1. Home
  2. Research
  3. Almanac

February 8, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Tuesday, February 8, 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: Monday, February 7, 1972

Next Date: Wednesday, February 9, 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 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.

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.

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

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.

President's Personal File

The President's Personal File is essentially a President's secretary's file, kept by Rose Mary Woods, personal secretary to the President, for two purposes: (1) preserving for posterity a collection of documents particularly close to the President, whether because he dictated or annotated them, or because of the importance of the correspondent or the event concerned and (2) giving appropriate attention–letters of gratitude, invitations to White House social events, and the like–to members and important friends and supporters of the Nixon administration. This generalization does not describe all the varied materials of a file group which is essentially a miscellany, but it does identify the reason for the existence of the file group's core. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

Among Pat Buchanan’s duties was the compilation and coordination of background briefing materials for Presidential and a few Vice Presidential press conferences. The briefings—for both the larger, announced press conferences and the smaller, informal ones held in the Oval Office—related to a widespread number of topics and were in the form of probable questions which the White House staff members anticipated news reporters would address to the President. Along with the questions, were answers recommended by Buchanan, other members of the White House staff, and the heads of major departments of the government.

The briefing books are primarily in the form of potential questions and suggested answers (often with heavy annotation by President Nixon), along with associated memos. A listing of briefing books is below, with indication of whether President Nixon annotated the book or not. Each book has an index to the potential questions with direct links to the National Archives Catalog. You should consult the full digital folder for suggested responses, President Nixon's annotations, and other documents and topics not covered by the index.

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC BRIEFING BOOK February 8, 1972 (Annotated)

Citation: FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC BRIEFING BOOK February 8, 1972; box 5; White House Central Files: Staff Member and Office Files: Patrick J. Buchanan; Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, Yorba Linda, CA

Consult the full digital folder for other briefing materials not in the form of prepared questions and answers.

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)
    Tuesday, February 8.

    President started with a combined Cabinet/Leadership breakfast this morning, which I did not attend, but which apparently went very well. We had spent some time yesterday making sure that it was programmed to be a very upbeat session to get people off on the right foot before the Lincoln recess, rather than a bitch session of any kind. Rogers did a very good job, apparently a superlative job of building up the President's role as "the man of peace." Connally did a great wind up on the President himself, as well as the economy, but the star of the day I guess was Hugh Scott, who really got into good form and did a very good job on making the whole pitch, defending the President against his critics, etcetera. Scott also went out before the press, along with Gerry Ford, afterwards, and, of course, got hit with the Haldeman Today show question, but handled it very well. Everybody's basically taking the approach on that, that they're not repudiating me in any way, although nobody is going as far as I did or saying that they specifically agree with my precise point.

    Had considerable discussion on and off during the day on the whole Vietnam question, as stirred up by my speech, as the reaction starts building up. President feels that the Democrats now really have a problem on Vietnam, because they've got to decide where to put themselves. The point now that we've got to make is that they're postponing the peace, and he seems to be pretty sanguine about the dealing with the attacks and so on, so I think we're okay on that.

    Rogers called all distressed because Kissinger is apparently going on some trips and Rogers doesn't want him running around, so he wants to meet with the President to go over his own travel plans, and so on. He's apparently snaked himself into the Florida trip now, having learned from the President at the meeting this morning that he was going to go to Florida. Rogers instantly, after the meeting, booked himself into Key Biscayne, then called me and said that he and Adele had planned to take the weekend off down there, and could he have a ride down with the President. So we set it up that the President would see him on the plane, or Friday morning down in Key Biscayne, or on the plane on the way back, because the President doesn't want to meet with him this week. He's especially concerned because Rogers is pushing Henry hard for the transcript of his meetings with Chou En-lai, and Henry's not about to give them to him, although he's going to make some stab at making a cleaned-up version for him to take on the plane to read.

    We had some concern also on the part of Flanigan and Kissinger that Connally was screwing up the whole situation with Canada, because he's reviewing-- refusing to come to a settlement with them, and is turning down their offer. Everybody thinks it's a bad thing to do, but there's no way now to handle it, and nobody's able to get into it at this point.

    End of February 8.
  • 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. VIII, Vietnam, January-October 1972

Before the Easter Offensive, January 20-March 29, 1972

Vol. XXIX, Eastern Mediterranean, 1969-1972

Greece

Vol. E-5, Part 2, Documents on North Africa, 1969-1972

Libya

Vol. E-7, Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972

U.S. Relations with India and Pakistan, 1972

  • 223. Memorandum for the President’s File, Washington, February 8, 1972, 3:15-4:20 p.m.

    President Nixon and World Bank President Robert McNamara discussed restoration of U.S. economic assistance to India. Nixon questioned the value of such assistance for the U.S.

    Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, President’s Office Files, Box 87, Memoranda for the President, Beginning February 6, 1972. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Prepared but not initialed by Kissinger. The meeting was held in the President’s office in the Old Executive Office Building. Connally also attended the meeting. The conversation was also tape-recorded. (Ibid., White House Tapes, Recording of conversation among Nixon, Connally, Kissinger, and McNamara, February 8, 1972, 3:15–4:20, Old Executive Office Building, Conversation No. 320–328)

Vol. E-7, Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972

Afghanistan, 1969-1972

  • 354. Telegram 22013 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Afghanistan, Washington, February 8, 1972, 1912Z

    The Department transmitted its narcotics control plan for Afghanistan.

    Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, SOC 11-5 AFG. Confidential. Drafted on February 7 by Robert A. Flaten (NEA/PAF), cleared by Laingen and with the NEA Inter-Agency Working Group on Narcotics, and approved by Davies.

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

Costa Rica

  • 193. Telegram 376 From the Embassy in Costa Rica to the Department of State, February 8, 1972, 2125Z., February 8, 1972, 2125Z

    The Embassy reported that President Figueres informed Ambassador Ploeser that he was aware of a Guatemalan sponsored plot to “overthrow him” in late February. Ploeser agreed to inform Figueres if the Embassy found any confirmation.

    Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 779, Country Files, Latin America, Costa Rica. Secret; Exdis. It was repeated to Guatemala and Managua.

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

Peru

  • 633. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), to President Nixon, Washington, February 8, 1972., Washington, February 8, 1972

    President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Kissinger reported that President Velasco believed that United States-Peruvian relations had improved in the last year. Velasco thought the United States and Peru should work together more closely to contain communism in the region and thought they should resume a liaison relationship between their intelligence services.

    Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 792, Country Files, Latin America, Peru, Vol. 3, January 1972–31 December 73. Secret. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates the President saw it. Next to the second paragraph Nixon wrote “K—! good.”

Vol. E-16, Documents on Chile, 1969-1973

Cool and Correct: The U.S. Response to the Allende Administration, November 5, 1970-December 31, 1972

  • 103. Conversation Between President Nixon and Secretary of the Treasury Connally, Washington, February 8, 1972

    Summary: Nixon and Connally discussed the Chilean economy.

    Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 320–28. Sensitive But Unclassified. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met first with Connally, Kissinger, and McNamara in the Executive Office Building at 3:15 p.m. The conversation transcribed here—which the editors transcribed specifically for this volume—began after McNamara and Kissinger left at 4:20 and continued until Nixon and Connally both left at 5:06. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

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

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

Old Executive Office Building

Oval Office

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-8389 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: Color

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8389-, President Nixon standing at his desk with Kissinger. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. Oval Office White House. President Nixon, Kissinger.

Roll WHPO-8390 Photographer: Schumaker, Byron | Color or B&W: B&W

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8390-, President Nixon and Henry Kissinger. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. Oval Office White House. President Nixon, Kissinger.

Roll WHPO-8391 Photographer: Schumaker, Byron | Color or B&W: B&W

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8391-, Shots of President Nixon and Kissinger standing together. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. Oval Office, White House. President Nixon, Henry Kissinger.
  • Frame(s): WHPO-8391-08, President Nixon leans on his Oval Office desk while talking to Henry Kissinger. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. Oval Office, White House. President Nixon, Henry Kissinger.

Roll WHPO-8394 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: B&W

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8394-01-02, GOP Leadership Breakfast. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. State Dining Room, Red Room, White House. President Nixon, Hugh Scott, GOP leadership.
  • Frame(s): WHPO-8394-03-08, President Nixon receiving a museum catalog from Sen. Hugh Scott. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. State Dining Room, Red Room, White House. President Nixon, Hugh Scott, GOP leadership.

Roll WHPO-8396 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8396-, President Nixon seated informally in the Executive Office Building (EOB) office during a meeting with Henry Kissinger, John B. Connally, Secretary of the Treasury and Robert McNamara, President of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank). 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. Presidential Office, Executive Office Building (EOB). President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Robert S. McNamara, John Connally.
  • Frame(s): WHPO-8396-03, President Nixon seated informally in the Executive Office Building (EOB) office during a meeting with Henry Kissinger, John B. Connally, Secretary of the Treasury and Robert McNamara, President of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank). 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. Presidential Office, Executive Office Building (EOB). President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Robert S. McNamara, John Connally.

Roll WHPO-8397 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: B&W

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8397-, Pat Nixon studying her China trip briefing papers while seated at a small desk table at the White House. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. White House, West Sitting Hall. Pat Nixon.
  • Frame(s): WHPO-8397-06A, Pat Nixon studying her China trip briefing papers while seated at a small desk table at the White House. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. White House, West Sitting Hall. Pat Nixon.
  • Frame(s): WHPO-8397-11A, Pat Nixon studying her China trip briefing papers while seated at a small desk table at the White House. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. White House, West Sitting Hall. Pat Nixon.

Roll WHPO-8398 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: Color

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8398-, Full Length formal portrait of Pat Nixon wearing a pink formal evening gown. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. White House, Center Hall. Pat Nixon.
  • Frame(s): WHPO-8398-01A, Full Length formal portrait of Pat Nixon wearing a pink formal evening gown. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. White House, Center Hall. Pat Nixon.
  • Frame(s): WHPO-8398-04A, Full Length formal portrait of Pat Nixon wearing a pink formal evening gown. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. White House, Center Hall. Pat Nixon.

Roll WHPO-8399 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: Color

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8399-, Pat Nixon and Judy Agnew at a reception for the Nixon Administration's Cabinet member's wives at the Blair House. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. various sites, Blair House. Pat Nixon, Judy Agnew, Martha Mitchell, Cabinet wives.

Roll WHPO-8400 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8400-, President Nixon shaking hands with delegates to the U.S. Jaycees' Governmental Affairs Leadership Seminar. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. White House, State Dining Room. President Nixon, JC delegates.

Roll WHPO-8401 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8401-, President Nixon shaking hands with delegates to the U.S. Jaycees' Governmental Affairs Leadership Seminar. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. White House, State Dining Room. President Nixon, JC delegates.

Roll WHPO-8402 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

  • Frame(s): WHPO-8402-, President Nixon shaking hands with delegates to the U.S. Jaycees' Governmental Affairs Leadership Seminar. 2/8/1972, Washington, D.C. White House, State Dining Room. President Nixon, JC delegates.

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-154
    Environmental briefing by Secretary of the Interior Rogers Morton and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Administrator William Ruckelshaus. (2/8/1972, Press Center)

    Runtime: 0:18:48

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

    Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
  • WHCA-SR-G-155
    Press briefing by Secretary of Labor James D. Hodgson; briefing by Judge Robert Kunzig on Bicentennial plans for the District of Columbia (1976). (2/8/1972, Press Center)

    Runtime: 5:00

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

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

H - White House Staff Member Recordings

  • WHCA-SR-H-516
    Interview with H.R. Haldeman by Barbara Walters on NBC "Today" show. (2/8/1972, [None listed])

    Runtime: 10:00

    Keywords: interviews, media, television

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

    Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
  • WHCA-SR-H-517
    Briefing by George Shultz, Peter Peterson, Henry Kissinger, George Bell, and Andre Batain to the Jaycees (United States Junior Chamber). (2/8/1972, Family Theater, White House)

    Runtime: 1:40:00

    Keywords: Briefings, private briefings

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

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

P - Formal Presidential Remarks

  • WHCA-SR-P-720205
    Remarks by President Nixon in a reception for Jaycees. (2/8/1972)

    Runtime: 18:40

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

T - China Advance Team

  • WHCA-SR-T-008
    Walker, Chapin, Swift, Redman, start 0831 [cont'd. T/009]. (2/8/1972)

    Runtime: 26:00:00

    Keywords: People's Republic of China, trips

    Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
  • WHCA-SR-T-009
    Walker, Chapin, Swift, Redman, start 0855 [cont'd from T/008]. (2/8/1972)

    Keywords: People's Republic of China, trips

    Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
  • WHCA-SR-T-010
    Walker, Chapin, Henkel, start 1137. (2/8/1972)

    Runtime: 15:00

    Keywords: People's Republic of China, trips

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

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-5037
    "Black Journal".
    All networks
    Runtime: 01:29:21
  • WHCA-5038
    "Martin Agronsky: Evening Edition".
    All networks
    Runtime: 00:29:12
  • WHCA-5039
    "Perspective: A Different Drummer, Part II".
    All networks
    Runtime: 00:29:22
  • WHCA-5049
    Weekly News Summary, Tape II.
    ALL NETWORKS
    Runtime: 1:30

    4. Smith/Wordham: dock strike; no new taxes this year. Time Code Start: 07:32. Keywords: taxes, taxation, revenue, harbors, Stevedores, dock workers, longshoremen, strikes, recession, inflation, wages, unemployment, trade, negotiations, trade, negotiations. Network: ABC.

    5. Smith/Koppel: South Vietnam's President Thieu and the peace proposals. Time Code Start: 10:42. Keywords: South Vietnam, Presidents, speeches, statements, Vietnam War, diplomacy, truces, treaty, treaties, peace, ceasefires, treaties, negotiations. Network: ABC.

    6. Jarriel/Reynolds: Senator Scott and Senator Muskie on voicing alternative peace proposals. Time Code Start: 11:30. Keywords: South Vietnam, Presidents, speeches, statements, Vietnam War, Senators, diplomacy, truces, treaty, treaties, peace, ceasefires, treaties, negotiations. Network: ABC.

    7. Smith/Bergman: President Nixon's ecological program. Time Code Start: 15:06. Keywords: Presidents. Network: ABC.

    8. Chancellor/Flick: Tentative agreement on dock strike; Secretary of Labor Hodgson comments. Time Code Start: 17:32. Keywords: harbors, Stevedores, dock workers, longshoremen, strikes, recession, inflation, wages, unemployment, trade, negotiations, trade, negotiations. Network: NBC.

    9. Chancellor: Senator Muskie responds to Haldeman's comments. Time Code Start: 21:45. Keywords: South Vietnam, Presidents, speeches, statements, Vietnam War, Senators, diplomacy, truces, treaty, treaties, peace, ceasefires, treaties, negotiations. Network: NBC.

    10. Brinkley: Commentary on campaign spending. Time Code Start: 23:15. Keywords: Presidential elections, campaigns, campaigning, candidates, costs, finances, funding. Network: NBC.

    11. Chancellor/Stern: Harrisburg 7 (Berrigan) jury selected. Time Code Start: 25:36. Keywords: Protests, militants, bombings, violence, sabotage, shootings, kidnappings, courts, trials, investigations, prosecutions. Network: NBC.

    12. Cronkite/Rather: President Nixon requests congressional action on environment. Time Code Start: 28:39. Keywords: ecology, environment, mountains, lakes, rivers, clean air, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. Network: CBS.

    13. Cronkite/Schoumacher: More on Senator Humphrey's campaign problems; commercial for Senator McGovern with voice of Robert Kennedy. Time Code Start: 31:42. Keywords: Presidential elections, campaigns, campaigning, primaries, candidates, advertisements, ads, TV spots, television. Network: CBS.

    14. Sevareid: Commentary on Haldeman accusations. Time Code Start: 39:13. Keywords: South Vietnam, Presidents, speeches, statements, Vietnam War, Senators, diplomacy, truces, treaty, treaties, peace, ceasefires, treaties, negotiations. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)

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.

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.