Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-134

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

Wednesday, May 3, 1972 · 12:59 PM–2:01 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation023-134 on Tape 23StartWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 12:59 PMEndWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 2:01 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-134 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a brief telephone call to White House operator services to facilitate a direct line to Alexander P. Butterfield. The conversation serves solely as a logistical request to establish communication with a key staff member. No policy matters or further developments occur during this brief administrative 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Alex Butterfield, please.
Yes, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On May 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:01 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-134 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-134

Date: May 3, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:59 and 2:01 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.
[See also Conversation No. 335-9]

     Request for a call to Alexander P. Butterfield

Also recorded on May 3, 1972

  • 023-131 12:40 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield talked on the telephone from 12:40 pm to 12:41 pm.
  • 335-005 12:40 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:40 pm and 12:41 pm.
  • 023-132 12:41 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:41 pm.
  • 023-133 12:41 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 12:41 pm to 12:59 pm.
  • 335-006 12:41 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 12:41 pm.
  • 335-007 12:41 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:41 pm and 12:59 pm.
  • 335-008 12:59 PM · 4 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 12:59 pm and 2:01 pm.
  • 335-009 12:59 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:01 pm.

All 63 conversations from May 3, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-134, May 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-134 (accessed October 10, 2026).