Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 635 › Conversation 635-010

Nixon & Bull on Nicholas P. Thimmesch and Distinguished Service Medal

Friday, December 10, 1971 · 12:00 PM–12:01 PM ET · Oval Office ·47 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Bull, Stephen B.Conversation635-010 onTape 635 (tape position 03:08:07–03:08:54)StartFriday, December 10, 1971 at 12:00 PMEndFriday, December 10, 1971 at 12:01 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 635-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met briefly to review the President's immediate schedule and manage logistical arrangements for upcoming appointments. They discussed the time allocation for a meeting with journalist Nicholas P. Thimmesch and the protocol for a Distinguished Service Medal presentation involving General Leonard F. Chapman, Jr. and Major General James D. Hughes. Nixon instructed Bull to strictly limit the duration of the Thimmesch interview to five minutes.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Thank you.
Now, do you think that we might be wanting to spend more than five minutes with Timmish?
Why?
Is that what I suggested?
Listen, we have a chat in this dinner service now, a presentation.
I don't think we might want to spend Timmish until after work, so it's a little more of an excuse.
Well, I'll do the chat now.
I'm going to tell Timmish he can't spend more than five minutes.
I can't promise that.
See?
Yes, gentlemen, if you'd like to step back and just brief you on how this is going to work, sir.
I think I have.
That's all right.
If not, you can come in.
I'll take care of it.
I'll be right back.

NARA Description

On December 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:00 pm to 12:01 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 635-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 635-10

Date: December 10, 1971
Time: 12:00 pm - 12:01 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.
                                            30

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 635-10 (cont.)


     The President's schedule
          -Meeting with Nicholas P. Thimmesch
          -Distinguished Service Medal Award presentation
                -Gen. Leonard F. Chapman, Jr.
                      -Maj. Gen. James D. Hughes
                           -Briefing

Bull left at 12:01 pm.

Also recorded on December 10, 1971

  • 635-011 12:01 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and James D. ("Don") Hughes met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:01 pm to 12:03 pm.
  • 635-012 12:03 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, John H. Chafee, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., Gen. John D. Ryan, Gen. William Westmoreland, Gen. Leonard F. Chapman, Mrs. Leonard F. Chapman, R. D. Crutcher, SGM Joseph Dailey, John W. Warner, Lt. Gen. Lewis J. Fields, Mrs. Lewis J. Fields, Gen. Raymond G. Davis, Mrs. Raymond G. Davis, Gen. William J. VanRyzin, Gen. John Chaisson, Mrs. John Chaisson, Debbie Terry, Richard Schultz, Col. Gerald Thomas, C. J. Wages, Joseph Felter, GySgt. William Weigh, George P. Shultz, Vernon C. Coffey, Jr., and James D. ("Don") Hughes met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:03 pm to 12:15 pm.
  • 637-014 12:04 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:04 pm to 12:06 pm.
  • 637-015 12:06 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:06 pm and 12:22 pm.
  • 637-016 12:06 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:06 pm and 12:22 pm.
  • 016-078 12:14 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 12:14 pm to 12:15 pm.
  • 635-013 12:15 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:15 pm and 12:19 pm.
  • 635-014 12:15 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:15 pm and 12:19 pm.

All 75 conversations from December 10, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 635-010, December 10, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/635-010 (accessed September 18, 2026).