Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 493 › Conversation 493-019

Nixon & Butterfield on White House administration and Congressional relations

Thursday, May 6, 1971 · 2:30 PM–5:05 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation493-019 on Tape 493 (tape position 03:37:01–03:39:19)StartThursday, May 6, 1971 at 2:30 PMEndThursday, May 6, 1971 at 5:05 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 493-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to coordinate administrative logistics, specifically regarding the distribution of White House gifts for members of Congress. The discussion covered the inventory of items such as key chains, paperweights, and golf balls, as well as the engraving of the President's signature on cufflinks and tie clasps. Additionally, the pair addressed scheduling concerns involving Charles W. Colson and established strict access restrictions regarding specific visitors.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 160.2 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 03:37:01 into the tape and ends around 03:39:19.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
3:37:16So the lights would be on, and they'd go off during the main part of the show, and come on into the last number here.
3:37:25Just don't hide anything across from me.
3:37:28Just say that that's all right.
3:37:31That's all right.
3:37:34and highlight those comments.
3:37:35But if there's anything that's not covered in the morning, the same group, so I have nothing to add to that.
3:37:39I don't have to think of anything new.
3:37:42Stay tuned.
3:37:43All right.
3:37:56Who is that?
3:37:57Well, the lady, but I said I had a small group of ladies in the back, and I said, you know.
3:38:03And there's one, too, that Mark, of course, is not to be allowed under any circumstances.
3:38:09Ever.
3:38:10Ever.
3:38:10Under any circumstances.
3:38:13Not ever.
3:38:14They can't have you.
3:38:17All right, good.
3:38:17Well, I'm going to go to Ron's.
3:38:18Sure.
3:38:19That's fine.
3:38:19Thank you.
3:38:40the members of Congress who comes to this thing.
3:38:43I saw those.
3:39:14Most of these have gone.

NARA Description

On May 6, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:30 pm and 5:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 493-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 493-19

Date: May 6, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:30 pm and 5:05 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield

     Gifts for Congressmen
           -Key chains
           -Paperweights
           -Golf balls
           -Number
                 -Staff
           -Ashtrays
           -Cufflinks
           -Tie clasp
                 -President’s signature

     President’s schedule
          -Charles W. Colson

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 5:08 pm

Also recorded on May 6, 1971

  • 493-016 1:06 PM · 37 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:06 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 493-017 1:06 PM · 17 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:06 pm and 4:15 pm.
  • 042-100 1:49 PM · 45 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 1:49 pm to 1:50 pm.
  • 042-101 1:50 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:24 pm.
  • 042-102 2:24 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Croby S. Noyes talked on the telephone from 2:24 pm to 2:26 pm.
  • 042-103 2:26 PM · 2 min — Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, unknown person(s), and John F. Evans, Jr.'s secretary talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:26 pm and 5:00 pm.
  • 493-018 2:30 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:30 pm and 5:05 pm.
  • 056-001 3:32 PM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon and members of the President's Commission on Financial Structure and Regulation, including Reed O. Hunt, Atherton Bean, Morris D. Crawford, Jr., Morgan C. Earnest, James H. Edgerton, Richard G. Gilbert, William D. Grant, Alan Greenspan, Walter S. Holmes, Jr., [Joseph] Lane Kirkland, Donald S. MacNaughton, Edward H. Malone, Rex J. Morthland, William H. Morton, Ellmore C. Patterson, K. A. Randall, Ralph S. Regula, Dr. Raymond J. Saulnier, Ezra Solomon, Robert H. Stewart, III, Allen R. Rule, James Lynch, Lucille Mayne, Bertwing Mah, Dr. Donald Jacobs, Dr. Almarin Phillips, Dr. Samuel Chase, Clarence Scruggs, Henry Shine, Jr., Neil Murphy, Charls E. Walker, Peter M. Flanigan, and the White House photographer, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 3:32 pm to 4:15 pm.

All 36 conversations from May 6, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 493-019, May 6, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/493-019 (accessed October 3, 2026).