1. Home
  2. Research
  3. Almanac

February 13, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Sunday, February 13, 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, February 12, 1972

Next Date: Monday, February 14, 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.

  • 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, February 13th. The President had me come over this morning, decided to leave fairly early this afternoon, because the weather wasn't too good on his side of the island. Got into some discussion of China plans, he's got a problem because Henry's upset about the idea of Ziegler and Scali sitting in the counterpart meetings. And the President makes the point that we can't have anybody in those meetings that goes out and gives any information except by direction. We’ve got to have complete discipline, and Henry feels that Scali will leak. Also we don't know that the Chinese will brief the press. If they brief, we'll brief ours, but if they don't, we won't. Ziegler later told me that the Chinese definitely won't brief the press, that's not the way they work. The main concern the President had is that we've got to keep Kissinger and Rogers from doing any
      briefing.

      We also got into the long-range political problem, sort of in relation to that, which was the point that we need tighter control on the spokesmen that we have, especially regarding politics. He wants to keep all White House staff people, particularly Finch, Klein, and so on, out of any political commentary. He wants to have the Presidential press conferences and the Ziegler briefing handle anything that the White House says. We should then try to stay a step removed—use the Departments and so forth. When the President goes to battle any political item, all the others must be tightly controlled. Also, we've got to keep Henry disciplined in this regard. There has to be absolutely no political speculation from the White House. That is, we shouldn't interpret the primaries or anything of that sort.

      He stalled Rogers as long as he could on Air Force One today coming back by meeting first with Ehrlichman, then with Ehrlichman and Connally, and it finally got down to the last half hour, and had Rogers up, and had me sit in, which I think frosted Bill. Got into some discussion of ambassadors and travel. Bill raised the point of his idea of a trip to Pakistan and maybe to India and maybe to Bangladesh, but there would be a problem of demonstrations, the President pointed out. It's really kind of a stupid idea, but Rogers seemed to be at least somewhat interested in doing it.

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 19, Side A, Withdrawn Item Number 10 [AC-19(A) Sel 7]
      Duration: 12 seconds

      He handed the President a long message from Sir Alec Douglas Hume regarding the British position on all this.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Got into a discussion of the President's trip to Iran, a question of the President's talking to NATO on the way back from Moscow, the question of Rogers going to Latin America in March or April, also Romania or Yugoslavia later on, after the Soviet meeting. Discussed the Bunche job, and some other ambassadorial posts, and protocol. All of which bothered the President some. He called me after we got home, and said he wanted us to work all those things out and get them settled with Rogers. That he doesn't want to have to discuss them.

      He wants me to work out a thing on the trips that…

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 19, Side A, Withdrawn Item Number 11 [AC-19(A) Sel 8]
      Duration: 12 seconds

      ...the President definitely wants to stop at NATO after Moscow, but he might go to Iran on the way back, as a way to avoid NATO.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      And he made the point that Rogers absolutely can't go to India-Pakistan.

      End of February 13th.
    • 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

Audiovisual Holdings

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

    White House Telephone

  • 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-8411 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-8411-02A-03A, Presidential compound from the air. 2/13/1972, Florida Key Biscayne compound, Coco Lobo Island. President Nixon, military personnel.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-8411-04A-09A, Shots of the presidential helicopter in the air and landing. President Nixon being greeted upon exiting the helicopter. 2/13/1972, Florida Key Biscayne compound, Coco Lobo Island. President Nixon, military personnel.

  • 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-5055
      "Face the Nation", "Meet the Press" AND "Issues and Answers".
      WXXI-TV: Rochester, NY;NPACT
      Runtime: 01:28:43
    • WHCA-5056
      "Deena Clark's Moment With..." AND "Newsmakers".
      NET Public Affairs
      Runtime: 00:59:58
    • WHCA-5057
      "60 Minutes".
      Eastern Educational Network
      Runtime: 00:58:06
    • WHCA-5072
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 01:30:24

      20. Report of alert to U.S. servicemen re: possible TET Offensive and bombing in Vietnam/ film report of Tet Holiday. Time Code Start: 44:51. Keywords: Vietnam War, bombs, bombings, Vietnamese, holidays. Network: NBC.

      21. Report on elections in South Vietnam/ film of South Vietnam's President Thieu's resignation. Time Code Start: 47:30. Keywords: South Vietnam, Presidents, speeches, statements, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      22. Report on historical comments on South Vietnam's leaders. Time Code Start: 48:58. Keywords: Vietnam War, South Vietnam, Presidents, leaders. Network: NBC.

      23. Report of AFL-CIO convention in Miami/ film report on AFL-CIO President George Meany's choice for Democratic candidate. Time Code Start: 49:17. Keywords: leaders, labor, unions, American Federation of Labor, Congress of Industrial Organizations. Network: NBC.

      24. Report on the New Hampshire primary and young people campaigning. Time Code Start: 50:45. Keywords: Presidential elections, campaigns, campaigning, candidates. Network: NBC.

      25. Utley/Paxton: President Nixon prepares for China trip; will confer with Andre Malraux on Chinese culture, conditions; film of Tet Holiday in Hong Kong, Year of Rat said unlucky for travelers, Peking sealed off for Nixon visit. Time Code Start: 54:28. Keywords: Presidents, travel, trips, Nixon trips, international, People's Republic of China, holidays, celebrations. Network: NBC.

      26. Report on the busing issue and the 1972 campaign. Time Code Start: 56:32. Keywords: desegregation, racism, racial discrimination, African Americans, schools, students, transportation, reports, Presidential elections, campaigns, primaries, candidates. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)