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April 16, 1973

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, April 16, 1973, 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, April 15, 1973

Next Date: Tuesday, April 17, 1973

Schedule and Public Documents

Archival Holdings

  • 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.

    President's Personal File

    The President's Personal File is essentially a President's secretary's file, kept by Rose Mary Woods, personal secretary to the President, for two purposes: (1) preserving for posterity a collection of documents particularly close to the President, whether because he dictated or annotated them, or because of the importance of the correspondent or the event concerned and (2) giving appropriate attention–letters of gratitude, invitations to White House social events, and the like–to members and important friends and supporters of the Nixon administration. This generalization does not describe all the varied materials of a file group which is essentially a miscellany, but it does identify the reason for the existence of the file group's core. 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.

  • 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

  • The President's Daily Brief is the primary vehicle for summarizing the day-to-day sensitive intelligence and analysis, as well as late-breaking reports, for the White House on current and future national security issues. Read "The President's Daily Brief: Delivering Intelligence to Nixon and Ford" to learn more.

  • The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Visit the State Department website for more information.

    Vol. X, Vietnam, January 1973-July 1975

    Neither War nor Peace, January 27-June 15, 1973

    • 42. Minutes of Washington Special Actions Group Meeting, Washington, April 16, 1973, 10:03-11:45 a.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box H–91, WSAG Meeting Minutes, Originals, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the White House Situation Room.

    Vol. XVIII, China, 1973-1976

    Kissinger's Visits to Beijing and the Establishment of the Liaison Offices, January 1973-May 1973

    Vol. XXV, Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1973

    Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1973

    Vol. XXXIX, European Security

    Opening Negotiations, December 1972-July 1973

    • 137. National Security Decision Memorandum 211, Washington, April 16, 1973

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 364, Subject Files, National Security Decision Memoranda (NSDM’s), Nos. 145–264. Secret. Copies were sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of Central Intelligence, and the Acting Director of ACDA. The NSDM was sent to USNATO in telegram 79255 on April 27; it was addressed eyes only for Rumsfeld. (Ibid., Box 263, Agency Files, NATO, Vol. XIII)

    Vol. E-9, Documents on North Africa, 1973-1976

    Libya, 1973-1976

    • 13. Minutes of a Washington Special Actions Group Meeting, Washington, April 16, 1973, 10:03-11:45 a.m.

      Summary: The Washington Special Actions Group met to discuss hostile Libyan actions against U.S. reconnaissance flights over international waters.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–91, WSAG Meeting Minutes, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the Situation Room at the White House. At the April 17 WSAG meeting, it was decided that reconnaissance missions would resume over international waters off the coast of Libya “in the normal manner”. (Ibid.)

    Vol. E-9, Part 2, Documents on the Middle East Region, 1973-1976

    Oman and the Yemens

    • 198. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Richardson and Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon, Washington, April 16, 1973

      Summary: Richardson and Rogers informed Nixon of an urgent YAR request for military assistance to resist a potential PDRY invasion, placed the request within the context of regional security, and recommended a further limited course of action in response to the Yemeni request.

      Source: Washington National Records Center, OASD Files: FRC 330–78–0002, Saudi Arabia 092 (15 November 1973). Secret. Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Eagleburger forwarded this memorandum to the Secretary of Defense for signature on April 25, and in the covering memorandum indicated that he, Sisco, Rush, and Clements had discussed these contingency plans for future action in a potential YAR–PDRY conflict at a meeting on April 5. (Ibid.) For further developments, see Documents 200 and 201.

    Vol. E-11, Part 1, Documents on Mexico; Central America; and the Caribbean, 1973-1976

    Jamaica, The Bahamas, and the Eastern Caribbean

    • 430. Memorandum From William Jorden of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, April 16, 1973

      Summary: With Bahamian independence approaching, this memorandum recommended that the United States seek an extension of the existing U.S.–UK base agreement while offering the Bahamian Government reasonable remuneration for use of the facilities.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files, Box H–181, NSSM Files, NSSM 117. Secret. Sent for action. In the margins, Kissinger wrote, “I approve for Pres. (There is no real choice.) Redo NSDM. Give new response [?] date of July 1.” Attached but not published is a March 16 memorandum from Eliot to Kissinger outlining the Department of State’s position on The Bahamas. Tabs B, C, D, I, and II are not attached and not found. In an April 12, 1972, memorandum to Kissinger, Laird suggested “some kind of Bahamas association with the U.S.” as an alternative to full independence. (Ibid.) In an April 18, 1972, memorandum to Kissinger, Jorden called the association idea a “non-starter” but recommended that Kissinger not reject Laird’s suggestion out of hand. (Ibid.) In a March 9 memorandum to Kissinger, Kennedy and Jorden noted Richardson’s request for a Senior Review Group meeting on The Bahamas; an attached note from Scowcroft to Kennedy conveyed Kissinger’s request that the issue be resolved without the necessity of a meeting. (Ibid.)

  • The Kissinger telephone conversation transcripts consist of approximately 20,000 pages of transcripts of Kissinger’s telephone conversations during his tenure as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1969-1974) and Secretary of State (1973-1974) during the administration of President Richard Nixon. Visit the finding aid for more information.

    Digitized versions can be found in the National Archives Catalog.

Audiovisual Holdings

Context (External Sources)