Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 825 › Conversation 825-015

Nixon & Butterfield on White House social events and Cabinet dinner

Saturday, December 16, 1972 · 11:09 AM–11:25 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation825-015 on Tape 825StartSaturday, December 16, 1972 at 11:09 AMEndSaturday, December 16, 1972 at 11:25 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 825-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to coordinate the logistics and guest list for an upcoming Cabinet dinner. They discussed the specific number of White House assistants and other officials to include while ensuring the venue remained comfortable for the attendees. Nixon requested a final head count and instructed Butterfield to consult with H.R. Haldeman to finalize the seating arrangements and potential additions.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Tell me what do they want me to do with regard to the number of people who are going to be there tonight?

And what do they want me to do with regard to special assistance and all that sort of stuff?

It goes up and down the road about three or four times.

I need to know so I know what we can add or what we should add.

Well, I've got, I don't know the total number, but the final statement of assistance was you've got five assistants there plus a zigger.

You do have tenants and you do have a zigger.

It was early when Haldeman, Kessinger, Flanagan, and Timmons, those five, plus Singer, plus Bob Brown, Dole, and Stein, and that's all they had for it.

It's not divided, not a cabinet, not a team, it was divided as an exception.

So was Dole, even of all past presidents.

Thank you for watching this video.

give me the total number and get from Holland or somebody suggestions of additions can make it so that it's not too crowded I think it's I often the outfit over there how many they take comfortably you understand we're going to put them around

the number that we have accepted, et cetera.

And then who would be next in line when being invited in case of money.

NARA Description

On December 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:25 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 825-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 825-15

Date: December 16, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:09 am and 11:25 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

       White House social affairs
            -Cabinet dinner
                 -Number of guests
                        -Number of assistants
                              -Ronald L. Ziegler
                              -William E. Timmons
                              -John D. Ehrlichman
                              -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                              -Henry A. Kissinger
                              -Peter M. Flanigan
                              -Timmons
                              -Ziegler
                              -Robert J. Brown
                        -Reception
                              -Robert J. Dole, Hebert Stein
                        -Under Secretaries
                        -Arthur F. Burns
                        -Butterfield’s office
                        -Brown
                        -Additions
                              -Haldeman
                              -Round tables

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 11:25 am.
                                                -28-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on December 16, 1972

034-095 11:08 AM · 56 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thomas G. Dunn talked on the telephone from 11:08 am to 11:09 am.
825-011 11:08 AM · 54 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thomas G. Dunn met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:08 am to 11:09 am.
825-012 11:09 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:25 am.
825-013 11:09 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:25 am.
825-014 11:09 AM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:25 am.
825-016 11:09 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:25 am.
825-017 11:09 AM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:25 am.
382-001 11:25 AM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 11:30 am.

All 41 conversations from December 16, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 825-015, December 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/825-015 (accessed October 5, 2026).