Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 490 › Conversation 490-021
Nixon, Bull & Butterfield on Oval Office administration
Tuesday, May 4, 1971 · 2:05 PM–2:12 PM ET · Oval Office · 3 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with staff members Stephen Bull and Alexander Butterfield to discuss logistical arrangements and administrative details regarding his upcoming schedule. The conversation focused on the maintenance of the Oval Office, specifically addressing concerns about a window, and reviewed protocols for an upcoming document signing ceremony with Roy Ash. Additionally, the group clarified the prestige of an upcoming federal civilian service award presentation.
- Presidential scheduling
- Oval Office administration
- Federal service awards
- Roy L. Ash
- White House logistics
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On May 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:05 pm to 2:12 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 490-021 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 490-21
Date: May 4, 1971
Time: 2:05 pm - 2:12 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Stephen B. Bull and Alexander P. Butterfield.
President's schedule
-Ronald L. Ziegler
Bull left at an unknown time before 2:12 pm.
-Oval Office
-Window
-Document signing
-Roy L. Ash
-Service awards
-Federal service
-Civilian
-Date
Butterfield left at 2:12 pm.Also recorded on May 4, 1971
- 042-084 1:11 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:11 pm and 1:12 pm.
- 042-085 1:11 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:11 pm and 1:12 pm.
- 251-048 1:11 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:11 pm to 1:12 pm.
- 251-049 1:11 PM · 10 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 1:11 pm and 1:12 pm.
- 042-086 1:12 PM · 53 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William B. Macomber, Jr. talked on the telephone from 1:12 pm to 1:13 pm.
- 251-051 1:12 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William B. Macomber, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:12 pm to 1:13 pm.
- 490-020 2:05 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at 2:05 pm.
- 490-022 2:14 PM · 50 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:14 pm to 3:06 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 490-021, May 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/490-021 (accessed October 12, 2026).