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August 3, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Thursday, August 3, 1972, 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: Wednesday, August 2, 1972

Next Date: Friday, August 4, 1972

Schedule and Public Documents

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)
      Thursday, August 3.

      The President got into quite a thing this morning on plans for this evening and the weekend. He is going to have Bebe and Abplanalp all come up, go out to McCabe's place in Ocean City, MD, which Bebe is very reluctant to do, but the President is determined. He wants to take Mitchell along, too, which works out well, since Martha's going to be gone for the weekend. Tonight, he's going to take him, Finch, Klein, Ziegler, Colson, Timmons, Malek, and Chapin out on the Sequoia for a general discussion type dinner. He had Ehrlichman in this morning to discuss the basic problem of domestic intelligence, the need for our moving on IRS and Justice to get some action on tax and other matters involving people supporting the opposition. Apparently, Agnew called him last night regarding the Senate vote, which led him to think about this. Also, he has some concerns about some appointments in the education area, and made the comment to Ehrlichman that he's 1000 percent against the educational establishment, then said "If I may quote someone else", referring to McGovern who said he was 1000 percent for-- behind Eagleton, just before he fired him.

      On political strategy, he makes the point now, that he thinks the martyrdom theory is now reversed. That is, we were concerned originally that we not hit McGovern too hard, so as not to martyr him. Now, he thinks that theory is reversed, that McGovern is under attack, he's shown he's mortal, that he has feet of clay, that he's a non-sympathetic character at the moment. And when a man has fallen in battle, the thing to do is hit him again while he's down to keep him down.

      Monumental problem with Laird who was babbling around his opposition to the spending ceiling that we've proposed. The President ordered Ehrlichman to get a Laird statement saying he misunderstood this that it doesn't affect Defense and therefore he's for it. That won't solve it, because Laird will muddy it up somehow, but at least we'll take a stab at it. Went through a number of just general campaign needs. He wants to get Perle Mesta on the Democrats. He wants to get Yorty announced, get Harlow to travel with the Vice President, use Chotiner for enemy intelligence, take Mrs. Nixon to Hawaii and do a Clair Luce bipartisan reception, which she suggested to Henry.

      He talked to Colson about the voter block groups. He doesn't think they're worth a damn in our general organization, but a front organization like the Democrats is indispensable. That we should have Democratic lawyers, Democratic doctors, Democratic Italians, and so forth, and that we need these in order to space them out and use it for purpose of mailings and to get publicity stories for the Democrats after their original announcement. He's pushing for an immediate effort in Missouri, because of the Eagleton question, getting bumper stickers and registration, capitalize on the reaction there as quickly as we can.

      End of August 3.
    • Original audio recording (MP3)

  • 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. V, United Nations, 1969-1972

    UN Finances and Reduction of the U.S. Assessment

    Vol. VIII, Vietnam, January-October 1972

    The Parties Move Toward Agreement, July 19-October 7, 1972

    Vol. XXXVI, Energy Crisis, 1969-1974

    March 16, 1972-March 6, 1973

    Vol. XXXIX, European Security

    Prelude to Negotiations, June 1972-November 1972

    Vol. E-4, Documents on Iran and Iraq, 1969-1972

    Iraq 1972

    • 323. Telegram 2879 From the Embassy in Belgium to the Department of State, Brussels, August 3, 1972, 1624Z

      The Iraqi Foreign Ministry reacted to the announcement by the Department of State that two diplomats would be appointed to the U.S. Interests Section in the Belgian Embassy in Baghdad.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 17 US-IRAQ. Unclassified. The U.S. Interests Section was opened on October 1, 1972.

    Vol. E-7, Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972

    U.S. Relations with India and Pakistan, 1972

    • 298. Special National Intelligence Estimate 31–72, Washington, August 3, 1972

      SNIE 31–72 analyzed Indian nuclear developments and their likely implications.

      Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Job 79-R01012A, NIC Files. Secret; Sensitive; Controlled Dissem. According to a note on the cover sheet, the estimate was prepared by the CIA, and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State and Defense, the AEC, and the NSA. All members of the U.S. Intelligence Board concurred in the estimate except the representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Treasury, who abstained because the subject was outside of their jurisdiction.

    Bangladesh, December 1971-December 1972

  • 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)