Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 495 › Conversation 495-008

Nixon & Butterfield on White House social events and Protocol

Friday, May 7, 1971 · 10:55 AM–11:00 AM ET · Oval Office · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation495-008 on Tape 495 (tape position 00:11:05–00:12:09)StartFriday, May 7, 1971 at 10:55 AMEndFriday, May 7, 1971 at 11:00 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 495-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to finalize logistical arrangements for a dinner event involving agricultural representatives. Nixon expressed a strong desire to streamline the reception process by minimizing physical contact and restricting time spent in formal conversation with attendees. Consequently, the President decided on a truncated greeting strategy where he and the First Lady would greet guests briefly upon entry before promptly departing.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President, I have a thought for you tonight.

The Santa Claus bridge is considerably different from all the Santa Claus bridges around the center.

Yeah, let's get out of here.

Now, if you really want to get out of here, either have me sign up a little earlier, or even not shake hands, or we want to go ahead and have a separate receiving line.

Do not leave until we arrive here tonight.

Oh, no.

I don't want to shake hands.

I don't like it when you shake hands with me.

There we go.

Next one.

I don't want to have the conversations with these agriculture people in the legacy.

There's a lot of people around here, but I'm going to do what I need to do.

I guess that's as good as I can have them come.

While the agriculture people, we go in there, have a coffee, we'll stay for five minutes and go out, just the two of us on that boat, and greet them as they come in.

And then they go ahead and sit down.

But we greet them as they come in.

Turn it off.

NARA Description

On May 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:55 am to 11:00 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 495-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 495-8

Date: May 7, 1971
Time: 10:55 am - 11:00 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     President's schedule
           -Dinner, May 7, 1971
                 -Receiving line in East Room
                       -Considerations
                            -Agricultural interests
                 -President and Mrs. Nixon's greeting

Butterfield left at 11:00 am.

Also recorded on May 7, 1971

002-116 10:46 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Edith Green talked on the telephone from 10:46 am to 10:49 am.
002-117 10:49 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:49 am and 10:52 am.
002-118 10:49 AM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:49 am and 10:52 am.
495-005 10:49 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:49 am and 10:52 am.
495-006 10:49 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:49 am and 10:52 am.
002-119 10:52 AM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Betty Garcia talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:52 am and 10:55 am.
495-007 10:52 AM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Betty Garcia met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:52 am and 10:55 am.
495-009 11:00 AM · 45 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:00 am to 11:45 am.

All 48 conversations from May 7, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 495-008, May 7, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/495-008 (accessed October 3, 2026).