Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 724 › Conversation 724-001

Nixon, Bull & Butterfield on Sequoia and White House Protocol

Monday, May 15, 1972 · 1:39 PM–2:29 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation724-001 on Tape 724 (tape position 00:26:37–00:31:13)StartMonday, May 15, 1972 at 1:39 PMEndMonday, May 15, 1972 at 2:29 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 724-001 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull and Alexander P. Butterfield to finalize logistics for several upcoming events, including a meeting with John Cardinal Krol and a large reception in the Blue Room. Discussions focused on scheduling the Cardinal’s visit aboard the Sequoia and coordinating protocol for the reception, specifically the introductions of guests and the flow of the receiving line. Nixon emphasized the need for efficient crowd management and clear identification of attendees to streamline the social proceedings.

Audio

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This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 00:26:37 into the tape and ends around 00:31:13.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
26:39I don't know how I'm going to be able to meet him during that time.
26:40Well, he won't be staying close to me for an hour.
26:42Hey, so, talk to him, before you get on with Sequoia, too.
26:44Well, I've got to find my talk with him on the Sequoia.
26:47Well, perhaps we may wish you either to eliminate the names out of the cardinal role, or cut it down to significant money.
26:56Yeah, we'll get to Robinson, but we, I mean, I'll see you in here briefly and get a picture taken.
27:02But I want to suggest that, uh, I'll see you here at 5.30, and then we meet together at 5.45.
27:06This way, you're at 1.30 prior to sunset.
27:08Sunset's at 8.15, starting at 8.00.
27:10You know, I think we can go to 5.00, 5.30, or 5.15, as you like.
27:12I might as well charge a little bit more.
27:14Take an hour and a half, I think.
27:16You know what I'm saying?
27:17I just thought you might want some additional driving time.
27:24With him?
27:28No, no, no.
27:29I'd just rather get that over with.
27:30We don't have to.
27:32We go down there and get back and be on the river most of the time.
27:39Well, then what do you want to do at about 5 o'clock?
27:425 o'clock.
27:455 o'clock.
27:465 o'clock.
27:465 o'clock.
27:465 o'clock.
27:475 o'clock.
27:485 o'clock.
27:485 o'clock.
27:57I'll write him a letter.
27:57I mean, the old gentleman, the old man.
28:00Yeah, yeah.
28:00Everyone else will meet you down there.
28:01You ready for something else, sir?
28:08Yeah.
28:08With regard to the thing that I have, a military aide is not confident to handle that crowd, of course, because he doesn't know what I'm saying.
28:22Yeah.
28:24So you better see a contractor who's used to working protocol, see if he can't do the
28:31I don't want it to take too long.
28:33You just discuss it with him.
28:34People over there, be sure they don't order, but just see that it's all right if they come in and check with us.
28:45That's what she's like.
28:47So he can tell me who these people are when they come through, and I don't have to study the list.
28:56Yes, sir?
29:00Yeah, but not too long on this one, because it's a long ball.
29:05So if you work it out, it's pretty good.
29:13OK.
29:13I'd say there's 1,000.
29:141,000, but I'm saying about 650 would count.
29:15This says 800.
29:16I think that's conservative.
29:18It's still a big group.
29:21Twice as much as the worship service.
29:26Sir, they're standing out of the room.
29:27Yes, sir.
29:27Yes, and then they go out of the room.
29:30Where do we receive them?
29:30Uh, the south end of the blue room.
29:33The blue room.
29:34Put your bags to the south end.
29:36We'll go in that blue room.
29:37Yes, we'll see.
29:38Oh, fine.
29:38And they go rushing through there.
29:41And also, sir, the right room.
29:42Upstairs.
29:44except that we're not, we've got to see them.
29:46We received them immediately.
29:49Yes, sir.
29:49Right.
29:49And, uh, what do you say if he reminds the East Room?
29:52Oh, yeah, the East Room.
29:53Then go to the building where I received them.
29:56Very good, sir.
29:57Just work it out.
29:58Just, uh, tell the Lightning Department section about it that I thought maybe he ought to introduce the people since he didn't.
30:03Say, who the hell are you?
30:04I'm Chief.
30:06Say it.
30:06Right, sir.
30:53Secretary's here, sir.
31:03Okay.
31:04Hi, John.
31:04How are you?
31:05Hello, Mr. President.
31:06Art Burge sent a copy of the speech that I've been reading.
31:09Has anybody disagreed with you at all?

NARA Description

On May 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:39 pm and 2:29 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 724-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 724-1

Date: May 15, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:39 and 2:29 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     President' schedule
          -John Cardinal Krol meeting
                 -Length
                 -Time

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 2:25 pm.

                -Attendees
                     -Charles W. Colson
                     -John D. Ehrlichman
                -Location
                     -Sequoia
                -Photograph opportunity
                -Time of departure
                     -Mount Vernon
                -Transportation

Bull left at an unknown time before 2:29 pm.

           -Blue Room reception
                -Introductions
                      -Military aide
                      -Clement E. Conger
                      -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                -Number of attendees
                -Location of receiving line
                -Remarks in East Room
                -Conger's role
                      -Mrs. Nixon

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 2:29 pm.

Also recorded on May 15, 1972

  • 724-002 2:25 PM · 1 hr 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, John B. Connally, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:25 pm and 3:32 pm.
  • 724-003 3:32 PM · 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, unknown person(s), Stephen B. Bull, and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:32 pm to 4:06 pm.
  • 024-081 4:00 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 5:10 pm.
  • 724-004 4:06 PM · 48 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Donald McI. Kendall, Peter M. Flanigan, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:06 pm to 4:54 pm.
  • 724-005 4:54 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:54 pm to 5:05 pm.
  • 024-082 5:06 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:06 pm and 5:10 pm.
  • 724-006 5:06 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:06 pm to 5:14 pm.
  • 724-010 5:06 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 5:06 pm.

All 44 conversations from May 15, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 724-001, May 15, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/724-001 (accessed October 9, 2026).