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February 15, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, February 15, 1971, 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: Sunday, February 14, 1971

Next Date: Tuesday, February 16, 1971

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)
      Monday, February 15.

      At Key Biscayne. This was by far the best day of the weekend and, unfortunately, as soon as I got out on the beach, the President called and had me come over; and I was stuck inside the house for almost four hours going over his long list of odds and ends. He was somewhat concerned by the new Harris poll, which I reviewed with him, giving a comparison of Presidential personality standings at present versus 1968. It showed he had declined in the rating of strang-- strength and decisiveness, the two basic characteristics he feels are most important for us to get over. He's still high in both of these, but it’s gone down over the last three years. This, again, indicates the job we've got to do in the personality side. He didn't get particularly concerned about the whole Harris thing, however, which was interesting.

      He is concerned about the Florida barge canal cancellation. Thinks that it was handled badly and that, as a result, we've ended up getting the worst of both worlds. The whole situation is loused up; and we've made our business friends mad, but have not gotten any real credit with the environmental-type people. He makes the point that we have to watch the whole environment issue very carefully, or we'll get pushed into the wrong things and end up kicking all our friends in the teeth. He feels the ecology people are all left-wingers and against us, and that we must not go hog-wild for them and lose our own supporters. And at least, we've got to be sure to get credit for what we've done on things like the barge canal.

      He got into quite a bit of re-review of the schedule, particularly the long-range planning on the use of television, which he, of course, keeps trying to analyze and figure out. The thinking now is maybe not to do the State of the World at prime time, especially if there isn't really something solid in it. Then he gets into the question of press conferences on TV, and not on TV, juggling other things around to work out the timing, etcetera. He is sticking with our idea of staying in Washington during Congressional recesses, and going away while Congress is in town.

      He got back on the problem of a producer for the "Evenings at the White House" and entertainments at the dinners, and feels, rightly, that we're making a real mistake in planning major events of this kind without having the very top professional assistance.

      We got back on the question of a theme for the domestic program, and he feels probably "The New American Revolution" is the best we've got, but he's not very sure of that.

      He made an interesting comment as he was reviewing the Cole versus Vice President flap, and also some of the telephone recommendations for him to make over the weekend. And he made the point that there's a tendency in all political systems for people to line up on each-- sides, choose sides, and to fight each other, and that we've got to be careful that this isn't done against the VP and others within our own operation.

      During the late afternoon he had reviewed the first Safire draft of the suggested remarks for the dedication of the Woodrow Wilson Center and had basically rejected the whole thing. He reviewed it with me on the plane coming up, and made the point that Safire had tried to build the speech around half a dozen Wilson quotes, rather than using a single theme. He wants most of them cut out and to get down to an expansion of the "war to end wars" approach and make a very brief, eloquent statement on that subject. He was especially concerned about Safire's building-up the idea of peace without victory, which would be utter dynamite in our present situation, particularly in that it would destroy Thieu, which is the last thing we want to do at this point in time.

      He spent most of the trip coming up just working on the material for the speeches for tomorrow and getting ready for the press conference on Wednesday. He seems to be pretty well relaxed––got a great tan––and I think the weekend was well worthwhile.

      End of February 15.
    • 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. XL, Germany and Berlin, 1969-1972

    Germany and Berlin, 1969-1972

  • 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

  • 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-5654 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-5654-03-19, Bebe Rebozo's boat, the Cocolobo III. 2/15/1971, Key Biscayne, Florida ocean. unidentified man.

    Roll WHPO-5655 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-5655-25A-32A, The Cocolobo III fishing boat on the water and in its dock slip. 2/15/1971, Key Biscayne, Florida ocean, marina. unidentified persons.

    Roll WHPO-5656 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-5656-03-05, Bebe Rebozo's fishing boat, the Cocolobo III docked on the water. 2/15/1971, Key Biscayne, Florida ocean.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-5656-06, President Nixon and Pat Nixon walking on the tarmac at Homestead Air Force Base. 2/15/1971, Key Biscayne, Florida Homestead Air Force Base, (AFB) tarmac. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, Tricia Nixon, military personnel.

    Roll WHPO-5673 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-5673-22A-36A, Vice President Agnew on the golf course. 2/15/1971, Palm Springs, California golf course. Spiro Agnew, unidentified men.

  • 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-4177
      "Borders of the War": The Expansion into Indochina.

      Runtime: 1:00
    • WHCA-4184
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      11. Reasoner: Vietnam. Time Code Start: 31:15. Keywords: Vietnam War. Network: ABC.

      12. Farmer: Laos. Time Code Start: 32:35. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: ABC.

      13. Brinkley: Indochina; U.S. Army to remove slot machines from clubs in Vietnam, Senate Committee to investigate. Time Code Start: 34:17. Keywords: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam War, gambling, bars and nightclubs. Network: NBC.

      14. Brady: Cambodian refugees. Time Code Start: 35:10. Keywords: Cambodia, Vietnam War, homeless, immigrants, refugees. Network: NBC.

      15. Cronkite/Williams: Indochina. Time Code Start: 38:32. Keywords: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam War. Network: CBS.

      16. Cronkite/Sarafin: Vietnam POWs. Time Code Start: 42:02. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War. Network: CBS.

      17. Benton: Citizens Panel discusses welfare. Time Code Start: 43:51. Keywords: Family Assistance Programs, government aid, financial aid, health and welfare assistance, financial aid. Network: CBS.
    • WHCA-4211
      Excerpts From the "NBC Nightly News" Indochina War Coverage, Tape I (Weekly News Summary).
      NBC

      39. Brinkley: Laotian invasion progress & results; refugees from Laos. Time Code Start: 42:16. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      40. Brady: Refugees from Laos in South Vietnam. Time Code Start: 43:10. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      41. Brinkley: Red China reaction to invasion (People's Republic of China). Time Code Start: 45:55. Keywords: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam War, People's Republic of China. Network: NBC.
    • WHCA-4246
      NBC News Excerpts: Phil Brady's Indochina Reports [Weekly News Summary]. Phil Brady.
      NBC
      Runtime: 00:34:02

      9. Brady: Refugees from Laos in South Vietnam. Time Code Start: 17:30. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

Context (External Sources)