Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 535 › Conversation 535-020

Nixon & Bull on Presidential seal and Hotel accommodations

Friday, July 2, 1971 · 12:16 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation535-020 on Tape 535 (tape position 03:16:05–03:18:13)StartFriday, July 2, 1971 at 12:16 PMEndFriday, July 2, 1971 at 12:16 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 535-020 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull discussed the design and production of permanent commemorative plaques featuring the presidential seal for use in hotels and meeting rooms visited by the President. They deliberated on materials, such as metal on wood, and the appropriate language to designate specific "presidential suites." The President instructed Bull to formalize these installations as a standardized practice for commemorative purposes.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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That steel, I think that might well be the way to do that, because I think it has to be something that has permanence.
You can't have it made in a carpenter's shop and then have it be cracked.
Yes, Your Honor.
We also had something in mind, something that would say, a metal plaque perhaps on a wooden background would say, in commemoration of the visit of Richard Nixon, President of the United States, had the seal break.
And then a smaller seal down in the lower left-hand corner, similar to that of the Jurassic plaque that we had, something that could be permanently affixed to the wall, and would say, President Lange's suite has to be on a purchase.
Do you agree?
You see, I told Paul to put on the words presidential suite, Marsden.
Presidential suite.
And then put the seal on it and say, and you can put something with regard to it.
But you've got to have a presidential suite on it.
You see, they always have presidential suite on it somewhere.
Or present it to the presidential suite
black hotel, or something like that.
But you see, they might be able to make that.
They might be able to make it.
We're also thinking in terms of hotels where you might have spoken to them and said you should take Congress, but didn't stay there.
Also, just say, for that hotel president, just leave.
But work something out.
It's good.

NARA Description

On July 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 535-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 535-20

Date: July 2, 1971
Time: 12:16 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     Presidential seal
          -Construction
          -Plaque
                -Presentations in commemoration of presidential visits
                       -Hotel suites, meeting rooms

Bull left at 12:16 pm

Also recorded on July 2, 1971

  • 535-015 11:57 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:57 am.
  • 535-016 11:59 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William J. Keating, Herbert W. Wengler, and Richard A. Fossier met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:59 am to 12:02 pm.
  • 535-017 12:02 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Chalmers P. Wylie met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:02 pm to 12:12 pm.
  • 535-018 12:02 PM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:02 pm to 12:13 pm.
  • 535-019 12:13 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Thomas E. Carroll, Hadlai A. Hull, William T. Pecora, Nathaniel P. Reed, Pinkney Walker, Frank G. Zark, Frederic V. Malek, and Daniel T. Kinsley met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:13 pm to 12:16 pm.
  • 535-021 12:16 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:16 pm to 12:19 pm.
  • 535-022 12:20 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:20 pm and 12:25 pm.
  • 535-023 12:25 PM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:25 pm.

All 78 conversations from July 2, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 535-020, July 2, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/535-020 (accessed October 12, 2026).