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January 3, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Sunday, January 3, 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: Saturday, January 2, 1971

Next Date: Monday, January 4, 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 Camp David, Maryland

  • 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, January 3.

      Still at Camp David. All morning didn't hear anything from the President. He left at noon. I got home about 3:00, and the President had been trying to call. He didn't have anything particularly urgent, wanted to shift the Tuesday schedule around and maybe add the Cabinet to the meeting with the Governors, or have a separate Cabinet meeting first.

      Then talked a little about plans for the California schedule, the game plan for the State of the Union, he wants to be sure that that's really set up through Ehrlichman, also game plan for the National Committee Meeting on January 15, to be sure we get a good positive result out of that.

      He had had a long talk with Kissinger, apparently, who is very worried about Tony Lake and his defection. And the President had to give Henry a big pitch trying to make the point that these people are just seeking power, and that there's no reason to be disturbed about that kind of thing; it's too late to worry about it after it's happened. He pushed the line that brave men die only once, but cowards die a thousand times, and made the point that we have to keep our people from consulting their fears, and that we can't keep worrying about things after they've happened. He does want me to talk to Haig about the necessity to keep their people cranked up; that they can't just run a tough show in their staff, they have to give them some inspiration and uplift also.

      Along that line, he wants me to do the same thing in every morning staff meeting, because he's concerned that even though we don't feel there's any staff morale problem, there is to some degree always that danger, and especially among the people that travel in the Washington social set, etcetera. He made the point that very few personalities are as immune, tough and thick as he and I are to criticism and attacks. And most people don't respond in a vigorous upbeat way to these things as we do, so I have to keep working, he feels, with the other staff. He feels we especially need this because of so much of the media being so strongly against us.

      He seemed to be in pretty good spirits and was obviously just taking a break during his work period on getting ready for tomorrow night.

      End of January 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. XXIV, Middle East Region and Arabian Peninsula, 1969-1972; Jordan, September 1970

    Persian Gulf States

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

    Tunisia

    • 151. Telegram 9 From the Embassy in Tunisia to the Department of State, Tunis, January 3, 1971, 0200Z

      In this telegram, the Embassy conveyed Prime Minister Nouira hope that President Bourguiba would be welcomed into the United States, via American transport, for further medical treatment. Nouira also requested any assistance the United States could offer with regards to improving Bourguiba’s health.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 15–1 TUN. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. In telegram 261 to Tunis, January 3, the Department, “in view great esteem USG has for Bourguiba and in recognition President’s long friendship for US,” offered military evacuation aircraft to carry Bourguiba to Walter Reed Army Hospital. (Ibid.) The physicians at Walter Reed confirmed the President’s involutional depression and “mild but definite arterial brain damage.” (Ibid.)

  • 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-4074
      "Firing Line" with guest Spiro Agnew.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:00
    • WHCA-4076
      Weekly News Summary Week, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:00

      4. Nessen: The environment. Time Code Start: 06:04. Keywords: ecology, environment, mountains, lakes, rivers, clean air, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. Network: NBC.

Context (External Sources)