Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 255 › Conversation 255-005

Nixon with unidentified visitors in his EOB office on George Meany

Friday, June 4, 1971 · 2:54 PM–3:10 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); [Unknown person(s)]Conversation255-005 on Tape 255 (tape position 00:11:25–00:13:44)StartFriday, June 4, 1971 at 2:54 PMEndFriday, June 4, 1971 at 3:10 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 255-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with an unknown associate to discuss an upcoming 3:30 meeting, labor relations involving George Meany, and a sensitive, limited-scope project possibly involving grain exports. The participants deliberated on strategic diplomatic maneuvering with Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy Dobrynin, specifically emphasizing that any potential agreement must remain temporary and strictly excluded from broader technological exchanges. Nixon underscored the necessity of compartmentalizing these negotiations to ensure they do not expand beyond the immediate, narrow objective.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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3 30 uh

Do any checking out on that project?

Are you working on that?

As he said, he's subtle enough to know what you're thinking of him.

And, uh, one of the actions later, I think he probably appreciated what I said about, about meeting, visiting, or the fact that I said he needed a coach.

And also, if we could do it on this basis, this is only a temporary thing.

Can we get this one?

You get this, and then you come to the other one.

No.

I'm getting this, but remember, though, that you all understand the issue.

And that's like, what if this is only for this purpose?

It will not be expanded into technology, right?

It's a second thing.

It's a second thing, but...

I just do that.

You've got to be able to do that.

It's so great.

I can't just be put on the car, like, 12 hours a day, and I just sit here.

I don't know.

Woof!

NARA Description

On June 4, 1971, 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 2:54 pm and 3:10 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 255-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 255-5

Date: June 4, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:54 pm and 3:10 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with an unknown person

     President’s schedule
          -3:30 meeting
          -Unknown project
          -Labor

               -George Meany

     Unknown subject [Grain exports?]
         -Temporary
         -Limited
         -Mr. “D” [Anatoliy F. Dobrynin?]
              -Unknown person’s forthcoming meeting

Also recorded on June 4, 1971

255-006 2:54 PM · 14 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 2:54 pm and 3:10 pm.
004-033 3:10 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
512-020 3:10 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
512-021 3:10 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
512-022 3:10 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
512-023 3:10 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
004-034 3:11 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 3:11 pm to 3:12 pm.
512-024 3:11 PM · 56 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:11 pm to 3:12 pm.

All 55 conversations from June 4, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 255-005, June 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/255-005 (accessed September 27, 2026).