Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 501 › Conversation 501-021

Nixon & Butterfield on White House administration and Legal concerns

Wednesday, May 19, 1971 · 3:45 PM–3:50 PM ET · Oval Office · 4 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation501-021 on Tape 501 (tape position 04:24:19–04:24:35)StartWednesday, May 19, 1971 at 3:45 PMEndWednesday, May 19, 1971 at 3:50 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 501-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield held a brief meeting in the Oval Office to coordinate administrative matters regarding the President’s upcoming schedule. The discussion touched upon sensitive legal or political concerns alluded to in the cryptic reference to potential jail time. No formal policy decisions were finalized during this exchange, which primarily served to manage the President's immediate operational agenda.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Threatening to be out of jail.
That's fine.

NARA Description

On May 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:50 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 501-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 501-21

Date: May 19, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:45 pm and 3:50 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

      President's schedule

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 3:50 pm.

Also recorded on May 19, 1971

  • 501-019 3:09 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Gerard C. Smith, Gen. Royal B. Allison, Paul J. Nitze, Harold Brown, Llewellyn E. ("Tommy") Thompson, Jr., and Philip J. Farley met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:09 pm to 3:45 pm.
  • 501-020 3:45 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:50 pm.
  • 501-022 3:45 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:50 pm.
  • 501-023 3:45 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:50 pm.
  • 501-024 3:50 PM · 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander P. Butterfield, Ronald L. Ziegler, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry L. Bellmon, John G. Tower, Clifford M. Hardin, John C. Whitaker, Clark MacGregor, and Peter M. Flanigan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:50 pm to 4:28 pm.
  • 501-025 4:28 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:28 pm and 4:38 pm.
  • 501-026 4:28 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:28 pm and 4:38 pm.
  • 501-027 4:28 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:28 pm and 4:38 pm.

All 48 conversations from May 19, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 501-021, May 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/501-021 (accessed October 9, 2026).