The Presidential historical materials of Alexander P. Butterfield, Deputy Assistant to the President, are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration under the provision of Title I of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-526, 88 Stat. 1695) and implementing regulations. In accordance with the act and regulations, archivists reviewed the file group to identify personal and private materials and non-historical items. These items have been returned to Butterfield.
Materials covered by the act have been archivally processed and are described in this register. Items, which are security classified or otherwise restricted under the act and regulations have been removed and placed in a closed file. A Document Withdrawal Record (GSA Form 7279) with a description of each restricted document has been inserted at the beginning of each folder from which materials have been removed. A Document Control Record marks the original position of the withdrawn item.
Employees of the National Archives will review periodically the unclassified portions of closed materials for the purpose of opening those, which no longer require restriction. Certain classified documents may be declassified under authority of Executive Order 13526 in response to a Mandatory Review Request (NA Form 14020) submitted by the researcher.
- Linear feet of materials: 4.2
- Approximate number of pages: 10,000
Preservation Note
Holdings maintenance was performed on the collection in October 2011 in order to ensure the longevity of the documents. In some instances, the previous number of folders and/or boxes in a collection may have been increased. This finding aid has been updated to reflect any changes. The previous version of the finding aid is available upon request.
Alexander Porter Butterfield was born in Pensacola, Florida on April 6, 1926. After attending the University of California, Los Angeles for two years, Butterfield left college to join the United States Navy as a seaman recruit. He eventually earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1956 at the University of Maryland and a Master of Science degree in 1967 at George Washington University. He married Charlotte Mary Maguire in 1949.
Butterfield joined the Air Force in 1948 and went on to serve as an instructor at a U. S. Air Force base near Las Vegas, Nevada during the early part of the Korean War. Later, he served in Germany. He was Military Assistant to the Special Assistant of the Secretary of Defense in 1965 and 1966. From 1967-1969, Butterfield was the Senior Military Representative of the United States; Representative for Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Forces, Australia.
During his time as a student at UCLA, Butterfield had become acquainted with H. R. Haldeman. He contacted Haldeman about job opportunities in the Nixon administration and eventually joined the White House staff as a Deputy Assistant to the President. He served the administration from 1969 until he left to work as Administrator at the Federal Aviation Administration in early 1973.
On July 13, 1973, under direct questioning, Butterfield confirmed the existence of a voice-activated recording system in the Oval Office to Senate investigators and testified before the Senate investigation committee three days later. He resigned from the FAA on March 31, 1975. He then worked in the private business sector.
The materials of Alexander P. Butterfield cover the years 1969-1973. During those years he served as H. R. Haldeman's deputy on the President's personal staff as Deputy Assistant to the President. Butterfield served as a chief administrative officer, having responsibility for final review of all memoranda, briefing papers and correspondence going to the President as well as the conduct of the President's daily non-public activities.
After November 1969, the Nixon Administration had no formal Secretary to the Cabinet, and Butterfield assumed those duties informally as Cabinet coordinator. He supervised the operation of the Staff Secretary's Office, the Security Office, the Office of Presidential Papers, the Office of Special Files, and the work of Presidential Receptionists. He served as liaison for the First Lady's Staff, the White House Social Secretary, the Office of White House Visitors, and the Military Assistant to the President.
He also had oversight of internal security, acting as liaison with the United States Secret Service's Presidential Protective Division, Technical Security Division, and the Executive Protective Service. Most of the materials relating to internal security and protection of the President and First Family are closed.
Although Butterfield had oversight responsibility of the installation and operation of the White House taping system, the files do not include information pertaining to it. The White House Central Files, Staff Member and Office Files contain additional Butterfield materials.
The materials are arranged into three series:
- Correspondence: Outgoing Correspondence
- Correspondence: Memoranda by Origin
- Correspondence: Incoming Correspondence
[See Also: Butterfield's White House Central Files]
Boxes: 1-6
Series: Correspondence: Outgoing Correspondence
Spans: 1969 - 1973
Description: Tissue and electrostatic copies of memoranda and letters. Arranged chronologically
Boxes: 7-8
Series: Correspondence: Memoranda by Origin
Spans: 1969 - 1972
Description: Originals and some copies of memoranda, letters, and some telegrams. Arranged by origin and thereunder chronologically.
Boxes: 9-11
Series: Correspondence: Incoming Correspondence
Spans: 1969 - 1972
Description: Originals and some copies of memoranda, letters, and some telegrams. Arranged chronologically.
CORRESPONDENCE: OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE, 1969-73
Box 1
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1969) [Empty]
Alex Butterfield (Feb. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Mar. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Apr. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (May 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Jun. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Jul. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Aug. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Sep. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Oct. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Nov. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Dec. 1969)
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1970)
Alex Butterfield (Feb. 1970)
Alex Butterfield (Mar. 1970)
Alex Butterfield (Apr. 1970) [I]
Alex Butterfield (Apr. 1970) [II]
Alex Butterfield (May 1970) [I] [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (May 1970) [I] [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (May 1970) [II] [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (May 1970) [II] [2 of 2]
Box 2
Alex Butterfield (June 1970) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (June 1970) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Jul. 1970)
Alex Butterfield (Aug. 1970) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Aug. 1970) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Sep. 1970) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Sep. 1970) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Oct. 1970) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Oct. 1970) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Nov. 1970) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Nov. 1970) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Dec. 1970) [1 of 3]
Alex Butterfield (Dec. 1970) [2 of 3]
Alex Butterfield (Dec. 1970) [3 of 3]
Box 3
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1971) [1 of 4]
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1971) [2 of 4]
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1971) [3 of 4]
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1971) [4 of 4]
Alex Butterfield (Feb. 1971) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Feb. 1971) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Mar. 1971) [1 of 3]
Alex Butterfield (Mar. 1971) [2 of 3]
Alex Butterfield (Mar. 1971) [3 of 3]
Alex Butterfield (Apr. 1971) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Apr. 1971) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (May 1971) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (May 1971) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (June 1971) [1 of 3]
Alex Butterfield (June 1971) [2 of 3]
Alex Butterfield (June 1971) [3 of 3]
Alex Butterfield (Jul. 1971) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Jul. 1971) [2 of 2]
Box 4
Alex Butterfield (Aug. 1971) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Aug. 1971) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Sep. 1971) [1 of 4]
Alex Butterfield (Sep. 1971) [2 of 4]
Alex Butterfield (Sep. 1971) [3 of 4]
Alex Butterfield (Sep. 1971) [4 of 4]
Alex Butterfield (Oct. 1971) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Oct. 1971) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Nov. 1971) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Nov. 1971) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Dec. 1971)
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1972) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Feb. 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Feb. 1972) [2 of 2]
Box 5
Alex Butterfield (Mar. 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Mar. 1972) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Apr. 1972)
Alex Butterfield (May 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (May 1972) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (June 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (June 1972) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Jul. 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Jul. 1972) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Aug. 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Aug. 1972) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Sep. 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Sep. 1972) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Oct. 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Oct. 1972) [2 of 2]
Box 6
Alex Butterfield (Nov. 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Nov. 1972) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Dec. 1972) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Dec. 1972) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1973) [1 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Jan. 1973) [2 of 2]
Alex Butterfield (Mar. 1973)
CORRESPONDENCE: MEMORANDA BY ORIGIN, 1969-72
Box 7
Memoranda from the President-1970
Memoranda from the President-1971
Memo for Record - The President's File [1969-70]
Memorandum for Record [1969-70]
Memorandum for Record 1971
Memorandum for Record 1972
Staff Secretary Memorandum 1971 [1 of 4]
Staff Secretary Memorandum 1971 [2 of 4]
Staff Secretary Memorandum 1971 [3 of 4]
Staff Secretary Memorandum 1971 [4 of 4]
Staff Secretary Memorandum 1972 [1 of 2]
Staff Secretary Memorandum 1972 [2 of 2]
Acting Secretary to the Cabinet [Jul.-Aug. 1969] [1 of 2]
Acting Secretary to the Cabinet [Jul.-Aug. 1969] [2 of 2]
Cabinet - Pending and Misc. [1969-72] [1 of 3]
Cabinet - Pending and Misc. [1969-72] [2 of 3]
Cabinet - Pending and Misc. [1969-72] [3 of 3]
Hoopes Memoranda 1972 [1 of 3]
Hoopes Memoranda 1972 [2 of 3]
Hoopes Memoranda 1972 [3 of 3]
White House Safeguard Group
Woods Memoranda 1972
Box 8
Security - Secret Service 1969-70 [1 of 2]
Security - Secret Service 1969-70 [2 of 2]
Security - Secret Service 1971 [1 of 2]
Security - Secret Service 1971 [2 of 2]
Security - Secret Service 1972 [1 of 2]
Security - Secret Service 1972 [2 of 2]
CORRESPONDENCE: INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE, 1969-72
Box 9
Memoranda Received Jan. thru Sep. 1969 [1 of 3]
Memoranda Received Jan. thru Sep. 1969 [2 of 3]
Memoranda Received Jan. thru Sep. 1969 [3 of 3]
Memoranda Received Oct. thru Dec. 1969 [1 of 2]
Memoranda Received Oct. thru Dec. 1969 [2 of 2]
Memoranda Received Jan. thru Jun. 1970 [1 of 3]
Memoranda Received Jan. thru Jun. 1970 [2 of 3]
Memoranda Received Jan. thru Jun. 1970 [3 of 3]
Memoranda Received Jul. thru Dec. 1970 [1 of 3]
Memoranda Received Jul. thru Dec. 1970 [2 of 3]
Memoranda Received Jul. thru Dec. 1970 [3 of 3]
Box 10
General Memoranda Rec'd Jan. - Mar. 1971 [1 of 5]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jan. - Mar. 1971 [2 of 5]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jan. - Mar. 1971 [3 of 5]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jan. - Mar. 1971 [4 of 5]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jan. - Mar. 1971 [5 of 5]
General Memoranda Rec'd Apr. - Jun. 1971 [1 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Apr. - Jun. 1971 [2 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Apr. - Jun. 1971 [3 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jul. - Sep 1971 [1 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jul. - Sep 1971 [2 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jul. - Sep 1971 [3 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Oct. - Dec. 1971 [1 of 2]
General Memoranda Rec'd Oct. - Dec. 1971 [2 of 2]
Box 11
General Memoranda Rec'd Jan. - Mar. 1972 [1 of 2]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jan. - Mar. 1972 [2 of 2]
General Memoranda Rec'd Apr. - Jun. 1972 [1 of 2]
General Memoranda Rec'd Apr. - Jun. 1972 [2 of 2]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jul. - Sep. 1972 [1 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jul. - Sep. 1972 [2 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Jul. - Sep. 1972 [3 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Oct. - Dec. 1972 [1 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Oct. - Dec. 1972 [2 of 3]
General Memoranda Rec'd Oct. - Dec. 1972 [3 of 3]