Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 470 › Conversation 470-004

Nixon & Butterfield on Helicopter and Arthur F. Burns

Friday, March 19, 1971 · 9:23 AM–9:25 AM ET · Oval Office ·55 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation470-004 onTape 470 (tape position 00:18:53–00:19:49)StartFriday, March 19, 1971 at 9:23 AMEndFriday, March 19, 1971 at 9:25 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 470-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to briefly review administrative logistics regarding the President’s schedule. The discussion focused on the current status of the presidential helicopter and logistics for an upcoming meeting with Arthur F. Burns. No major policy decisions were made during this short briefing.

Audio

Download MP3 · 1.3 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

What is the situation?
Helicopter is injured.
We're still using the helicopter to get here.
Excuse me, do you know if the meeting will start this evening?
No.
Are we asking her?
No.
Yes, I'll say it right.
I'll show you.
No, it'll be okay.

NARA Description

On March 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:23 am to 9:25 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 470-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 470-4

Date: March 19, 1971
Time: 9:23 am - 9:25 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield

     President’s schedule
          -Helicopter
          -Arthur F. Burns meeting

Butterfield left at 9:25 am

Also recorded on March 19, 1971

  • 470-001 8:45 AM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:45 am and 8:51 am.
  • 470-002 8:45 AM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:45 am and 8:51 am.
  • 470-003 8:51 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:51 am to 9:05 am.
  • 470-005 9:25 AM · 1 hr 36 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, Paul W. McCracken, Stephen B. Bull, Clarine (Billingsley) Mills, Jack Mills Dickson, Mrs. Jack Mills Dickson, Jack Young, Mrs. Jack Young, John S. Davies, White House photographer, Mrs. Randy Carlson, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:25 am and 11:15 am.
  • 470-006 10:53 AM · 3 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:53 am and 11:15 am.
  • 470-007 10:53 AM · 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, Charles W. Colson, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:53 am and 11:45 am.
  • 470-008 11:45 AM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 12:06 pm.
  • 050-008 12:06 PM — during the Signing of the National Week of Concern for Prisoners of War/Missing in Action, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the military and the Executive Committe for the National League of American Families of Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, including Joan Vinson, Carol North, Kathy Plowman, Patsy Crayton, Iris Powers, Mary Jane McManus, Eldora Ford, Alfred F. Moe, Mrs. Alfred F. Moe, Lt. Russ Buckley, Marianne Nelson, Stanley R. Resor, Gen. Bruce Palmer, Maj. L. Jones, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Lt. Col. Walter B. Ratliffe, John H. Chafee, Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., Gen. Leonard F. Chapman, Jr., Dr. John L. McLucas, Gen. John C. Meyer, Mrs. Russell Davis, Lt. Russell Davis, Frank A. Sieverts, Adm. H. H. Epes, Jr., Col. Milton Kegley, William E. Brock, III, Edward P. Boland, William J. Keating, Romano L. Mazzoli, Robert H. Michel, John T. Myers, William F. ("Bob") Nichols, Thomas M. Pelly, Paul G. Rogers, Garner Shriver, William J. Young, Roger Zion, William L. Dickinson, Olive Hunt, Mrs. Richard Morin, U. Alexis Johnson, and Richard Capen, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 12:06 pm to 12:13 pm.

All 19 conversations from March 19, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 470-004, March 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/470-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).