{"conversationCode":"334-043","tapeNumber":334,"conversationNumber":43,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-334-043","startDateTime":"1972-05-04T18:57:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-05-04T19:03:00.000Z","startDate":"4-May-1972","startTime":"2:57 PM","endDate":"4-May-1972","endTime":"3:03 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"estimated","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Conniff, Ray; Butterfield, Alexander P.; White House photographer;","description":"On May 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Ray Conniff, Alexander P. Butterfield, and White House photographer met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:57 pm and 3:03 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 334-043 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"EOB","recordingDevice":"Old Executive Office Building","latitudeEstimated":38.897567,"longitudeEstimated":-77.039147,"chronCode":3,"chronRelease":"Third Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"28-Feb-2002","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 334-43\n\nDate: May 4, 1972\nTime: Unknown after 2:57 pm until 3:03 pm\nLocation: Executive Office Building\n\nThe President met with Ray Conniff and Alexander P. Butterfield; the White House\nphotographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.\n\n     Mrs. Emily Jo Ann (Imhof) Conniff\n          -Trip to California\n          -Baby\n          -California adoption laws\n\n     Norman Vincent Peale\n         -Visit with the Conniff\n               -Best wishes\n               -Wishes\n\n     Meeting with Ray Conniff\n\nStephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:57 pm.\n\n     Presidential gift\n           -Ash tray\n                -Emily Conniff\n\nBull left at an unknown time before 3:03 pm.\n\n     Ray Conniff\n          -Singers\n\nConniff and Butterfield left at 3:03 pm.","filename":["334-043.mp3"],"tapeStart":"03:59:22","tapeEnd":"04:02:09","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Conniff, Ray","Butterfield, Alexander P.","White House photographer"],"prevCode":"334-042","nextCode":"334-044","transcript":[{"start":0.54,"end":22.9,"text":"Well, I'm sorry your wife isn't caught."},{"start":22.92,"end":24,"text":"I hear all about the fact that you went to California."},{"start":24.02,"end":24.52,"text":"Yes, for the little lady."},{"start":24.54,"end":25.22,"text":"It's not quite decided yet, but..."},{"start":25.24,"end":27.02,"text":"Yes, and it's very difficult now because of the abortion laws of Jameson, California."},{"start":27.05,"end":28.75,"text":"As you know, they're getting rid of the pill, and they're bailing me out of the bank."},{"start":28.77,"end":29.77,"text":"I really don't understand how to keep it that way."},{"start":30.09,"end":46.51,"text":"I'm sure this is what you're thinking of, and so it's very difficult for you to go on, maybe."},{"start":46.53,"end":46.97,"text":"I feel very fortunate."},{"start":46.99,"end":47.69,"text":"I mean, it's just about a year ago."},{"start":47.71,"end":48.75,"text":"We had, you know, I used to be a friend of Dr. Pino."},{"start":48.77,"end":48.93,"text":"Did you?"},{"start":48.95,"end":49.65,"text":"Yes, at the work center in Seattle."},{"start":49.67,"end":50.15,"text":"Yes, that's the..."},{"start":50.17,"end":50.47,"text":"Yes, of course."},{"start":50.83,"end":71.49,"text":"He said, well, he told them about this thing about, you know, going through this adoption thing, and one of them had community."},{"start":71.51,"end":72.07,"text":"Remember, you and I planned."},{"start":72.09,"end":72.19,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":72.21,"end":72.67,"text":"He's got a lineup, sir."},{"start":72.69,"end":73.67,"text":"When we came up on stage, you said, don't you?"},{"start":73.69,"end":74.03,"text":"That's all right."},{"start":74.06,"end":74.25,"text":"All right."},{"start":74.28,"end":74.84,"text":"We'll take it for them, too."},{"start":74.86,"end":76.18,"text":"So I thought, here's a few that you don't have to take, right?"},{"start":76.2,"end":76.78,"text":"Well, of course."},{"start":76.8,"end":77.48,"text":"That's the point of your daughter."},{"start":77.5,"end":77.98,"text":"Her daughter's in there."},{"start":81.47,"end":105.08,"text":"Well, we were honored to have you look like White House."},{"start":105.1,"end":108,"text":"We'll send you the second adoption at the second threshold, as we promised on the field."},{"start":110.06,"end":114.12,"text":"Good."},{"start":121.13,"end":137.8,"text":"Steve, I won't say my whole thing."},{"start":137.82,"end":138.26,"text":"I'm going to work out."},{"start":138.28,"end":139.1,"text":"I'm going to get my best of them."},{"start":139.94,"end":147.33,"text":"I appreciate that."},{"start":147.35,"end":151.93,"text":"Thank you."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with musician Ray Conniff and Alexander Butterfield, with Stephen Bull briefly joining to assist with an official gift, to discuss personal matters and express mutual appreciation. The conversation centered on the challenges Conniff and his wife were facing regarding adoption laws in California while attempting to adopt a child. Nixon offered his well wishes regarding the situation and provided an ashtray as a presidential gift to Mrs. Conniff.","topics":["Ray Conniff","Adoption","California laws","Presidential gifts","Personal correspondence"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T15:45:15.213Z"},"topicSlugs":["ray-conniff","adoption","california-laws","presidential-gifts","personal-correspondence"],"audioDurationSec":152,"audioFiles":[{"file":"334-043.mp3","bytes":6085273,"durationSec":152,"bitrate":320268,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:41.909Z","transcriptGapSeconds":100,"transcriptGapShare":0.66,"transcriptQuality":"incomplete","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/334-043.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/334-043","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/334/conversation-334-043","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}