Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 278 › Conversation 278-047

Nixon & Butterfield on Gift procurement and Presidential correspondence

Thursday, September 16, 1971 · 10:33 AM–10:34 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 29 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation278-047 on Tape 278 (tape position 02:02:18–02:03:37)StartThursday, September 16, 1971 at 10:33 AMEndThursday, September 16, 1971 at 10:34 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 278-047 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed Alexander P. Butterfield to arrange specific gifts for a family in Indiana. He instructed Butterfield to procure silver cufflinks for the three men, tie bars for the boys, charms for the girls, and silver contacts for the two wives. This meeting served as a brief administrative directive to ensure appropriate tokens were prepared for the family.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yeah.
What have you arranged with regard to the medals for this family in Indiana?
Do they have any?
Yeah.
Well, don't bother.
Just bother.
Get silver contacts for the two wives.
Get cufflinks for the three men.
Get a little tie bars for the boys.
And charms for the girls.
That's all you need.

NARA Description

On September 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:33 am to 10:34 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 278-047 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 278-47

Date: September 16, 1971
Time: 10:33 am - 10:34 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Alexander P. Butterfield.

[See Conversation No. 9-36]

Also recorded on September 16, 1971

  • 009-036 10:33 AM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield talked on the telephone from 10:33 am to 10:34 am.
  • 009-037 10:34 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:34 am and 10:48 am.
  • 278-048 10:34 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:34 am and 10:48 am.
  • 278-049 10:34 AM · 8 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 10:34 am and 10:48 am.
  • 278-050 10:34 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:34 am and 10:48 am.
  • 009-038 10:48 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and F. Edward Hébert talked on the telephone from 10:48 am to 10:57 am.
  • 278-051 10:48 AM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, F. Edward Hébert, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:48 am to 10:57 am.
  • 009-039 11:15 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:15 am and 11:48 am.

All 52 conversations from September 16, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 278-047, September 16, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/278-047 (accessed October 12, 2026).