Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 309 › Conversation 309-004

Nixon & Bull on White House photography and Christmas traditions

Friday, December 24, 1971 · 1:46 PM–1:48 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation309-004 on Tape 309 (tape position 01:38:33–01:40:07)StartFriday, December 24, 1971 at 1:46 PMEndFriday, December 24, 1971 at 1:48 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 309-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull to coordinate logistical details regarding official First Family Christmas photographs taken in the Blue Room. The discussion addressed the distribution of these images through wire services and personal photographers. Additionally, Nixon briefly reviewed communication requests from General James D. Hughes concerning Liberia and issued specific instructions for General Walter R. Tkach.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 55% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
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that the family puts in front of the Christmas tree in the blue room for a picture taken by the wires of the Christmas pictures that are published tomorrow.
Because the two wires are where we are when there's an official photograph.
Or one of them could be where we were.
We did a whole crash, and I'd like you to send out more.
Maybe that does it.
I don't understand that.
No, sir.
Most people are pretty well clearing it.
I hope to have it on the second.
I'm going to haul it around.
General, please direct his office along.

NARA Description

On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 309-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 309-4

Date: December 24, 1971
Time: Unknown between 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     Gen. James D. (“Don”) Hughes's wish to talk to the President on the phone

          -Liberia

     First Family Christmas photos
           -Blue Room
                -Ronald L. Ziegler and Constance M. Stuart
                -Photo by wire services and Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins

     President’s instructions
          -Gen. Walter R. Tkach

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:48 pm.

Also recorded on December 24, 1971

  • 017-006 1:46 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm.
  • 309-005 1:46 PM · 9 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 1:46 pm and 1:48 pm.
  • 017-007 1:48 PM · 54 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone from 1:48 pm to 1:49 pm.
  • 309-006 1:48 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:48 pm to 1:49 pm.
  • 309-007 1:49 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:49 pm.
  • 017-008 1:50 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:50 pm.
  • 017-009 1:50 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone from 1:50 pm to 1:51 pm.
  • 309-008 1:50 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:50 pm to 1:51 pm.

All 54 conversations from December 24, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 309-004, December 24, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/309-004 (accessed October 6, 2026).