Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 452 › Conversation 452-008

Nixon, Brown & White House photographer on Koppers Company

Friday, February 19, 1971 · 12:44 PM–1:02 PM ET · Oval Office · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Brown, John R., III; Brown, John R., III (Mrs.); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Parker, David N.; White House photographerConversation452-008 on Tape 452 (tape position 02:37:42–02:39:09)StartFriday, February 19, 1971 at 12:44 PMEndFriday, February 19, 1971 at 1:02 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 452-008 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417175901 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with John R. Brown, III, and his wife to express appreciation for Brown’s service on the White House staff. The conversation touched upon Brown’s transition to a new position at the Koppers Company and the President’s personal recollections of a wartime contract involving the firm. The meeting concluded with the capture of a commemorative photograph by the White House photographer.

John R. Brown III
White House staff
Koppers Company
personnel transition
presidential appreciation

Audio

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NARA Description

On February 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John R. Brown, III, Mrs. John R. Brown, III, Alexander P. Butterfield, David N. Parker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 1:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 452-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 452-008

Date: February 19, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:44 pm and 1:02 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Mr. and Mrs. John R. Brown, III, Alexander P. Butterfield, and David N.
Parker; the White House photographer was present during the meeting

     John R. Brown, III
          -Service on White House staff
               -The President’s appreciation

                 -Brown’s new job at Koppers Company
                      -The President’s recollection of contract during World War II
                 -Commemorative photograph

Brown, et al. left at an unknown time before 1:02 pm

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 52% 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.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

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Because John Brown is black, you know?

Oh, yes.

The great company, Edward Congress, which I got fired from a contract a few years ago after the end of the war, took a lot of time to get to work on that, so I had to be in Congress.

So now I'm in the Department of Defense.

I'm in the Department of Commerce.

I'm in the Congress.

I'm in the Department of Defense.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you a lot.

Also recorded on February 19, 1971

452-005 12:41 PM · 53 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:41 pm and 12:44 pm.
452-006 12:41 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:41 pm and 12:44 pm.
452-018 12:41 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:41 pm and 12:44 pm.
452-007 12:44 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Leah McReynolds, William E. Casselman, II, David N. Parker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 1:02 pm.
452-009 12:44 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Harriet Elam, Harriet Elam, Harry Elam, Clarence Elam, Dwight L. Chapin, David N. Parker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 1:02 pm.
452-010 12:44 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George Black, Jr., Evelyn Abrams, Delores McGee, Lawrence Smith, Robert J. Brown, Dr. John A. Hannah, Harvey J. Witherell, David N. Parker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 1:02 pm.
452-011 1:02 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:04 pm.
452-012 1:04 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Lionel Hampton, Harry Yeates, William Tipone, Henry C. Cashen, II, John Richardson, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:04 pm to 1:08 pm.

All 30 conversations from February 19, 1971 →

Nixon, Goode & Bull on Photo opportunity and Family March 2, 1973 · 3 min
Nixon, Haldeman & Bush on Republican National Committee and UN Ambassador December 11, 1972 · 7 min
Nixon, Washington & Wilson on Law enforcement and Protest management May 8, 1971 · 27 min
Nixon, Tankoos & Woods on Personnel and International travel July 22, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon, Schubert & Bull on Presidential appreciation and Bethlehem Steel March 2, 1973 · 1 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 452-008, February 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417175901). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/452-008 (accessed November 2, 2026).