Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 555 › Conversation 555-004

Nixon & Butterfield on Congressional relations and Administrative coordination

Thursday, August 5, 1971 · 1:13 PM–1:15 PM ET · Oval Office ·48 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation555-004 onTape 555 (tape position 00:51:55–00:52:58)StartThursday, August 5, 1971 at 1:13 PMEndThursday, August 5, 1971 at 1:15 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 555-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met briefly in the Oval Office to coordinate the President's upcoming schedule and manage logistical priorities. The discussion centered on adjusting congressional engagements and handling specific meeting requests, including a prior appointment involving Maurice H. Stans. The exchange concluded with the President directing Butterfield to proceed with these administrative arrangements.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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, Senate voter, I can't do this now.

Good.

You can hold us in Senate if this is an important mission at our events.

We're going to go out and see if we can do all this, except for the ones involving the Senators.

Uh-huh.

Let's go.

You don't get this.

I don't want to talk to you.

I think I'll have to steal it then.

All right, I understand.

NARA Description

On August 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:13 pm and 1:15 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 555-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 555-4

Date: August 5, 1971
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     President's schedule
           -Congressional Half Hour
           -Previous meeting
                 -Photographer
                      -Maurice H. Stans

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 1:15 pm.

Also recorded on August 5, 1971

067-013 11:57 AM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon and members of the Cabinet Committee on Opportunities for the Spanish Speaking, including Robert H. Finch, Frederic V. Malek, Patricia R. Hitt, Antonio Rodriguez, Louie Cespedes, Clifford M. Hardin, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney, John B. Connally, Frank C. Carlucci, III, Thomas S. Kleppe, William H. Brown, III, Robert E. Hampton, Eugene A. Marin, Edward M. Yturri, Ted F. Martinez, Igncaio E. Lozano, Jr., Edgar A. Buttari, Manuel R. Giberga, Jorge E. Tristani, Manuel A. Gonzalez, Hilda A. Hidalgo, William C. Oldaker, Phillip V. Sanchez, Dr. Henry M. Ramirez, and John N. Mitchell., met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 11:57 am and 12:35 pm.
555-003 12:00 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and members of the Cabinet Committee on Opportunities for the Spanish Speaking, including, Dr. Henry M. Ramirez, Antonio Rodriguez, Louie Cespedes, Eugene A. Marin, Edward M. Yturri, Ted F. Martinez, Ignacio E. Lozano, Jr., Edgar A. Buttari, Manuel R. Giberga, Jorge E. Tristani, Manuel A. Gonzalez, Hilda A. Hidalgo, William C. Oldaker, Philip Sanchez, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull, met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:00 pm to 12:13 pm.
555-019 12:35 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:35 pm to 12:36 pm.
555-005 1:15 PM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles H. Percy, Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins, William Brock, M. A. Henderson, W. R. Davenport, Robert A. Taft, Jr., Alexander P. Butterfield, Zachery Williams, Mrs. John C. Williams, Paul E. Funk, David Gilbert, Morris Semiatin, Charles S. Gubser, Philip Schuyler, Lawrence G. Williams, Mrs. Lawrence G. Williams, Marie A. Boyer, Marie A. Simmonds, Silvio O. Conte, Mrs. Wilfred S. Hitchcock, Mrs. George Voskly, Hugh K. Ferry, Joseph F. Mattis, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:15 pm to 1:46 pm.
555-006 1:46 PM · 54 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, Stephen B. Bull, and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:46 pm to 2:40 pm.
555-007 2:40 PM · 3 min — Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, and President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 3:13 pm.
555-008 3:21 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:21 pm and 3:23 pm.
555-009 3:23 PM · 1 hr 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George W. Romney, John B. Connally, George P. Shultz, John D. Ehrlichman, Peter M. Flanigan, and Paul W. McCracken met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:23 pm to 4:35 pm.

All 20 conversations from August 5, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 555-004, August 5, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/555-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).