Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 639 › Conversation 639-022

Nixon & Bull on Time magazine and Media relations

Saturday, December 18, 1971 · 4:43 PM–5:03 PM ET · Oval Office · 21 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation639-022 on Tape 639 (tape position 02:07:35–02:19:31)StartSaturday, December 18, 1971 at 4:43 PMEndSaturday, December 18, 1971 at 5:03 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 639-022 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull to coordinate logistical arrangements for an upcoming interview with Time magazine. The discussion centered specifically on the placement and presence of cameras during the session. No further actions or major policy decisions were recorded during this brief administrative meeting.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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NARA Description

On December 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:43 pm and 5:03 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 639-022 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 639-022

Date: December 19, 1971
Time: Unknown between 4:43 pm and 5:03 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     Time magazine interview
          -Cameras

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:03 pm.

Also recorded on December 18, 1971

  • 639-023 4:43 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:43 pm and 5:03 pm.
  • 639-024 4:43 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:43 pm and 5:03 pm.
  • 639-025 5:03 PM · 1 hr 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jerrold L. Schecter, Hugh S. Sidey, Hedley W. Donovan, Henry A. Grunwald, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:03 pm to 6:35 pm.
  • 639-015 5:05 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:12 pm.
  • 639-016 5:05 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:12 pm.
  • 639-017 5:05 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:12 pm.
  • 639-018 5:12 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:12 pm to 5:20 pm.
  • 639-019 5:20 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:20 pm and 5:26 pm.

All 52 conversations from December 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 639-022, December 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/639-022 (accessed October 11, 2026).