{"conversationCode":"639-005","tapeNumber":639,"conversationNumber":5,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-639-005","startDateTime":"1971-12-18T17:43:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-12-18T17:50:00.000Z","startDate":"18-Dec-1971","startTime":"12:43 PM","endDate":"18-Dec-1971","endTime":"12:50 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose Mary; White House operator; Nixon, Thelma C. (\"Pat\") (Ryan); Butterfield, Alexander P.;","description":"On December 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, Thelma C. (\"Pat\") (Ryan) Nixon, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:43 pm to 12:50 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 639-005 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":2,"chronRelease":"Second Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"26-Oct-2000","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 639-005\n\nDate: December 18, 1971\nTime: 12:43 pm - 12:50 pm\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with Rose Mary Woods.\n\n     President’s schedule\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\nThe President talked with the White House operator at 12:43 pm.\n\n[Conversation No. 639-5A]\n\n[See Conversation No. 16-108]\n\n[End of telephone conversation]\n\n     John D. Ehrlichman\n\n     Meetings\n\n     Bernard J. (“Bunny”) Lasker\n          -Woods’s location\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 06/14/2019.\nSegment cleared for release.]\n[Personal Returnable]\n[639-005-w001]\n[Duration: 46s]\n\nThe President talked with Thelma C. (“Pat) Nixon between 12:44 pm and 12:45 pm.\n\n[Conversation No. 639-5B]\n\n[See Conversation No. 016-109]\n\n[End of telephone conversation]\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n     Christmas cards\n           -Messages\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n     The President's schedule\n          -Football\n               -Robert K. Gray\n                      -Binoculars\n          -Church\n          -Weather\n          -Bermuda\n               -Florida\n                      -Christmas\n\nAlexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 12:45 pm.\n\n     President’s schedule\n\n     Signing papers\n\n     Questions and answers sheet\n\n     [Pause]\n\nButterfield left at an unknown time before 12:50 pm.\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 06/14/2019.\nSegment cleared for release.]\n[Personal Returnable]\n[639-005-w002]\n[Duration: 3m 10s]\n\n     Relaxation\n          -Reading the paper\n\n     Cash gifts\n          -House\n                -For unknown person’s mother\n          -Five hundred per person\n                -Gift so no need to report it\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n           -Marjorie Caulfield\n                -Send gift for work done\n\n     Christmas card\n\n**********************************************************************\n\nWoods left at 12:50 pm.","filename":["639-005.mp3"],"tapeStart":"00:05:12","tapeEnd":"00:17:03","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Woods, Rose Mary","White House operator","Nixon, Thelma C. (\"Pat\") (Ryan)","Butterfield, Alexander P."],"prevCode":"639-004","nextCode":"639-006","transcript":[{"start":0.08,"end":2.08,"text":"Yeah, this is next to the place."},{"start":2.14,"end":11.05,"text":"Let's see if there's more residents."},{"start":11.11,"end":12.61,"text":"There's a lot of people."},{"start":13.37,"end":25.06,"text":"Calls, you know, places of meeting."},{"start":25.08,"end":25.88,"text":"Lenny was delighted."},{"start":25.96,"end":27.24,"text":"He didn't know I was here."},{"start":32.2,"end":33.84,"text":"And, uh, he said, you know, hey, you know."},{"start":34.56,"end":34.97,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":36.28,"end":37.83,"text":"We're all set for that, uh, thing now."},{"start":37.85,"end":38.77,"text":"I think it's by 540 time."},{"start":38.83,"end":40.61,"text":"That's what everybody wants."},{"start":40.63,"end":43.37,"text":"We'll go there on occasion."},{"start":44.41,"end":47.01,"text":"And so we'll just, we'll go where we'll be prepared."},{"start":47.25,"end":49.65,"text":"We'll be dressed for the occasion."},{"start":49.77,"end":50.99,"text":"And it's awesome."},{"start":51.17,"end":52.77,"text":"I think it's the best way to go, don't you?"},{"start":56.99,"end":60.6,"text":"You see, I'll try not to hold it, but it'll change."},{"start":60.68,"end":63.9,"text":"Before I go, I'll be ready to go."},{"start":64.28,"end":68.02,"text":"And I'll, and see, see, I'll, I'll see."},{"start":68.12,"end":68.88,"text":"I know we can set it up."},{"start":104.38,"end":119.5,"text":"So many notes that I know in your own cards, and in cards to me from people I don't really know, are all saying, you know, they're saying that busy times, they're working hard, they're praying."},{"start":119.52,"end":121.98,"text":"Everybody's almost working and praying for you."},{"start":122,"end":125.07,"text":"That's the thing about Christmas."},{"start":125.17,"end":129.37,"text":"I never get the chance to see them."},{"start":129.39,"end":129.89,"text":"I mean, I agree."},{"start":130.69,"end":132.31,"text":"They're so nice."},{"start":135.49,"end":145.94,"text":"If you find something particular that should be brought to my attention, be sure that we can do a hundred different things for you."},{"start":145.96,"end":149.72,"text":"It's a pretty good time around the end of business."},{"start":150.2,"end":159.35,"text":"They're right close to come forward."},{"start":159.37,"end":161.39,"text":"Everybody's going to be gone."},{"start":172.94,"end":176.66,"text":"You're not thinking of, if you get back in time, are you going after the game and all that again?"},{"start":176.68,"end":181.94,"text":"I'm just having fun."},{"start":182.26,"end":183.38,"text":"That's what you have to do."},{"start":183.41,"end":192.93,"text":"You know the reason I had, Tom Gray had a, he called me, I'll tell you what it is, he had a, Tiffany picked up a special seven binoculars."},{"start":192.97,"end":193.13,"text":"Oh."},{"start":193.77,"end":200.59,"text":"And he did their thing, and the clients there, I guess they're the clients, right, where they bring a whole field in."},{"start":201.03,"end":201.66,"text":"Sure."},{"start":201.96,"end":206.16,"text":"I don't go to this game, no."},{"start":206.32,"end":207.83,"text":"I told you I didn't."},{"start":207.93,"end":208.35,"text":"Sure."},{"start":213.3,"end":215.76,"text":"Well, I think I'll tell you, the sudden change in the weather."},{"start":215.86,"end":218.4,"text":"It was warming, you know, 74 here the other day."},{"start":218.76,"end":220.92,"text":"Yeah, and now it's... And now it's 30."},{"start":221.14,"end":221.88,"text":"They love themselves."},{"start":221.94,"end":224.99,"text":"And I just love George sitting out there in that cold."},{"start":226.17,"end":230.61,"text":"Well, I mean... No, so many things I don't like."},{"start":230.63,"end":231.13,"text":"You shouldn't have."},{"start":245.36,"end":271,"text":"I don't know if they died."},{"start":294.02,"end":308.99,"text":"Oh, listen, I just wanted to make a mention in the back here."},{"start":309.03,"end":309.93,"text":"Yes, that's a nice idea."},{"start":336.29,"end":349.06,"text":"This is what transpired."},{"start":367.25,"end":367.77,"text":"Wait a minute."},{"start":367.87,"end":368.58,"text":"That's a Q-man."},{"start":370.36,"end":371.25,"text":"That's a Q-man, sir."},{"start":447.21,"end":453.63,"text":"Too bad in a way to get the period when everybody else did accidentally."},{"start":453.87,"end":461.95,"text":"I almost didn't even read the paper."},{"start":462,"end":466.6,"text":"Well, we had to do it for a reason."},{"start":466.84,"end":467.28,"text":"I know."},{"start":467.42,"end":475.34,"text":"If you want, you were going to have to press it."},{"start":475.78,"end":476.3,"text":"Oh, yeah."},{"start":476.36,"end":476.66,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":487.62,"end":493.23,"text":"Thank you very much."},{"start":493.27,"end":494.27,"text":"Thank you very much."},{"start":494.29,"end":495.67,"text":"Thank you very much."},{"start":523.66,"end":528.75,"text":"And I thought, if you don't mind, because I think, you know, we had Jack Coffey who worked with us."},{"start":528.77,"end":539.39,"text":"His wife worked every day for about three or four months on some confidential, you know, groupings for us of trying to find, you know, get the materials by state and a whole lot of things."},{"start":539.91,"end":545.08,"text":"Would it be all right if I gave her even like a hundred dollars for a Christmas on a client?"},{"start":554.43,"end":557.28,"text":"There isn't anything else we need done on that."},{"start":557.34,"end":561.46,"text":"There's nothing else we can do this year."},{"start":599,"end":628.11,"text":"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with Rose Mary Woods, Alexander Butterfield, and other staff members to finalize administrative tasks and discuss his upcoming holiday schedule. The conversation centered on the President's personal plans for Christmas, including weather concerns, football, and potential travel to Florida or Bermuda. Additionally, the group addressed office operations, such as signing paperwork, managing Christmas card messages, and approving a holiday financial gift for a staff member's wife in recognition of her assistance with data organization.","topics":["Presidential Schedule","Christmas preparations","Administrative tasks","Personal correspondence","White House operations"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-07T01:35:33.936Z"},"topicSlugs":["presidential-schedule","christmas-preparations","administrative-tasks","personal-correspondence","white-house-operations"],"audioDurationSec":633,"audioFiles":[{"file":"639-005.mp3","bytes":25337856,"durationSec":633.35,"bitrate":320049,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:54.662Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:44:11.549Z","transcriptGapSeconds":55,"transcriptGapShare":0.09,"transcriptQuality":"incomplete","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/639-005.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/639-005","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/639/conversation-639-005","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}