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Conversation 630-006

TapeTape 630StartMonday, December 6, 1971 at 12:35 PMEndMonday, December 6, 1971 at 12:39 PMTape start time00:38:45Tape end time00:42:40ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Butterfield met to coordinate administrative logistics regarding upcoming visitor protocols, ambassadorial nominations, and executive scheduling. Nixon issued specific directives to curb unnecessary gift exchanges and redundant photograph distributions for White House guests. The discussion also addressed the status of specific diplomatic nominations and confirmed the protocol for providing gifts to Portuguese representatives.

White House protocolDiplomatic relationsAmbassadorial nominationsExecutive schedulingGift-giving policy
AudioNARA Description

On December 6, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:35 pm to 12:39 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 630-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 630-006
Date: December 6, 1971
Time: 12:35 pm - 12:39 pm
Location: Oval Office
Page | 9
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.
Schedule
-Bill signing
-Ambassadorial nominations
-Ronald L. Ziegler [?]
-Memorandum
-Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr.
President’s instructions
-Photographs
-Autographs
-Visitors
-Exchange of gifts
-First Family
-Gifts
-Portuguese
Butterfield left at 12:39 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

It's not any better, okay?
It's not any better yet.
Hang on a minute.
And the two ambassadorial nominations that we discussed in the first question.
Strasburg State of Delta.
Tony Marshall.
Tony Marshall.
Kenzie.
Kenzie.
Jeff.
Jeffrey Watts.
No, no photographs.
They all have them.
You don't send an autographed photograph to somebody who already has an autographed photograph, is that what you're talking about?
No, they do not have them, sir.
We just recommend stopping by this one.
Tom has one.
I mean, I didn't know we could save all of it.
Anybody who's made a visit here and has an autographed photograph already, we'll check that out.
So be sure to check that out.
There should be no exchange of gifts.
There should be no photographs.
Because if they have a, and if they don't have one, well normally you strike them with an official photograph for the first time.
If they don't have one for the first time, they do have one for the first time.
I have a lot of photographs.
unless that is discussed with them and they want one.
What I think would be a better idea would be to simply get a photograph of the meeting, of the two of us meeting, and, uh, should we take?
No, we can't do that.
We're not going to host each other.
That's all right.
We're trying to, uh, yeah, the Portuguese should have a gift.
Slow.
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