Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 282 › Conversation 282-020

Nixon, Haldeman & Butterfield on White House administration and Nobusuke Kishi

Wednesday, October 20, 1971 · 4:05 PM–4:12 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation282-020 on Tape 282 (tape position 01:13:43–01:18:32)StartWednesday, October 20, 1971 at 4:05 PMEndWednesday, October 20, 1971 at 4:12 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 282-020 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Alexander Butterfield and H.R. Haldeman to handle administrative tasks, including the signing of a photograph for John R. Brown, III. The group primarily focused on planning a forthcoming White House dinner for Nobusuke Kishi, specifically debating guest list capacity in the family dining room. Nixon ultimately directed that the guest list be reduced to ensure a more intimate setting and instructed his staff to finalize the invitees for the Japanese delegation.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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This John Brown, the former staff secretary, got a sort of collage of pictures with only signatures.
This goes in the center.
He could sign, since he recognized us.
Just right across the center, right there.
Right here?
Yes, sir.
Or up there.
Up there is fine, too.
Yeah, it's a little clear right there.
And this is just...
Lucy asked me to remind you of the upstairs family hang, and she thinks that's going to be awfully crowded.
We tried to get 18 people in there.
Well, there were 16 on the list of barbecues to us this morning, and we added Henry Kernison.
From Shakespeare, that's 18 in the head of it.
Well, we have to count the rest.
Here we go.
Bob, we'll have to cut that list down.
I didn't realize you were up to 18.
Alex Schuster told me that.
I didn't want that many of the manly diners that's got to be around.
Yeah.
Well, fine, fine.
Well, I just mentioned I'll approve the list then, okay?
You haven't asked anybody yet?
Oh, fine, no problem.
I'll check the list out.
I'll get it done as well.
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
Who else?
I'll tell you what, it's really whoever George thinks can do it.
Now, George is the ideal man to do it himself.
He just ought to take the man that's closest to him, that he can control.
Okay?
Okay, okay.
You got the list, please?
No, no, no.
I've got it down to 12, I guess, and it's just my own dinner.
And I want it upstairs for other reasons.
Good.
Normally, we would not have a salad for a small study like this.
We don't sell it.
We normally have only two wines rather than three, although there is a fish course.
We know it's a lot of course, so maybe one thing.
Wines.
But how many they can pay for this family dining?
They can pay 16, I'm sure.
Lucy says 12.
Christmas.
She's gun-shy.
She said she knew that the cigarette I watched before 10 was a mask.
What is it?
But that's for 10.
I feel certain it was for probably 14.
We want to put it upstairs for other reasons.
You could have a couple of those fellas made interpreters.
Oh, they are.
I'm going to have them sit on the table.
I'm not going to.
I only have one interpreter.
If we have that one.
One interpreter.
There's nothing.
There's nothing to worry about.
And for the coffee, of course, would you want to have it right here at the table?
Yes, we probably will.
We'll drop this at the table.
You get me the list and I'll pick it off, okay?
Except for the Japanese, the Kishi of the Ueshiba should be invited as ambassador.
That's all I have on the Japanese side.
It's Kishi of Ueshiba.
Well, or maybe one more.
Just tell them they have three.
That's all.

NARA Description

On October 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:05 pm to 4:12 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 282-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 282-20

Date: October 20, 1971
Time: 4:05 pm - 4:12 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.
     Items for the President's signature
          -Photograph
                 -John R. Brown, III

     The President's schedule
          -Lucy A. Winchester
               -Dinner for Nobusuke Kishi
                      -Number of attendees
                      -Henry Kearns
                      -Frank J. Shakespeare

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at an unknown time between 4:05 pm and
4:12 pm.

[Conversation No. 282-20A]

     Forthcoming White House dinner
          -Family dining room
          -Guest list
               -Attendees
               -George P. Shultz

[End of telephone conversation]

     Forthcoming White House dinner
          -Number of attendees
          -Food
          -Wine
          -Family dining room
                -Winchester
                -Number of guests
          -Interpreter
          -Photographs
          -Honor guard
          -Attendees
                -Japanese delegates
                -Kishi
                -Nobuhiko Ushiba

Butterfield left at 4:12 pm.

Also recorded on October 20, 1971

  • 282-021 4:12 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:12 pm to 4:13 pm.
  • 012-009 4:13 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 4:18 pm.
  • 282-022 4:13 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:13 pm to 4:18 pm.
  • 012-010 4:18 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:18 pm and 4:20 pm.
  • 282-023 4:18 PM · 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 4:18 pm and 4:20 pm.
  • 012-011 4:20 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Richard A. Moore talked on the telephone from 4:20 pm to 4:21 pm.
  • 282-024 4:20 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Richard A. Moore met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:20 pm to 4:21 pm.
  • 012-012 4:21 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:21 pm and 4:44 pm.

All 83 conversations from October 20, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 282-020, October 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/282-020 (accessed September 28, 2026).