Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 15 › Conversation 015-045

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Alexander P. Butterfield

Thursday, November 18, 1971 · 5:30 PM–5:57 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation015-045 on Tape 15 (tape position 01:01:25–01:01:31)StartThursday, November 18, 1971 at 5:30 PMEndThursday, November 18, 1971 at 5:57 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 015-045 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a brief telephone communication through the White House operator to contact Alexander P. Butterfield. The primary purpose of the call is to establish a connection with the Deputy Assistant to the President. No further policy or administrative matters are addressed during this short 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Yes, please.
Butterfield.
Yes, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On November 18, 1971, 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. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 015-045 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 15-45

Date: November 18, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:30 pm and 5:57 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Request for a call Alexander P. Butterfield

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.
  • 015-043 5:09 PM · 8 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.
  • 015-049 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.
  • 015-046 5:57 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield talked on the telephone from 5:57 pm to 5:58 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.

All 77 conversations from November 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 015-045, 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/015-045 (accessed October 1, 2026).