Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 188 › Conversation 188-003
Nixon phone call with Butterfield on Black lung bill and John Mitchell
Thursday, May 18, 1972 · 5:34 PM–5:44 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 5 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Alexander Butterfield at Camp David to coordinate his immediate schedule and review administrative documentation. The discussion addressed the logistics of incoming briefing materials, including Kissinger’s reports and news wires, while also covering the strategic delay of the black lung bill involving John Mitchell. The two finalized the President’s upcoming departure arrangements and handled a confidential tape recording.
- Presidential scheduling
- Alexander Butterfield
- Black lung bill
- John Mitchell
- White House administrative operations
- Henry Kissinger
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 188-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 188-003
Date: May 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire
The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
-Location
President's schedule
-Briefing book
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Papers
-"For your information" [FYI]
-The President’s view
-Action memoranda
-Wires and columns for reading
John N. Mitchell
-Black lung bill
-Delay
Two unidentified items
-Location
A tape
President's schedule
-Departure
Butterfield left at an unknown time before 5:44 pm.Also recorded on May 18, 1972
- 130-002 5:30 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:30 pm to 5:34 pm.
- 188-002 5:30 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:30 pm to 5:34 pm.
- 130-003 5:34 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
- 188-004 5:34 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Beverly J. Kaye met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
- 188-005 5:34 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
- 130-004 5:44 PM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:44 pm to 5:45 pm.
- 188-006 5:44 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:44 pm to 5:45 pm.
- 130-005 5:45 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:45 pm and 5:55 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 188-003, May 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/188-003 (accessed October 10, 2026).