Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 499 › Conversation 499-006

Nixon, McCowan & Atkins on Gift exchange and Presidential protocol

Friday, May 14, 1971 · 9:55 AM–9:58 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.; McCowan, John; Atkins, Oliver F. ("Ollie")Conversation499-006 on Tape 499 (tape position 00:43:35–00:46:18)StartFriday, May 14, 1971 at 9:55 AMEndFriday, May 14, 1971 at 9:58 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 499-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with John McCowan, Alexander P. Butterfield, and White House photographer Oliver Atkins to facilitate a brief, cordial exchange of gifts and correspondence. During the meeting, the President presented McCowan with official pens and cufflinks while also arranging for the autographing of items for the visitor. The session concluded with the scheduling of a follow-up photograph and informal well-wishes regarding McCowan's travel plans.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 25% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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President, Mr. John McAllister.

Yes, how do you do?

How do you do, Mr. McAllister?

Well, I want to welcome you to the bottom there.

Yes, I am.

Tonight was a good debate.

Well, thank you very much.

Have you had a good trip?

Yes, I have.

It was a good one, yes.

I'd like you to take that, so we'll get you that.

The President will thank you on that.

Oh, Michael, thank you very much.

You made it there.

Take this to the post.

What is this?

The author might sign that, sir, because I think it's a nice sign.

I'll see you there.

Sure.

He said he'd sign it.

I've got a letter for you.

I'll give you one of the pens, the pen I sent you.

That's the official pen we use to sign documents.

It's a box.

And also I want you to prove something else.

These are the terminals of the complex.

You see the seal that's present on it there in the floor.

Here it is on this.

You've got to have a memo after all.

No, we're just going to take it back to England.

All right.

There's your pen.

And there.

So we could, I've got to take off in a few weeks to go to Florida today, but Mrs. Nixon, I understand, won't see you this Saturday.

No, she's working.

She's all your life.

I do appreciate your friendship through the years, everything.

After all this, having heard from you, it's good to have you here.

I'm sorry you can't vote over here.

Oh, yes, well, it is going to say that.

If I vote in Russian for you, I'm going to want to say it was last time.

That's right.

You can talk to me now.

That's right.

Okay.

Well, I wish you the very best.

I do appreciate you.

We'll send you a copy of this picture.

You can do it.

I'm going to be sure to sign that, too.

All right, sir.

Thanks.

Have a good one.

All right, thank you.

Bye.

NARA Description

On May 14, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, John McCowan, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:55 am to 9:58 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 499-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 499-6

Date: May 14, 1971
Time: 9:55 am - 9:58 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield and John McCowan; Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
was present at the beginning of the meeting.

     McCowan's trip

     Presentation of gift to President

     Autograph
          -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon, President

     Presentation of gifts by President
          -Pens, cufflinks

     McCowan's schedule
         -President
         -Mrs. Nixon

     McCowan's letters to the President

     McCowan's schedule

     Photograph

Butterfield and McCowan left at 9:58 am.

Also recorded on May 14, 1971

003-050 9:15 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 9:37 am.
499-004 9:15 AM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:15 am to 9:50 am.
003-051 9:37 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 9:37 am to 9:38 am.
499-005 9:50 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:55 am.
499-007 9:58 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:00 am.
499-008 9:58 AM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:00 am.
499-009 9:58 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:00 am.
499-010 10:00 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:00 am to 10:05 am.

All 26 conversations from May 14, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 499-006, May 14, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/499-006 (accessed September 28, 2026).