Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 613 › Conversation 613-010

Nixon & Butterfield on White House taping system and Oval Office security

Thursday, November 4, 1971 · 8:09 AM–8:12 AM ET · Oval Office · 37 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation613-010 on Tape 613 (tape position 02:45:35–02:52:10)StartThursday, November 4, 1971 at 8:09 AMEndThursday, November 4, 1971 at 8:12 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 613-010 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417179525 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to discuss the administration's policy regarding the use of the White House taping system. Nixon expressed a clear intent to restrict the recording of meetings, stating he would only authorize tapings for exceptionally urgent matters. This exchange reflects the President's growing concerns regarding the scrutiny and potential fallout associated with the secret recording apparatus.

Audio

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NARA Description

On November 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:09 am to 8:12 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 613-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 613-010

Date: November 4, 1971
Time: 8:09 am - 8:12 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     The President's schedule

        Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

            -Tapings

Butterfield left at 8:12 am.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I'm not going to do any tapings unless it's something as urgent as this.
Not on these three, huh?
What is it?
Is it some crap?
Because I'm not getting away with it.

Also recorded on November 4, 1971

  • 613-011 8:21 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:21 am to 8:22 am.
  • 613-012 8:24 AM · 1 hr 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, George P. Shultz, unknown person(s), Arthur F. Burns, Alexander P. Butterfield, Rose Mary Woods, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:24 am to 9:50 am.
  • 613-013 9:57 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:57 am to 10:00 am.
  • 613-014 10:00 AM · 4 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:00 am and 10:29 am.
  • 613-015 10:29 AM · 2 hr 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Indira Ghandi, Ronald L. Ziegler, Parmeshwar N. Haksar, Manolo Sanchez, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:29 am to 12:35 pm.
  • 613-016 12:35 PM · 49 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:35 pm and 12:37 pm.
  • 613-017 12:37 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:37 pm to 12:40 pm.
  • 614-001 12:43 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:43 pm and 12:54 pm.

All 74 conversations from November 4, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 613-010, November 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417179525). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/613-010 (accessed October 29, 2026).