{"conversationCode":"688-001","tapeNumber":688,"conversationNumber":1,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-688-001","startDateTime":"1972-03-18T15:26:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-03-18T15:56:00.000Z","startDate":"18-Mar-1972","startTime":"10:26 AM","endDate":"18-Mar-1972","endTime":"10:56 AM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"estimated","participants":"Butterfield, Alexander P.; Bull, Stephen B.; Nixon, Richard M. (President);","description":"On March 18, 1972, Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, and President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:26 am and 10:56 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 688-001 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":3,"chronRelease":"Third Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"28-Feb-2002","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 688-1\n\nDate: March 18, 1972\nTime: Unknown between 10:26 am and 10:56 am\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nAlexander P. Butterfield met with Stephen B. Bull.\n\n     Unknown person\n\nBull left at an unknown time before 10:56 am.\n\n[No conversation]\n\nThe President entered at 10:56 am.\n\n     Signing documents\n\n     The President's schedule\n          -Henry A. Kissinger's schedule\n\nButterfield left at an unknown time before 10:56 am.","filename":["688-001.mp3"],"tapeStart":"00:00:25","tapeEnd":"00:03:41","participantsList":["Butterfield, Alexander P.","Bull, Stephen B.","Nixon, Richard M. (President)"],"prevCode":"687-004","nextCode":"688-002","transcript":[{"start":34.17,"end":39.26,"text":"Do you mind if I have a switch?"}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with aides Alexander P. Butterfield and Stephen B. Bull to address logistical matters regarding the functionality of the White House taping system. The discussion focused on the technical operation and control of the recording equipment installed in the Oval Office. This meeting served as an internal administrative review concerning the maintenance and oversight of the President’s secret recording apparatus.","topics":["White House taping system","Presidential recordings","Oval Office operations","Alexander P. Butterfield","Executive office administration"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-07T02:39:03.580Z"},"topicSlugs":["white-house-taping-system","presidential-recordings","oval-office-operations","alexander-p-butterfield","executive-office-administration"],"audioDurationSec":117,"audioFiles":[{"file":"688-001.mp3","bytes":4687199,"durationSec":117.05,"bitrate":320346,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:54.977Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:44:18.239Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/688-001.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/688-001","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/688/conversation-688-001","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}