Nixon White House TapesTape 715 › Conversation 715-004

Nixon, Butterfield & Kissinger on Apollo XVI and NASA

Wednesday, April 26, 1972 · 12:28 PM–12:32 PM ET · Oval Office ·3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.;  Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation715-004 onTape 715 (tape position 00:48:46–00:52:59)StartWednesday, April 26, 1972 at 12:28 PMEndWednesday, April 26, 1972 at 12:32 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 715-004 ↗

President Nixon met with Alexander Butterfield and Henry Kissinger to manage his immediate schedule and finalize administrative tasks, including the signing of official documents. The participants coordinated logistics for upcoming appointments, such as a meeting with George Shultz and Herbert Stein, and discussed preparations for a congratulatory call to the Apollo XVI astronauts. This brief session served to organize the President’s agenda and facilitate communication with key staff and external officials.

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I might.
If you can give me a few seconds to grab.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, let me, if you've got a minute, we can talk now.
Where do you want to go there?
You wish to buy it?
I've got some signs to do.
Fine.
I mean, in a big office now.
I don't think.
Yeah.
four times before the other two had never experienced.
He's already in debt.

On April 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:28 pm to 12:32 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 715-004 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 715-4

Date: April 26, 1972
Time: 12:28 pm - 12:32 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     The President's schedule
          -Signature on documents

The President talked with an unknown person [Henry A. Kissinger?] at an unknown time
between 12:28 and 12:32 pm.

[Conversation no. 715-4A]

     Speech draft

     Meeting with the President
          -Time
          -The President's schedule
          -The President's location
          -Time

[End of telephone conversation]

     [Signing documents]

     The President's schedule
                                             11

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 7/07)
                                                                      Conv. No. 715-4 (cont.)


           -Call to Apollo XVI astronauts
                 -Florida
           -Meeting with George P. Shultz and Herbert Stein
           -Call to astronauts
                 -Ronald L. Ziegler
                 -Photograph
                 -Florida
                 -Call to National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]
                 -Invitation to Camp David
                 -Invitation to White House dinner
                 -John W. Young
                       -Previous trips into space
                       -Rank
           -Meeting with Kissinger

Butterfield left at 12:32 pm.
  • 715-002 12:03 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:03 pm to 12:19 pm.
  • 715-003 12:19 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Herbert F. DeSimone, Charles W. Colson, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:19 pm to 12:27 pm.
  • 715-005 12:33 PM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Zosimo Monson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:33 pm to 1:10 pm.
  • 023-080 1:10 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:10 pm and 1:45 pm.
  • 333-009 1:10 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:10 pm and 1:45 pm.
  • 333-010 1:10 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:10 pm and 1:45 pm.
  • 333-011 1:10 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:10 pm and 1:45 pm.
  • 333-012 1:10 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:10 pm and 1:45 pm.

Conversation 715-004, April 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/715-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).