Nixon White House TapesTape 662 › Conversation 662-001

Nixon & Butterfield on Oval Office and White House maintenance

Tuesday, February 1, 1972 · 9:33 AM–9:35 AM ET · Oval Office ·18 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation662-001 onTape 662 (tape position 00:03:37–00:07:05)StartTuesday, February 1, 1972 at 9:33 AMEndTuesday, February 1, 1972 at 9:35 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 662-001 ↗

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met briefly in the Oval Office to address the unexplained absence of a plaque from a screen in the room. The President expressed frustration regarding the missing item, prompting a brief inquiry into its location. The exchange concluded without a definitive resolution regarding the plaque's whereabouts.

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They screwed something up here.
Where's the plaque for this screen?

On February 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:33 am to 9:35 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 662-001 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 662-1

Date: February 1, 1972
Time: 9:33 am - 9:35 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     Missing plaque

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 9:35 am.
  • 662-002 9:39 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:39 am to 9:45 am.
  • 662-003 9:45 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:45 am and 10:03 am.
  • 662-004 10:03 AM · 1 hr 35 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William F. ("Billy") Graham, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Rose Mary Woods, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:03 am to 11:37 am.
  • 662-005 11:39 AM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:39 am to 11:52 am.
  • 662-006 11:53 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Col. David R. Scott, Mrs. David R. Scott, Col. James B. Irwin, Mrs. James B. Irwin, Lt. Col. Alfred M. Worden, Peter M. Flanigan, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:53 am to 12:05 pm.
  • 662-007 12:05 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:08 pm.
  • 662-008 12:08 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, David Barrus, Eric E. Hillary, Edwin R. Yarbrough, Kenneth L. Beale, Jr., David D. Chambers, David Harrington, Robert L. Larson, Jr., Stephen Larson, John T. Lyons, Kerry K. Morgan, Frank Ramirez, Jr., John J. Richie, III, Dave Snell, Millard F. Waters, Stephen Wirkes, Alden G. Barber, Norton Clapp, David Boshea, Randy Scott, Revel L. Robertson, George C. Freeman, Michael J. Farrell, Richard A. Moore, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:08 pm to 12:19 pm.
  • 662-009 12:20 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:20 pm.

Conversation 662-001, February 1, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/662-001 (accessed September 18, 2026).