1. Home
  2. Research
  3. Almanac

May 4, 1970

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, May 4, 1970, pulls together various records created by the federal government and links to additional resources which can provide context about the events of the day.

Previous Date: Sunday, May 3, 1970

Next Date: Tuesday, May 5, 1970

Schedule and Public Documents

  • The Daily Diary files represent a consolidated record of the President's activities. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    The President's day began at The White House - Washington, D. C.

  • The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents made available transcripts of the President's news conferences; messages to Congress; public speeches, remarks, and statements; and other Presidential materials released by the White House.

    Announcements

    • Presidential Australian Science Scholars (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 612, May 4, 1970)
      Announcement of Selection of 10 High School Science Students To Receive Scholarships From the University of Sydney.

    Proclamations

    Statements by the President

    • Kent State University (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 613, May 4, 1970)
      Statement by the President Following the Deaths of Four Students During Disorders at the University Campus in Kent, Ohio.

    Acts Approved by the President

    • S. 1968 -- Public Law 91-238
      An Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to permit the removal of the Francis Asbury statue, and for other purposes.

    Digest of Other White House Announcements

    Following is a listing of items of general interest which were announced in the press but not made public as formal White House press releases during the period covered by this issue. Appointments requiring Senate approval are not included since they appear in the list of nominations submitted to the Senate, below.

    • The President today announced the designation of Charles A. Meyer, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, as his personal representative at the inauguration of José Figueres as President of Costa Rica. The inauguration will take place on May 8 at San Jose.

  • Each Public Papers of the Presidents volume contains the papers and speeches of the President of the United States that were issued by the White House Office of the Press Secretary during the time period specified by the volume. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the text note.

    To ensure accuracy, remarks have been checked against audio recordings (when available) and signed documents have been checked against the original, unless otherwise noted. Editors have provided text notes and cross references for purposes of identification or clarity.

  • The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other Presidential documents.

    No Federal Register published on this date

  • The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

  • Decided

Archival Holdings

Any selection of archival documents will necessarily be partial. You should use the documents and folders identified below as a starting place, but consult the linked collection finding aids and folder title lists and the collections themselves for context. Many documents to be found this way do not lend themselves to association with specific dates, but are essential to a complete understanding of the material.

  • Selective document listing

    President's Office Files

    The President's Office Files consists of materials drawn together by the Special Files Unit from several administrative subdivisions within the White House Office. It is the handwriting and sensitive papers sent to the Staff Secretary that now comprise much of the President's Office Files. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

  • The H. R. Haldeman Diaries consists of seven handwritten diaries, 36 dictated diaries recorded as sound recordings, and two handwritten audio cassette tape subject logs. The diaries and logs reflect H. R. Haldeman’s candid personal record and reflections on events, issues, and people encountered during his service in the Nixon White House. As administrative assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Haldeman attended and participated in public events and private meetings covering the entire scope of issues in which the Nixon White House engaged in during the years 1969-1973. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    • Transcript of diary entry (PDF)
      Monday, May 4.

      And the repercussions roll on. Discussed with President the plans for the week. He says he's ready to move to domestic matters - but then keeps coming back to things related to The Decision. Decided to go ahead with trip but made some changes in the general plan - came up with good Thursday, Friday, Saturday swing. Later this got shifted both up and down - but all is in abeyance pending general outlook tomorrow. Also has basically agreed to press conference this week - probably not live TV. Moved NSC to next week. Wants plenty of free time.

      Kissinger in for review of situation, especially report on the strikes against North Vietnam. Going well. Then added Ziegler for review of line for the day. Then some quizzing regarding follow-up activity, basically very calm and undemanding.

      Then he went over to EOB for rest of the day. A long session with Ehrlichman to get caught up on domestic. A nap. Then had me over, reviewed trip plan. Then I told him of four students killed at Kent State. He's very disturbed. Afraid his decision set it off - and that is the ostensible cause of the demonstrations there. Issued condolence statement, then kept after me all the rest of the day for more facts. Hoping rioters had provoked the shooting - but no real evidence they did, except throwing rocks at National Guard.

      Talked a lot about how we can get through to the students - turn this stuff off. Really sad to see this added to all his worries regarding the war. He's out on a tough limb, and knows it. This makes it a lot worse - as he has to take the heat for having caused it. There's an opportunity in this crisis as all others, but it's very hard to identify and know how to handle it. Main need right now is maintain calm, and hope this serves to dampen other demonstrations rather than firing them up. Hard to tell yet which will result. I moved to try to cover all our people, and congressmen and Cabinet officers to keep a firm position, but not inflammatory. Lots of rumors and strong probability of major march on DC on Saturday. Also student strike starting tomorrow.

      President is troubled by all this - although it was predicted as a result of the Cambodian move.
    • Handwritten diary entry (JPG)

  • The National Archives Catalog is the online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records. It is the main way of describing our holdings and also provides access to electronic records and digitized versions of our holdings.

    The Catalog searches across multiple National Archives resources at once, including archival descriptions, digitized and electronic records, authority records, and web pages from Archives.gov and the Presidential Libraries. The Catalog also allows users to contribute to digitized historical records through tagging and transcription.

    Nixon Library Holdings

    All National Archives Units

National Security Documents

Audiovisual Holdings

  • The White House Photo Office collection consists of photographic coverage of President Richard Nixon meeting with prominent social, political, and cultural personalities; speaking engagements and news conferences of the President and various high-ranking members of the White House staff and Cabinet; Presidential domestic and foreign travel, including Presidential vacations; social events and entertainment involving the First Family, including entertainers present; official portraits of the President, First Family, and high-ranking members of the Nixon administration; the 1969 and 1973 Inaugurals; the President’s 1972 Presidential election campaign appearances (including speeches) and other official activities of the White House staff and the President’s Cabinet from January 20, 1969 until August 9, 1974 at the White House and the Old Executive Office Building; other locations in Washington, DC, such as The Mall; and the Presidential retreats in Camp David, Maryland, Key Biscayne, Florida, and San Clemente, California. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    Roll WHPO-3454 Photographer: Hartmann | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3454-01-02, Maurice Mann, Assistant Director of the Budget. 5/4/1970, Washington, D.C. Executive Office Building. Mr. Mann.

    Roll WHPO-3455 Photographer: Hartmann | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3455-01, Closeup portrait of Maurice Mann, Assistant Director of the Budget. 5/4/1970, Washington, D.C. Executive Office Building. Maurice Mann.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-3455-01-02, Portraits of Maurice Mann, Assistant Director of the Budget. 5/4/1970, Washington, D.C. Executive Office Building. Maurice Mann.

    Roll WHPO-3456 Photographer: Hartmann | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3456-01, Press Secretary Ron Ziegler. 5/4/1970, Washington, D.C. unknown. Ron Ziegler.

    Roll WHPO-3457 Photographer: Hartmann | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3457-01, Press Secretary Ron Ziegler. 5/4/1970, Washington, D.C. unknown. Ron Ziegler.

    Roll WHPO-3458 Photographer: Hartmann | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3458-00, Portrait of Press Secretary Ron Ziegler. 5/4/1970, Washington, D.C. unknown. Ron Ziegler.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-3458-01-02, Portraits of Press Secretary Ron Ziegler. 5/4/1970, Washington, D.C. unknown. Ron Ziegler.

    Roll WHPO-3459 Photographer: Hartmann | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3459-[none], Portrait of Connie Stuart. 5/4/1970, unknown unknown. Connie Stuart.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-3459-1, Portrait of Connie Stuart. 5/4/1970, unknown unknown. Connie Stuart.

    Roll WHPO-3460 Photographer: Hartman | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3460-1-2, Portrait of Connie Stuart. 5/4/1970, unknown unknown. Connie Stewart.

  • The White House Communications Agency Sound Recordings Collection contains public statements that took place between 1969 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    E - Secretary of Defense Briefings

    • WHCA-SR-E-015
      Briefing by Don Hankin regarding the Cambodian situation. (5/4/1970, Pentagon)

      Runtime: 37:00:00

      Production credits: Audio feed supplied by OPI; Recorded by RRS (Bob Schroder, WHCA engineer)

      Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.

  • The White House Communications Agency Videotape Collection contains “off-the-air” recordings of televised programs produced between 1968 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    • WHCA-3712
      Weekly News Summary.
      All networks
      Runtime: 00:58:32

      4. Report on President Nixon's regrets over incident at Kent State University. Time Code Start: 14:20. Keywords: National Guard, shootings, students, deaths, colleges, universities, investigations, demonstrations, rally, protests, protesters, demonstraters, demonstrators, Vietnam War, anti-war. Network: CBS.

      5. Report on Support of President Nixon's Cambodia Speech. Time Code Start: 15:48. Keywords: Presidents, speeches, Cambodia, Vietnam War. Network: ABC.

Context (External Sources)