Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 722 › Conversation 722-004

Nixon & Butterfield on Duke Law School and White House social events

Tuesday, May 9, 1972 · 10:42 AM–10:48 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation722-004 on Tape 722 (tape position 00:44:19–00:47:41)StartTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 10:42 AMEndTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 10:48 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 722-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Butterfield met to finalize logistical arrangements for an upcoming dinner honoring Duke Law School alumni. They reviewed the guest list, including attendance by various administration officials, and discussed the appropriate protocol for distributing guest gifts. Ultimately, the President decided to have the gifts mailed to attendees rather than displayed on the dinner tables.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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About that thing tonight, have you got the list of people now?
Yes.
I think you had Pat Gray.
Yes, you did.
He's coming.
There's people in government that cannot come because of their commitments.
Burgers.
Paul.
Colleagues can't make it.
Findings.
Bud Crowe.
John Dean.
So you have 25 in the administration, counting the wives, about 12 couples.
And 57 from a law school who couldn't make it.
Five couples from a law school who couldn't make it.
Some out of the country.
As long as you've got a case.
57, 25, and 78.
Two in the U.S. based in 1944.
The gifts, unless you guys want them.
I get to give them, and Lucy does too.
I get that maybe we have too many there.
At least at the table, we have too many gifts.
Just give them all the things.
Maybe one memento of the party.
Can I just come back to the ladies here?
One thing for the men.
All right.
If you want to give them all, you can mail them them.
Well, I wouldn't put anything to the table, maybe.
Yeah, maybe mail them.
Yeah, we could do that.
I'd rather mail them.
I don't like having them on the table anyway.
But if there's one on the table... Oh, yeah.
I think I need to give a compact to the ladies.
Are you good?
I didn't get to tell you that you were preoccupied.
Steve Bowles' uncle died, and he's the only survivor, so he's in New York attending to the screen.
Uncle's screen is all the way back there.
I believe it was something like that.
Peter Feininger has sent in some comments from the Soviet Trade Delegation, or perhaps Bob Stuckett.
And Henry was there last night.
Do you know who he was?
Yeah.
I'm afraid I'm going to fight tomorrow morning.

NARA Description

On May 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:42 am to 10:48 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 722-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 722-4

Date: May 9, 1972
Time: 10:42 am - 10:48 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     President's schedule
          -Dinner for Duke Law School alumni
                 -Attendance
                       -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
                       -Warren E. Burger
                       -Lewis F. Powell
                       -John B. Connally
                       -Richard G. Kleindienst
                       -Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
                       -John W. Dean, III
                 -Number of Administration members
                 -Number of law school graduates
                 -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                 -Gifts
                       -Lucy A. Winchester
                       -Number
                       -Compacts
                       -Cuff links
                       -Alternatives
                 -Guest book
                       -Charles S. Rhyne
                      -Location
           -Stephen B. Bull
                -Location
           -Meeting with Soviet trade delegation
                -Peter M. Flanigan's comments
                -Henry A. Kissinger's presence

Butterfield left at 10:48 am.

Also recorded on May 9, 1972

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  • 024-037 10:58 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:58 am and 11:07 am.
  • 338-002 10:58 AM · 1 min — 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 10:58 am and 11:07 am.
  • 338-003 10:58 AM · 45 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 10:58 am and 11:07 am.
  • 338-004 10:58 AM · 24 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 10:58 am and 11:07 am.
  • 338-005 10:58 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:58 am and 11:07 am.
  • 024-038 11:07 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 11:07 am to 11:12 am.
  • 338-006 11:07 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:07 am and 11:12 am.

All 96 conversations from May 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 722-004, May 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/722-004 (accessed October 9, 2026).