Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 609 › Conversation 609-005

Nixon & Bull on Josip Broz Tito and White House Protocol

Saturday, October 30, 1971 · 9:58 AM–10:05 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation609-005 on Tape 609 (tape position 01:10:09–01:12:58)StartSaturday, October 30, 1971 at 9:58 AMEndSaturday, October 30, 1971 at 10:05 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 609-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull coordinated the logistical details for the upcoming visit of Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito. They reviewed scheduling conflicts regarding the arrival of First Lady Pat Nixon and Mrs. Tito, as well as the timing of helicopter transport and press photo opportunities. Nixon ultimately decided to set the departure time for 11:00 a.m. to streamline the transition and facilitate a controlled photo event on the White House lawn.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 168.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 168.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 168.0 MB ·Download MP3 (part 4) · 60.9 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 01:10:09 into the tape and ends around 01:12:58.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
1:10:28Mr. President, Mr. President, I have a big question that's been urgent in the years since you, the attacking partners, have been taken down in these anti-corruption sessions.
1:10:39All right.
1:10:39At the conclusion of the meeting, the ambassador wants me to recommend the Senate to be appropriate to helicopter the President, you know, in the morning of his entry to the Air Force Base, which he worked out very well.
1:10:54So at about 10.30, Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Bronson come over from the yellow hall room.
1:10:58So Mrs. Bronson said... Well, it'll take more time than that.
1:11:01He expects a little more time than that.
1:11:05I think you better hold them over there.
1:11:09I think we've got to figure this one out.
1:11:18Who told you it'd be 10.30?
1:11:20Well, originally... Well, I mean, that's what we said.
1:11:23They don't know it.
1:11:25I know.
1:11:25Yeah, they said they expected an hour and a half.
1:11:28And you said this?
1:11:28Yeah.
1:11:30Well, anyway.
1:11:32Well, this is the first thing that Mr. Brodsky...
1:11:36We may have that.
1:11:36I think they should remain there.
1:11:37Yes, sir.
1:11:38We have that.
1:11:39And then the two first ladies would come over.
1:11:41No, we don't.
1:11:43Is he going by helicopter?
1:11:44How is this starting off in a helicopter?
1:11:47You mean?
1:11:47All right.
1:11:47Is it going to be here?
1:11:48Yes, sir.
1:11:49On the lawn.
1:11:49At 11 o'clock?
1:11:50Or at the conclusion of your meeting?
1:11:53Yeah.
1:11:55There's one advantage.
1:11:56The two first ladies over here would give Mr. Franz the opportunity to see your office.
1:12:00And then the press photograph, they would be taken to interview the four of you.
1:12:05Coming down between the corridor, between the walkway, up towards the south portico.
1:12:09There'll be a colorful picture on the floor upon departure.
1:12:17Well, let's have the helicopter come in this time and make it 11 o'clock.
1:12:21It's going to be shut, that's sure.
1:12:23We'll just cut off at 11.
1:12:24All right, sir, fine.
1:12:25And then we'll bring the two first ladies over at that time, and the four of you can walk down to get in.

NARA Description

On October 30, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:05 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 609-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 609-5

Date: October 30, 1971
Time: Unknown between 9:58 am and 10:05 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     The President's schedule
          -Josip Broz Tito
                -Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr.
                      -Helicopter
                -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon, Mrs. Broz
                -Henry A. Kissinger
                -Helicopter
                -Press photo opportunities

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:05 am.

Also recorded on October 30, 1971

  • 609-001 8:35 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:35 am and 8:54 am.
  • 609-003 8:54 AM · 1 hr 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:54 am to 9:58 am.
  • 609-004 9:58 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:05 am.
  • 609-006 9:58 AM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:05 am.
  • 609-007 10:05 AM · 1 hr 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Josip Broz Tito, Lijana Tambaca, Alexander Akalovsky, Stephen B. Bull, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Emil ("Bus") Mosbacher, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:05 am to 11:12 am.
  • 609-008 11:16 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:16 am to 11:19 am.
  • 609-009 11:19 AM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:19 am and 11:20 am.
  • 609-010 11:20 AM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:20 am to 11:21 am.

All 13 conversations from October 30, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 609-005, October 30, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/609-005 (accessed September 30, 2026).