{"conversationCode":"254-009","tapeNumber":254,"conversationNumber":9,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-254-009","startDateTime":"1971-05-31T18:26:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-05-31T18:27:00.000Z","startDate":"31-May-1971","startTime":"2:26 PM","endDate":"31-May-1971","endTime":"2:27 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.;","description":"On May 31, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:26 pm to 2:27 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 254-009 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"EOB","recordingDevice":"Old Executive Office Building","latitudeEstimated":38.897567,"longitudeEstimated":-77.039147,"chronCode":1,"chronRelease":"First Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"5-Oct-1999","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 254-9\n\nDate: May 31, 1971\nTime: 2:26 pm - 2:27 pm\nLocation: Executive Office Building\nThe President talked with Alexander P. Butterfield\n\n[See Conversation No. 3-194]","filename":["254-009.mp3"],"tapeStart":"01:23:08","tapeEnd":"01:24:10","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Butterfield, Alexander P."],"prevCode":"254-008","nextCode":"254-010","transcript":[{"start":0.35,"end":0.51,"text":"Hello?"},{"start":0.57,"end":4.89,"text":"I don't know whether he can do this, but I know Connelly has a very bad cold."},{"start":5.38,"end":12.76,"text":"You call him, and tell him to, uh, get the helicopter going so he can get up there as fast as he can."},{"start":12.78,"end":13.66,"text":"He's down there by 3.30 or 3.00."},{"start":13.96,"end":17.2,"text":"You don't need to report to me, but just call me."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon directs Alexander P. Butterfield to arrange expedited helicopter transportation for Treasury Secretary John Connally, who is suffering from a severe cold. The President emphasizes the need for speed to ensure Connally arrives at his destination by the mid-afternoon. No further reporting is required once the logistics are confirmed.","topics":["John Connally","Logistics","Transportation","White House Operations","Helicopter"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T11:57:49.188Z"},"topicSlugs":["john-connally","logistics","transportation","white-house-operations","helicopter"],"audioDurationSec":17,"audioFiles":[{"file":"254-009.mp3","bytes":695693,"durationSec":17.26,"bitrate":322488,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:36.695Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/254-009.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/254-009","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/254/conversation-254-009","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}