December 26, 1972

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

• Original typewritten diary (PDF)

The President's day began at Key Biscayne, Florida

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.

Digitized versions can be found at HathiTrust.

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.

• Executive Order 11693—Providing for the Closing of Government Departments and Agencies on December 28, 1972
• Proclamation 4176—Announcing the Death of Harry S Truman
• Statement on the Death of Harry S Truman.

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 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)
• 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

• Text search for December 26, 1972
• Date search for December 26, 1972

All National Archives Units

• Text search for December 26, 1972
• Date search for December 26, 1972

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.

• President's Daily Brief of 26 December 1972

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. II, Organization and Management of U.S. Foreign Policy, 1969-1972

The NSC System

• 178. Memorandum From Donald Stukel of the National Security Council Staff to the Director of the National Security Council Planning Group (Kennedy), Washington, December 26, 1972

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–300, Institutional File General 1969 through 1974. Secret. Sent for information. Major Stukel was a White House Fellow on temporary assignment to the NSC.

Vol. IV, Foreign Assistance, International Development, Trade Policies, 1969-1972

Foreign Assistance Policy, 1969-1972

• 104. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Weinberger) to the Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance (Tarr), Washington, December 26, 1972

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. No classification marking. Forwarded to Kissinger under cover of a December 29 memorandum from Kennedy with the recommendation that, based on a review by his senior staff who agreed that Tarr’s proposal was the most reasonable distribution of the insufficient resources provided by the continuing resolution, he sign the memorandum to Tarr. Kennedy also provided a tabulation on security assistance continuing resolution funding through February 28 enacted by Congress just before adjournment. He concluded that the continuing resolution was $550 million below the President’s request, necessitating drastic cuts in many key programs, noted that the worst-case scenario would be extension of the continuing resolution at current levels through the remainder of FY 1973, and proposed a few areas where additional funds might become available.

Commodities and Strategic Materials, 1969-1972

• 446. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, December 26, 1972

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 396, Stockpile (1973). Confidential.

Vol. IX, Vietnam, October 1972-January 1973

The Christmas Bombings, December 14-29, 1972

• 223. Diary Entry by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer), Washington, December 26, 1972

  Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. Top Secret. This diary entry summarizes a telephone conversation between Moorer and Meyer at 11.46 a.m., Washington time. Moorer in Washington called Meyer at Strategic Air Command headquarters in Nebraska.

• 224. Message From the Air Attaché at the Embassy in France (Guay) to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig), Paris, December 26, 1972

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 865, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam, Camp David Memcons, December 1972 [1 of 3]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.

• 225. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), December 26, 1972, 12:55 p.m.

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 17, Chronological File. No classification marking. The President was in Key Biscayne; Kissinger was in Washington.

Vol. XXXVI, Energy Crisis, 1969-1974

March 16, 1972-March 6, 1973

• 146. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for International Economic Affairs (Flanigan) to President Nixon, Washington, December 26, 1972

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 219, Agency Files, Council on International Economic Policy (CIEP), 1972. No classification marking. A copy was sent to Ehrlichman, Shultz, and Kissinger.

• 147. Paper Prepared by William B. Quandt and Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff, Washington, December 26, 1972

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1287, Saunders Files, Saudi Arabia, 9/1/72–12/31/72. Confidential. Incorporated into the President’s December 27 daily briefing as part of a December 27 memorandum from Kissinger to Nixon. A notation on that memorandum indicates the President saw it. (Ibid., Box 48, Presidential Daily Briefings, December 18–30, 1972)

Vol. XLI, Western Europe; NATO, 1969-1972

France

• 163. National Security Study Memorandum 166, Washington, December 26, 1972

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–195, National Security Study Memoranda, NSSM 166. Confidential. Copies were sent to the Directors of the Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. Information Agency and the Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs.

Vol. E-10, Documents on American Republics, 1969-1972

Argentina

• 76. Telegram 8185 from the Embassy in Argentina to the Department of State, December 26, 1972, 2135Z., December 26, 1972, 2135Z

  The Embassy’s country team predicted that former President Peron’s return to Argentina was a positive development for the nation.
  
  Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 30–2 ARG. Confidential.

Peru

• 640. National Security Decision Memorandum 199 and Council on International Economic Policy Decision Memorandum 17, Washington, December 26, 1972., Washington, December 26, 1972

  President Nixon directed the Department, Treasury, and the Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs to seek a new negotiated settlement for disputes over expropriated assets of U.S. companies. Nixon also decided to defer application of the Gonzales Amendment and to continue the hold on new Ex-Im direct credits.
  
  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–237, NSDM Files, NSDM 199. Confidential; Nodis (GDS). A copy was sent to the Director of USIA, the Administrator of AID, the President and Chairman of the ExIm Bank, and the President of OPIC. The interagency study is published as Document 638. The Gonzalez Amendment is described in the source note to Document 638. No minutes of a future SRG meeting on Peru have been found.

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.

Visit the White House Tapes finding aid to learn about the taping system's operation and archival processing.

White House Telephone

• 35-1; Unknown between 4:27 p.m. & 4:36 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 35-2; 4:36 p.m. - 4:52 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.
• 35-3; 4:58 p.m. - 5:12 p.m.; Colson, Charles W.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)
• 35-4; Unknown between 5:12 p.m. & 5:13 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 35-5; 5:13 p.m. - 5:13 p.m.; White House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President)
• 35-6; Unknown between 6:08 p.m. & 6:13 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 35-7; 6:13 p.m. - 6:17 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.
• 35-8; Unknown between 6:17 p.m. & 6:47 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator
• 35-9; 6:47 p.m. - 6:56 p.m.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Allen, George E.

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-D1153 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-D1153-03A-04A, President Nixon and Pat Nixon walking from a helicopter at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida, to their plane Air Force One. 12/26/1972, Homestead, Florida Homestead AFB, tarmac. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, Colonel John V. Brennan (AKA) Jack Brennan family members, Maj. Gen. Dr. Walter R. Tkach, unidentified woman.
• Frame(s): WHPO-D1153-05A-08A, Family members of Major John 'Jack' Brennan on a plane. (probably Air Force One). 12/26/1972, air plane. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, Colonel John V. Brennan (AKA) Jack Brennan, Brennan family members, Maj. Gen. Dr. Walter R. Tkach, unidentified woman.
• Frame(s): WHPO-D1153-09A-10A - No negatives - contact sheet only., Major General, Dr. Walter Tkach seated with an unidentified woman (probably Cheryl Ann Gaillard). (probably on Air Force One). 12/26/1972, air plane. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, Colonel John V. Brennan (AKA) Jack Brennan, Brennan family members, Maj. Gen. Dr. Walter R. Tkach, unidentified woman.

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-5962
  Harry S. Truman Special.
  Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc.
  Runtime: 01:01:21
• WHCA-5963
  Harry S. Truman Special Part I.
  CBS, NBC, ABC
  Runtime: 00:34:19
• WHCA-5964
  Harry S. Truman Special Part II.
  ALL NETWORKS
  Runtime: 00:28:16
• WHCA-5976
  Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
  ALL NETWORKS
  Runtime: 1:30
  
  28. Smith/Kincaid: Former President Truman dies. Time Code Start: 62:57. Keywords: Presidents, death. Network: ABC.
  
  29. Smith: President Nixon and former President Johnson (LBJ) comment on former President Truman's death. Time Code Start: 65:03. Keywords: Presidents, death, speeches, statements. Network: ABC.
  
  30. Clark: The life of former President Truman. Time Code Start: 66:53. Keywords: Presidents, death, documentary, reports. Network: ABC.
  
  31. Smith/Zimmerman: Vietnam war report. Time Code Start: 72:32. Keywords: Vietnam War. Network: ABC.
  
  32. Seamans: Golan Heights and Middle East war. Time Code Start: 74:40. Keywords: Middle East, Mideast, wars, Syrian, Palestine, Palestinian, Israeli. Network: ABC.
  
  33. Smith: Commentary on former President Truman, The Man. Time Code Start: 76:46. Keywords: Presidents, death, documentary, reports. Network: ABC.
  
  34. Chancellor/Davis: The death of former President Truman, comment from former President Johnson (LBJ). Time Code Start: 78:25. Keywords: Presidents, death, speeches, statements. Network: NBC.
  
  35. Chancellor: Life of former President Truman. Time Code Start: 81:31. Keywords: Presidents, death, documentary, reports. Network: NBC.
• WHCA-5977
  Weekly News Summary, Tape II.
  ALL NETWORKS
  Runtime: 1:30
  
  1. Chancellor: Renewed bombing in North Vietnam. Time Code Start: 01:38. Keywords: Vietnam War, bombs, bombings. Network: NBC.
  
  2. Brinkley: Former President Harry Truman's rebuttals to critics on his children as singers. Time Code Start: 02:26. Keywords: Presidents, families, children, music, performance, shows, criticisms, reactions, humor. Network: NBC.
  
  3. Cronkite: Former President Truman dies; Pappas in Independence. Time Code Start: 03:56. Keywords: Presidents, death, documentary, reports. Network: CBS.
  
  4. Cronkite: Former President Truman's years in the White House. Time Code Start: 07:07. Keywords: Presidents, death, documentary, reports. Network: CBS.
  
  5. President Nixon comment from Florida. Time Code Start: 10:30. Keywords: elections, campaigns, campaigning, primaries, candidates, voting, speeches. Network: CBS.
  
  6. Cronkite/Srawser: Bombing in North Vietnam. Time Code Start: 11:30. Keywords: Vietnam War, bombs, bombings. Network: CBS.
  
  7. Cronkite: U.S. answers foreign comments on bombing. Time Code Start: 14:25. Keywords: Vietnam War, bombings. Network: CBS.
  
  8. Cronkite: Life of former President Truman. Time Code Start: 14:45. Keywords: Presidents, death, documentary, reports. Network: CBS.

• New York Times of December 26, 1972

• AP Images photos from December 26, 1972
• Getty Images photos from December 26, 1972

The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is the world's most extensive and complete archive of television news. They have been recording, preserving and providing access to television news broadcasts of the national networks since August 5, 1968.

• December 1972 Broadcast Index

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

• December 26, 1972