing his staff to facilitate communication between himself and Butterfield to resolve the remaining questions regarding the document.

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Sorry, Price, can I have my office, please?
Yes, sir.
Price's office.
Oh, have we got a word count on this yet?
Yes, sir.
3197, and Alex Butterfield wants to have a word with you about a chain, about, he has a question on it.
Shall I bring you a copy?
Of his question?
No, a copy of the draft.
No, I've got the draft.
Okay, will you call Alex?
3197.
3197.
Yes, sir.

On September 8, 1971, Raymond K. Price, Jr. and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:08 pm and 7:40 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 008-054 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 8-54

Date: September 8, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:08 pm and 7:40 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Raymond K. Price, Jr. talked with the White House operator.

     Request for call to Price's office

     Price talked with an unknown woman

     The President's forthcoming speech to Congress
          -Draft
               -Word count
               -Alexander P. Butterfield's question
               -Copy
               -Word count
  • 008-052 3:05 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:05 pm.
  • 008-053 3:06 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond K. Price, Jr. talked on the telephone from 3:06 pm to 3:08 pm.
  • 274-040 3:06 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond K. Price, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:06 pm to 3:08 pm.
  • 008-055 3:08 PM · 2 min — Raymond K. Price, Jr., White House operator, and Alexander P. Butterfield talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:08 pm and 7:40 pm.
  • 008-056 3:08 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:08 pm and 7:40 pm.
  • 274-041 3:08 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:08 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 274-042 3:08 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:08 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 274-043 3:08 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:08 pm and 3:26 pm.

Conversation 008-054, September 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/008-054 (accessed October 1, 2026).