Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 802 › Conversation 802-003

Nixon & Butterfield on Water bill and Presidential veto

Tuesday, October 17, 1972 · 6:24 PM–6:28 PM ET · Oval Office · 14 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation802-003 on Tape 802StartTuesday, October 17, 1972 at 6:24 PMEndTuesday, October 17, 1972 at 6:28 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 802-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to discuss the administration's schedule and specific legislative priorities. The primary focus of the brief conversation centered on the potential veto of an upcoming water bill. No further actions or broader policy developments were recorded during this brief administrative exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Let's let this, let the sun go to the heart.
Oh, right.

NARA Description

On October 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:24 pm and 6:28 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 802-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 802-3

Date: October 17, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:24 pm and 6:28 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

        Schedule
            -Legislation
                -Water bill veto

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 6:28 pm.

Also recorded on October 17, 1972

  • 031-105 6:24 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:24 pm and 6:26 pm.
  • 802-002 6:24 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:24 pm and 6:28 pm.
  • 802-004 6:24 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:24 pm and 6:28 pm.
  • 802-005 6:24 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:24 pm and 6:28 pm.
  • 031-106 6:26 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 6:26 pm to 6:27 pm.
  • 031-107 6:27 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:27 pm and 6:28 pm.
  • 031-108 6:28 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Pegge (Jendro) Begich talked on the telephone from 6:28 pm to 6:29 pm.
  • 802-006 6:28 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Pegge (Jendro) Begich met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:28 pm to 6:29 pm.

All 65 conversations from October 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 802-003, October 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/802-003 (accessed October 10, 2026).