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December 3, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Sunday, December 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: Saturday, December 2, 1972

Next Date: Monday, December 4, 1972

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 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.

  • 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

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.

    • Annotated and Unmarked News Summaries [Note: Although there was no News Summary on this date, due to the way News Summary products were compiled, you should also consult nearby days for potentially relevant materials.]

  • 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)
      Sunday, December 3.

      The President had me over at midday. He started with quite a long report and discussion on Kissinger and Vietnam. He had talked to Henry a little earlier to give him his final instructions before he left and was still thinking about all of that. He’s come up with the idea that Henry can't be the one to go to Saigon and work out the deal. And so he'd lobbed out to Henry first, the suggestion that Connally do it, which absolutely horrified Henry, then he moved from there to suggesting the Vice President, which Henry thought was a great stroke, as he naturally would, because he figures that keeps Connally out of it. The President's point, though, is that because Thieu doesn't trust Henry, we've got to send someone else to try to sell the deal to him. And apparently the Vice President is sold enough on him and the fact that Congress won't back any continuation of the war or any continuation of support of Thieu, so he's the right one to go and do that. The President also made the point that Henry can't go to Hanoi, if Saigon doesn't go along with the deal. If we end up cutting a deal just with North Vietnam, that wipes out Henry's Hanoi trip, which he told Henry, much to Henry's great concern. The President continues in the thought that we're going to have to bite the bullet on Kissinger, that he can't keep him on.

      We got into a lot of personnel things. He wants to get the names from Bruce Herschensohn on the people that were disloyal to the State Department. He wants Moynihan locked for India. Had me call him while I was there and tell him we definitely want him to take it and to work out the thing of "no leaks" and all that. I had talked with Rogers earlier on the whole personnel thing. He thinks we ought to send Moynihan to the UN. He's mainly offering that as a counter point to Scali, which he thinks is a bad idea. He had some other ideas on Ambassadors and some of our other personnel things, nothing of any major importance.

      The President wanted Bush to work on Rogers on the Scali deal. Raised the question of whether we'd gotten any of the names for high level appointments from the Ed Carter finance group with new people, and Dave Packard's new people in Northern California. He's concerned because our people are in the doldrums like Guinevere, with no moxie. He wants to offer AEC to Ed David, wants to be sure Rumsfeld knows there's no Cabinet rank with his NATO appointment. Wants to be sure Rogers is tied into the Schlesinger deal in the CIA. Wants to consider Sheehan for the SEC, as well as Under Secretary. He got into the Ambassador thing a little, and also the need to get together with Ehrlichman and me to go over schedule C’s and Assistant Secretaries. Then got into the PR thing and the need to get across the "Nixon the Man" story, that he needs somebody with him at all times who feels the color, someone who's very sensitive on that kind of thing, that we need to get the extra dimension beyond the professional President concept.

      He got back into the new party idea and thought we ought to pursue it and suggested that Connally come over tomorrow, if he could, to discuss this. I checked with Connally, and he can't, but he'll come up on Tuesday and meet with the President in Washington. He got into his need for some improvements at the White House. He wants to have a whirlpool and sauna and a one lane bowling alley put in, with a shower and so on, in the basement, so he can use it without having to go over to the EOB. Later, he called to say he'd been discussing this with Bebe and Bob Abplanalp and they'd like to pay for it.

      End of December 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.

    • No President's Daily Brief delivered on this date

  • 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. XXXIV, National Security Policy, 1969-1972

    Taking Stock

    Vol. E-1, Documents on Global Issues, 1969-1972

    U.S.-Cuba Hijacking Agreement, 1969-February 1973

    • 138. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, December 3, 1972

      Kissinger sent the President a memorandum from Secretary of State Rogers informing the President that Rogers intended to respond to the Cuban draft agreement on hijacking. Kissinger provided background to the negotiations for the agreement.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 780, Country Files, Latin America, Cuba, Vol. II. Confidential (GDS). Sent for information. In a December 1 memorandum to Kissinger recommending that he send this memorandum to the President, William J. Jorden of the NSC staff noted that Rogers “help[ed] draft” the U.S. draft memorandum. (Ibid.) Tab B was attached but not published.

    Vol. E-5, Part 1, Documents on Sub-Saharan Africa, 1969-1972

    Uganda

  • 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

  • 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-5939
      "Face the Nation", "Meet the Press" AND "Issues and Answers".
      NBC
      Runtime: 1:30
    • WHCA-5940
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 01:32:11

      20. Utley/Dobyns: Kissinger arrives in Paris; Vietnam. Time Code Start: 56:36. Keywords: Paris Peace Talks, Vietnam War, treaty, treaties, negotiations, government, officials, travel, trips. Network: NBC.

      21. Utley/Kiker: Battle for control of Democratic party. Time Code Start: 58:50. Keywords: political parties, Democrats, Democratic Party. Network: NBC.

Context (External Sources)