Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 469 › Conversation 469-002

Nixon, Ehrlichman & Butterfield on Diplomatic events

Thursday, March 18, 1971 · 4:46 PM–5:00 PM ET · Oval Office · 8 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation469-002 on Tape 469 (tape position 00:05:57–00:14:25)StartThursday, March 18, 1971 at 4:46 PMEndThursday, March 18, 1971 at 5:00 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 469-002 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417176219 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to review his upcoming official schedule, including logistics for the National Alliance of Businessmen reception, a stag dinner for Maurice Stans, and an event for Reverend Akaka of Hawaii. They discussed whether to utilize receiving lines based on the President's familiarity with the guests and finalized dress codes for upcoming diplomatic dinners. Additionally, the President consulted briefly with John Ehrlichman regarding potential political strategies for the Supersonic Transport (SST) and considered potential short-term travel plans for First Lady Pat Nixon ahead of their daughter Tricia's wedding.

Audio

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NARA Description

On March 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:46 pm and 5:00 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 469-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 469-2

Date: March 18, 1971
Time: Unknown between 4:46 pm and 5:00 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield

     President’s schedule
          -National Alliance of Businessmen reception, March 19, 1971
                -Business Council reception
                -Thomas E. Dewey funeral
                -Length
                -Number attending
                -Time
                -Location
                -Number
                -Business Council reception
                -Receiving line
                -Remarks by President
                -Lynn A. Townsend
                -John D. Harper
                -Number of events

[The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at an unknown time between 4:46 pm and
5:00 pm]

[Conversation No. 469-2A]

                -Number of events
                -President’s remarks
                -Luncheon
                -Purpose
                -Receiving line
                -Group
                -Receiving line
                -Group

The President conferred with Butterfield

                -Receiving line

[End of telephone conversation]
                -Receiving line
                     -Purpose
Show the rest of the log (64 more lines)
                -Guests attending

     Maurice H. Stans’ dinner, March 25, 1971
         -Stag dinner
         -Guest list
               -Stans and Peter [M. Flanigan?]
         -Receiving line
               -Guests attending
                     -Number
         -Dress
         -President’s role
               -Receiving line

     Latin American ambassadors’ dinner, April 6, 1971
           -Dress
                -African ambassadors’ dinner
                -Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr.
                -Later dinners
                -Mosbacher
                -Lucy A. Winchester
                -Latin American ambassadors’ preference

     Reverend [Forename unknown] Akaka of Hawaii
          -Commitment

           -Possible May visit
                -Possible conflict
                      -Tricia Nixon’s wedding plans

[The President talked with an unknown person [John D. Ehrlichman?] at an unknown time
between 4:46 pm and 5:00 pm]

[Conversation No. 469-2B]

     Meeting with John B. Connally
          -Ehrlichman’s possible attendance

     Personnel

     Supersonic Transport [SST]
          -Future strategy
               -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
               -Warren G. (“Maggie”) Magnuson
               -White House position

[End of telephone conversation]

     Akaka reception
         -Location
         -Possible conflict with wedding
         -Possible May visit
               -Wedding date

     Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon’s schedule
          -Possible forthcoming trips
               -Constance M. (Cornell) (“Connie”) Stuart
               -Wedding
               -Length
               -May

     President’s schedule
           -Connally

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 5:00 pm

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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Okay, sir.
The NAB reception tomorrow night.
I assume you'd want to treat that as you did the business council reception.
It's the same kind of deal as the National Alliance of Businessmen tomorrow evening when you were just from the funeral.
It's just an hour and a half stag reception of 120.
We're doing that tomorrow night, sir.
It was at 5 p.m., and we delayed it for one hour.
So they will have been underway about a half hour when you get back.
State dining room, 120 people.
But it's every bit like the business council reception, so I assumed you'd want to dispense with any kind of receiving line, just mingle for a while and say a few words to them.
Lynn Townsend's on his way out of that, and John Harper is the new...
they're trying to do something else did we end up with this national action businessman doing two events or one of them and it's the reception tomorrow night and that's it maybe all understand i'm not coming down to make a speech
Yeah, but then somebody else is going to do the lunch.
When was that?
That's today, tomorrow.
Okay.
What the hell is this then?
What is it?
Yeah, what is this basically for then, should we?
The main thing is, should I have set up a receiving line on it or not?
Should I set it up?
If it isn't, I don't know them well enough to mingle around and I can't deal with it.
Receiving line.
Yeah, but these are basically rather small priority.
No, no, no, but what I meant is not in terms of the business council.
I won't know them.
That's the only reason you'd have a man receiving lines.
If you don't know them, I receive them.
If I do know them, I don't receive them.
See the point?
So it depends.
These are basically executions.
All right.
Yeah, all right, fine, fine, okay.
Well, we'll work it out.
Yeah, I know you don't know as much of this.
Yeah, but I thought that would be quite a bit, though.
150 is the man.
Well, it's a hundred and twenty, it's a hundred and twenty-two, I just counted.
Otherwise, I mean.
But there are a few ladies involved.
Oh, I'll shake your hand, yes.
I'll say a few words.
Okay.
All right.
That's it on that.
The stag dinner on March 25th is what we're calling the Maury Stans dinner.
Those are the meetings that were given to us by Peter and Maury.
Yeah.
I assume there that you
Again, that you probably wouldn't want it.
Well, that's a dinner, so maybe you do want to receive them.
How many are there, Tom?
Eighty-six, if they all accept their 86 on the list.
Eighty-six.
Now, they're all, of course, you know, top contributors.
They should be received.
I've got to shake all their hands.
I don't think it's good to just do it.
I guess you're probably going to get about 68 or 70, yeah.
And that is a stag dinner, business suit.
Because they're all standing around there.
I could play that one here.
Yeah, that's a little bit.
I can just sort of wander through that one and go up to each group.
snag her around a little.
The main thing is to get the thing so that it rolls and they get in and start eating it.
My guess is that the receding line on that is fine.
We're going to knock them off for this evening.
The White House is just good.
That will save a lot of time.
Oh, we are?
Okay.
The other question I have, they want to know right away for the invitations.
This is the April 6th dinner for Latin American ambassadors.
For the African ambassadors, it was a black-tie dinner.
White-tie.
You think this ought to be white-tie.
Mark Walker.
Mossbacher leans for white tie.
He says they'll find it.
It's the season.
Yeah, it's the season.
Make it white tie.
And your other two will again be in the white tie season there next fall.
Yeah.
And black tie, one I think, was not in the white tie season, as I recall.
It was probably in late summer.
Yeah, it was some time ago.
I just don't recall.
Well, I can't wait.
He does and Lucy does, but he does out of consideration for them more than for you.
Last question.
Reverend Akaka.
from Hawaii.
We really did make a commitment last year that we would have them in here this spring or summer.
If we have them in May, it may interfere with wedding preparations because this would be a... Hi, John.
Do you have anything you want to go over?
I've seen a couple in...
I'm talking to him on purpose, basically, right now.
All right, bye.
Bye.
Well, our SST was a disappointment.
What's your feeling about it?
Do you think it's a little stupid?
And then what would happen if that was the case?
What would be our strategy?
Just put it in and then try to still broker something up, huh?
Well, you know, if we had that thing, we'd have it out on the South Lawn.
We'd probably have about a thousand people.
And it's a big event to have that soon before the wedding.
On the other hand, yeah, we could wait.
But if we're going to have him in the month of May, if we're going to have him before the wedding, the month of May is the time to have him.
And we could do it in early May.
When's the wedding?
June 5th or 12th.
If it's in the early part, I could do that.
We just owe him an answer.
I don't think we have to tell him yes, but we could.
That would be a nice touch, though.
Yeah.
Which brings up another point.
You wanted me to plant a seed in the East Wing so that Mrs. Nixon, Connie, would start ginning up a trip for Mrs. Nixon.
Yeah.
I can do that and do it the way you want it done, except that I'm wondering now, with the wedding coming up in June, that she would just never do it.
I mean, that would be unrealistic now.
Just, you know, I wouldn't try anything else.
Mark should win.
Thanks.
Except the one and two-day, there was a, I mean, if there's something she could go out to, there are a couple of events that they want, they want her to come to Kentucky.
I think that, and one-day shots.
Well, you mentioned the month of May, and I thought, that's getting on people's minds.
But one-day shots.
If it's a quickie like that.
One-day shots.
All right.
Okay.
Okay.
You're saying, what's the date on that?
5-15.
5-15.

Also recorded on March 18, 1971

  • 469-001 4:42 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:42 pm to 4:46 pm.
  • 469-003 4:46 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:46 pm and 5:00 pm.
  • 469-004 4:46 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:46 pm and 5:00 pm.
  • 469-005 5:00 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:00 pm and 5:03 pm.
  • 469-006 5:03 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald H. Walker, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:03 pm and 5:25 pm.
  • 469-007 5:04 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 5:04 pm and 5:25 pm.
  • 469-008 5:04 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:04 pm and 5:25 pm.
  • 469-009 5:25 PM · 58 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John B. Connally, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:25 pm to 6:22 pm.

All 13 conversations from March 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 469-002, March 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417176219). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/469-002 (accessed October 31, 2026).