{"conversationCode":"490-021","tapeNumber":490,"conversationNumber":21,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-490-021","startDateTime":"1971-05-04T18:05:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-05-04T18:12:00.000Z","startDate":"4-May-1971","startTime":"2:05 PM","endDate":"4-May-1971","endTime":"2:12 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Butterfield, Alexander P.;","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.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":1,"chronRelease":"First Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"5-Oct-1999","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 490-21\n\nDate: May 4, 1971\nTime: 2:05 pm - 2:12 pm\n\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with Stephen B. Bull and Alexander P. Butterfield.\n\n     President's schedule\n           -Ronald L. Ziegler\n\nBull left at an unknown time before 2:12 pm.\n\n           -Oval Office\n                -Window\n           -Document signing\n                -Roy L. Ash\n           -Service awards\n                -Federal service\n                      -Civilian\n                -Date\n\nButterfield left at 2:12 pm.","filename":["490-021.mp3"],"tapeStart":"03:03:31","tapeEnd":"03:06:53","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Bull, Stephen B.","Butterfield, Alexander P."],"prevCode":"490-020","nextCode":"490-022","transcript":[{"start":4.44,"end":25.38,"text":"Is there any problem with that window?"},{"start":27,"end":31.32,"text":"I just hadn't realized that we were keeping up the..."},{"start":31.43,"end":37.77,"text":"I'm sure."},{"start":83.48,"end":83.56,"text":"Oh"},{"start":110.42,"end":113.43,"text":"Is this the federal water service?"},{"start":113.51,"end":114.31,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":123.74,"end":131.87,"text":"It's the highest federal civilian service in the country."},{"start":141.22,"end":142.32,"text":"Just watch, just watch."},{"start":176.34,"end":189.97,"text":"Maybe dress hard up."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"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.","topics":["Presidential scheduling","Oval Office administration","Federal service awards","Roy L. Ash","White House logistics"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T22:02:06.593Z"},"topicSlugs":["presidential-scheduling","oval-office-administration","federal-service-awards","roy-l-ash","white-house-logistics"],"audioDurationSec":193,"audioFiles":[{"file":"490-021.mp3","bytes":7725767,"durationSec":193.02,"bitrate":320209,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:48.989Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:43:49.797Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/490-021.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/490-021","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/490/conversation-490-021","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}