Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 249 › Conversation 249-022

Nixon & Butterfield on Administrative Tasks and Air Force Promotions

Thursday, April 15, 1971 · 5:05 PM–5:07 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation249-022 on Tape 249 (tape position 02:40:47–02:43:11)StartThursday, April 15, 1971 at 5:05 PMEndThursday, April 15, 1971 at 5:07 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 249-022 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met briefly to discuss routine administrative matters, including upcoming scheduling for meetings with Robert D. Murphy and Henry A. Kissinger. They reviewed travel updates regarding Butterfield’s recent trip and addressed the processing of pending materials awaiting the President's signature. The discussion concluded with the handling of various documents and a brief confirmation of an Air Force promotion.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
You asked the governor, do you want that over here?
No.
No, no, I want you to see.
It goes all back to the right.
How was the trip?
The trip was fine.
Great.
Where are you?
Air Force Base.
And then we can just rest it there.
Sure.
You want this?
I do have some of them.
All right.
Take them away.
I want to get it out of the way.
You have a lot of them in the fridge, don't you?
Yeah, a lot of the stuff is.
Did you swim in there?
Yeah, they have to be sharp.
Yeah, they have to be sharp.
R.N.
R.N.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On April 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:05 pm to 5:07 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 249-022 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 249-22

Date: April 15, 1971
Time: 5:05 pm - 5:07 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield

     President’s schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting with Robert D. Murphy

     Butterfield’s trip

     Request for materials for President’s signature

     Air Force promotion
          -Signing
          -Congratulatory note to unknown person
     President’s schedule
          -Meeting
           -Henry A. Kissinger

Butterfield left at 5:07 pm

Also recorded on April 15, 1971

  • 042-049 4:34 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:34 pm and 4:35 pm.
  • 042-050 4:35 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 4:35 pm to 4:36 pm.
  • 249-020 4:35 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:35 pm to 4:36 pm.
  • 249-021 4:42 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:42 pm to 4:52 pm.
  • 249-023 5:07 PM · 7 sec — 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 5:07 pm and 5:25 pm.
  • 249-024 5:07 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:07 pm and 5:25 pm.
  • 249-025 5:07 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Faith Sutton met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:07 pm and 5:25 pm.
  • 249-026 5:25 PM · 49 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Robert D. Murphy, Henry A. Kissinger, and White House photographer met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:25 pm to 6:20 pm.

All 71 conversations from April 15, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 249-022, April 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/249-022 (accessed October 3, 2026).