Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 12 › Conversation 012-083

Butterfield phone call on Linwood Holton and Telephone protocols

Friday, October 22, 1971 · 3:14 PM–3:30 PM ET · White House Telephone · 35 sec

ParticipantsButterfield, Alexander P.; White House operatorConversation012-083 on Tape 12 (tape position 03:09:19–03:09:54)StartFriday, October 22, 1971 at 3:14 PMEndFriday, October 22, 1971 at 3:30 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 012-083 ↗

AI Summary

Alexander P. Butterfield coordinates with the White House operator to facilitate a telephone call from Governor Linwood Holton to President Nixon. Butterfield instructs the operator to bypass the President's Oval Office line to ensure the call is routed to a different location where the President can pick it up. This intervention aims to override previous handling instructions provided by Dwight Chapin’s office.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Is this a different line from the line on the President's desk?
No, this is the main number, 500, that's supposed to be right on his desk.
Oh, I see.
Well, he wants the call.
When Governor Holden's call comes through, he doesn't want it in his local office, so I'm going to... Let me check his project.
Well, you know, Mr. Butterfield, I had him on the line, and Chapin's office told me that he couldn't take it, that they'd have to call back.
No, Chapin's office, I'm ahead of them on this one, so...
But you might hold it, because I want to find a line that is not in his office.
Of course, he can pick it up back here, can't he?
Yes.
All right, well, just hold one more second.
Yes.
All right.

NARA Description

On October 22, 1971, Alexander P. Butterfield and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:14 pm and 3:30 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-083 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 012-083

Date: October 22, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:14 pm and 3:30 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Alexander P. Butterfield talked with the White House operator.

     The President's telephone
          -Linwood Holton
               -Oval Office
               -Dwight L. Chapin's office

Also recorded on October 22, 1971

  • 599-015 1:00 PM · 2 min — Rose Mary Woods, Anne Whitman, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:00 pm to 1:03 pm.
  • 599-016 1:03 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:03 pm and 2:05 pm.
  • 599-017 2:05 PM · 57 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, George H. W. Bush, William P. Rogers, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:05 pm to 3:00 pm.
  • 012-082 3:14 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:14 pm.
  • 012-084 3:14 PM · 4 min — Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, and Manolo Sanchez talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:14 pm and 3:30 pm.
  • 012-085 3:14 PM · 6 min — Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, Linwood Holton, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:14 pm and 3:30 pm.
  • 012-086 3:35 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 3:35 pm to 5:20 pm.
  • 012-087 5:20 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Bryce N. Harlow, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone from 5:20 pm to 5:27 pm.

All 50 conversations from October 22, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 012-083, October 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/012-083 (accessed October 12, 2026).