Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 500 › Conversation 500-018

Nixon & Butterfield on Presidential signatures and White House administration

Tuesday, May 18, 1971 · 2:10 PM–2:14 PM ET · Oval Office · 14 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation500-018 on Tape 500 (tape position 02:25:36–02:26:05)StartTuesday, May 18, 1971 at 2:10 PMEndTuesday, May 18, 1971 at 2:14 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 500-018 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield in the Oval Office to review and process administrative documents requiring presidential authorization. The brief discussion served as a routine procedural session for signing official paperwork. No policy matters or major strategic decisions were recorded during this short encounter.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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NARA Description

On May 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:10 pm and 2:14 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 500-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 500-18

Date: May 18, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:10 pm and 2:14 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     Items for President's signature

Butterfield left at 2:14 pm.

Also recorded on May 18, 1971

  • 500-019 2:14 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Marjorie P. Acker met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:14 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 500-020 2:14 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:14 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 500-021 2:14 PM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:14 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 500-022 2:30 PM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:30 pm to 3:04 pm.
  • 500-023 3:04 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:04 pm and 3:06 pm.
  • 500-024 3:04 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:04 pm and 3:06 pm.
  • 500-025 3:06 PM · 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:06 pm to 3:40 pm.
  • 500-026 3:42 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, Stephen B. Bull, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:42 pm to 4:05 pm.

All 42 conversations from May 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 500-018, May 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/500-018 (accessed September 28, 2026).