Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 731 › Conversation 731-002
Nixon & Butterfield on Administration officials
Monday, June 12, 1972 · 6:07 PM–6:09 PM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to discuss the internal ranking and status of various high-level administration officials. The conversation focused on assessing individuals such as Caspar Weinberger, George Shultz, and Donald Rumsfeld, as well as the organizational structure of the Office of Management and Budget. They also briefly touched upon matters related to the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT).
- Administration officials
- Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
- Office of Management and Budget
- Personnel management
- White House organization
Audio
Audio for this conversation has not been released by the National Archives.
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available because the audio has not been released.
NARA Description
On June 12, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:09 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 731-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 731-2
Date: June 12, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:07 and 6:09 pm.
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.
Administration officials
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT]
Ranking of Administration officials
-Caspar W. Weinberger
-George P. Shultz
-David M. Kennedy
-Robert H. Finch
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-George H. W. Bush
-Office of Manangement and Budget [OMB]
The President and Butterfield left at 6:09 pm.Also recorded on June 12, 1972
- 343-015 2:56 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:56 pm and 3:02 pm.
- 343-016 2:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:56 pm and 3:02 pm.
- 730-011 3:03 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, Buie Diem, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:03 pm to 3:24 pm.
- 730-012 3:24 PM — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:24 pm and 3:30 pm.
- 730-013 3:30 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Donald F. Rodgers, Michael P. Balzano, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:30 pm to 4:09 pm.
- 730-014 4:09 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:09 pm to 5:40 pm.
- 731-001 5:39 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:39 pm and 6:07 pm.
- 731-003 6:09 PM — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:09 pm and 11:59 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 731-002, June 12, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/731-002 (accessed October 18, 2026).