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December 20, 1969

Introduction

This almanac page for Saturday, December 20, 1969, 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: Friday, December 19, 1969

Next Date: Sunday, December 21, 1969

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.

    Statements by the President

    • The Philadelphia Plan (5 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 1762, December 20, 1969)
      Statement by Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz.

    Checklist of White House Press Releases

    The releases listed below, made public by the Office of the White House Press Secretary during the period covered by this issue, are not included in the issue.

    • Press conference of George P. Shultz, Secretary of Labor, and Arthur A. Fletcher, Assistant Secretary for Wage and Labor Standards, on the Philadelphia Plan.

    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 and the First Lady hosted an informal dinner at the White House for the Apollo 12 astronauts and their wives.

  • 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.

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

Archival Holdings

  • 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. XVII, China, 1969-1972

    China, 1969

    Vol. XXXIV, National Security Policy, 1969-1972

    Chemical and Biological Warfare, Safeguard Phase II, the Draft

    • 109. Notes of Defense Program Review Committee Meeting , Washington, December 20, 1969

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–118, DPRC Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1969–73. No classification marking. No drafting information appears on the notes. The brackets are in the original. The following attended the meeting, scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. in the White House Situation Room: Kissinger, Johnson, Wheeler, Schlesinger, Farley, Foster, Secretary of the Army Stanley R. Resor, and Safeguard System Manager Lieutenant General Alfred D. Starbird.

  • 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 of many of these transcripts can be found on the Yale University Library website.

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-2672 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-2672-01-02, President Nixon walking along the West Wing colonnade, viewed from outside a White House window looking in. 12/20/1969, Washington, D.C. West Wing Colonnade, White House, Oval Office. President Nixon, Henry Tasca.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-2672-04-07, President Nixon standing and seated at his desk with U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Henry Tasca. 12/20/1969, Washington, D.C. West Wing Colonnade, White House, Oval Office. President Nixon, Henry Tasca.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-2672-11-33, Secretary of Labor George Shultz with Art Fletcher , Assistant Secretary for Wage and Labor, conducting a press conference on the Philadelphia Plan for equal employment opportunity on Federal construction contracts. 12/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Roosevelt Room. George Shultz, Art Fletcher, Ron Ziegler.

  • 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.

    G - Cabinet Officer Briefings

    • WHCA-SR-G-035
      Briefing by Secretary of Labor George Shultz. (12/20/1969, Roosevelt Room, The White House)

      Runtime: 40:00:00

      Production credits: Audio feed supplied by CBS; Recorded by JLS (initials of WHCA engineer)

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

Context (External Sources)