Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 571 › Conversation 571-004

Nixon, Peterson & Williams on Photo opportunity

Saturday, September 11, 1971 · 3:04 PM–3:07 PM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Peterson, Peter G.; Williams, Albert L.; Frank, Isiah (Dr.); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation571-004 on Tape 571 (tape position 01:41:03–01:43:48)StartSaturday, September 11, 1971 at 3:04 PMEndSaturday, September 11, 1971 at 3:07 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 571-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Peter G. Peterson, Albert L. Williams, and Isiah Frank to facilitate a brief photo opportunity with the press regarding the Williams Commission. The session served to highlight the commission's recent work through staged photography in the Oval Office. Following the brief media appearance, the group departed to continue their official discussions in the Cabinet Room.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 61% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President, this is Alvin.

We thought we'd spend two minutes here and get a picture of things.

Oh, fine.

Fine.

It's over there.

Let's see if they want to take a look at it.

It's a reported problem.

We've got to stand here and sort of take a look at it.

Well, we hope that it was a lot of work.

Yes, we did.

I don't know.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen the president.

NARA Description

On September 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Peter G. Peterson, Albert L. Williams, Isiah Frank, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:04 pm to 3:07 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 571-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 571-4

Date: September 13, 1971
Time: 3:04 pm - 3:07 pm
Location: Oval Office

     The President met with Peter G. Peterson, Albert L. Williams, and Isiah Frank.

     Introductions

     Photo opportunity
          -Arrangements
               -Reporters
                     -Arrival
                           -Photographers

     Williams Commission

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:04 pm.

     Press
             -Photographs

Members of the press entered at an unknown time after 3:04 pm.

     [Photograph session]

Bull and members of the press left at an unknown time before 3:07 pm.

     Meeting [in the Cabinet Room]

The President, Peterson, Williams, and Frank left at 3:07 pm.

Also recorded on September 11, 1971

571-002 1:38 PM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 2:58 pm.
571-011 1:38 PM · 12 sec — Alexander P. Butterfield and Terry L. Decker met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 2:58 pm.
570-009 1:56 PM · 46 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:56 pm and 2:18 pm.
571-003 2:58 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:58 pm to 3:02 pm.
571-005 3:07 PM · 33 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:07 pm and 3:47 pm.
571-006 3:47 PM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Clifford M. Hardin met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:47 pm to 4:16 pm.
571-007 4:16 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 4:16 pm and 4:18 pm.
571-008 4:18 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:18 pm to 4:36 pm.

All 24 conversations from September 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 571-004, September 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/571-004 (accessed October 9, 2026).