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July 13, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Thursday, July 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: Wednesday, July 12, 1972

Next Date: Friday, July 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 San Clemente, California

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    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.

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)
      Thursday, July 13.

      I started with the President at 9:00 this morning on our general political discussion. He wants to review the plans for our Convention. Feels that immediately after the Convention he should not appear to coast and, therefore, should not come to California, but rather go back to Washington and get right into going on things. Concerned about getting people up close to the podium and the Convention hall. Letting the standees up close for major speeches and that sort of thing. On the nominating and seconding speeches, he wants to open a segment of the Convention, maybe not for those speeches but at some point for Democrats and Independents, like Connally and labor people and prominent Governors and Senators and so on, who will announce their support of the President. He wants to work in a maximum number of Democrats. At least one Chicano, no more than one black. Maybe have a full hour of this to get maximum emphasis.

      He got into the problem of--

      [End of tape reel AC-22(B)]

      [Begin tape reel AC-23(A)]

      Continuing [Thursday July] 13. The President was concerned with Rose's bitching about the campaign organization, the President’s plan. She feels that the President should shake hands with all the delegates at the Convention, she's not about to do. She's making the point that we don't have the enthusiastic intelligent young people that McGovern has and so on. The President was concerned about the documentaries. That we have so much film and the question is how are we going to use it all. He's concerned about getting all of the '68 people involved so they aren't grousing as Rose reports. He wants MacGregor to get everybody together and make sure that we aren't playing the enemy line. That we've got to be upbeat. Quit talking about the line that McGovern can't win it, but Nixon can lose it, which Rose was playing to him. Get away from the obsession of berating everything we do. He's concerned about campaign materials. Wants a report on what we're doing on the bumper strips and buttons and all that.

      Kissinger came in and we had some discussion of the briefing of McGovern and finally agreed that Kissinger should do the first briefing. Henry feels strongly that he should do it, so that he can cover the kind of things that we want to be sure McGovern gets and doesn't get. Then after that we would leave it up to Haig and Dick Helms to handle the follow-up briefings. So we're going ahead and announce that today.

      The President talked with Colson, and apparently Teddy Gleason had called him and said that the plan with the AF of L, that Gleason had talked to Meany and that they're going to call an executive committee meeting for next Wednesday, and that Meany will release all members to decide how they want to go. The AF of L itself will be neutral. So Gleason now is going to wait until Wednesday to announce so as not to offend Meany. We can go to all the other unions. Shultz was going to see Meany on Monday and get things worked out with him. There's a strong probability of getting Able to come over if he's approached right. It was agreed that Shultz should talk to him. Raised the question of whether the Connally move to head up the Democrats would louse up the Meany deal. And it was agreed that it might, but that it was worth taking the chance. Colson pushed for the Connally announcement now, so that he can start lining up other people anyway. Or we could set up the office now and then bring Connally in later which would not be as good but it would be a satisfactory alternative. The President feels that McGovern will come strongly to the center tonight to try and pacify his Party. He feels we should stop Agnew from taking swipes at the New York Times and any other media, and that we need some heavy thinking on Agnew's role in the campaign. How he should play it, what he can do to help us and what he can do to avoid hurting us.

      Connally arrived this afternoon. We had our Connally dinner tonight. Just the three of us at the Residence. We were planning to watch the acceptance speech, but the Convention got so screwed up that it was delayed so late that we went home and then watched it after we got home. Connally is obviously very tired. Obviously interested in and willing to take on heading up the Democrats, but concerned about getting that involved and was very much worried about how he can get the time to do it in the next few weeks, especially in getting all the details set up.

      It looked as if we were going to lose the sale, so I suggested that we put Colson full time on this for the time being. Let him work under Connally. Get it set up for him and then let Connally replace him with his man when he's ready to. Connally bought that, and on that basis I think we'll put the thing together at our meeting tomorrow. Before we got into the Democrat question the President waltzed quite thoroughly through the whole Vice President situation, and Connally made it clear that he felt the President could not do anything but keep Agnew on although he thinks it's a bad choice. Both he and the President agree that there's no qualification there for the Presidency and that’s not who we want as President, so that poses a problem of having him for Vice President. But I don't think Connally was making any real pitch for the job himself, although Colson feels that's what he wants. There was quite a long discussion on it, and it seemed to end up with Connally saying that the President should keep Agnew on. The President made the point that the Vice President can resign during the second term and that there are other possibilities for the man the President wants to set up as his successor. The meeting wasn't as satisfactory as we had hoped. I think mainly because of Connally's being so tired, but I think we got it basically on the track.

      After we got home late tonight, the President called after each of the major speeches, the Eagleton speech, Kennedy speech and McGovern speech at the Convention. He felt that Eagleton was not good. Didn't come over well on television, although he basically looks pretty good. He felt McGovern did exactly what he thought he would do in trying to pacify his Party, but not terribly effectively, and agreed with me, and I think everyone will agree, that Teddy Kennedy completely upstaged both of them and the contrast was quite remarkable.

      End of July 13.
    • Original audio recording (MP3)

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    Nixon Library Holdings

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National Security Documents

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-9565 Photographer: Grove, Andrew | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-9565-, White House summer interns. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. summer interns.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9565-11, White House summer intern Greg MacPherson. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Greg MacPherson.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9565-18, White House summer intern Ted Hall. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Ted Hall.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9565-20, White House summer intern Laura Peterson. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Laura Peterson.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9565-27, Group photo of White House summer interns Dave Uersfelt, Laura Peterson, Mark Mazo, and Peter Baugher. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Dave Uersfelt, Laura Peterson, Mark Mazo, Peter Baugher.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9565-30, White House summer interns Linda Scheuplein and Trudy Fraas. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Linda Scheuplein, Trudy Fraas.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9565-36, White House summer interns Dave Versfelt and Barbara Malluk. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Dave Versfelt, Barbara Malluk.

    Roll WHPO-9566 Photographer: Grove, Andrew | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-9566-, Summer interns group photos (small and large). 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9566-03A, White House summer interns Charlotte Ziegler and Trudy Fraas. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Charlotte Ziegler, Trudy Fraas.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9566-04A, Group photo of White House summer interns Ted Hall, Dave Uersfelt, Barbara Malluk, and Art Spinner. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Ted Hall, Dave Uersfelt, Barbara Malluk, Art Spinner.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9566-31, Group photo of White House summer interns Ted Hall and Charlotte Ziegler. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Ted Hall, Charlotte Ziegler.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-9566-32A, White House summer interns Laura Peterson and Liz Prestridge. 7/13/1972, Washington, D.C. North Portico Driveway. Interns, Laura Peterson, Liz Prestridge.

  • 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-5576
      CBS Coverage of Democratic National Convention. economist John Kenneth Galbraith.
      Southern Educational Communications Association
      Runtime: 1:00
    • WHCA-5577
      Coverage of Democratic National Convention.
      CBS
      Runtime: 0:30
    • WHCA-5578
      "CBS Morning News" Day After McGovern's Nomination as the Democratic Presidential Candidate. Day After McGovern's Nomination as the Democratic Presidential Candidate
      NBC
      Runtime: 01:01:39
    • WHCA-5579
      Frank Mankiewicz Announces McGovern's Vice Presidential choice AND Interview with Thomas Eagleton, Senator from Missouri.
      CBS
      Runtime: 0:30
    • WHCA-5580
      "NBC Nightly News" AND NBC Convention Coverage.
      ABC, PBS
      Runtime: 1:00
    • WHCA-5581
      "CBS Evening News" AND CBS Convention Coverage.

      Runtime: 1:30
    • WHCA-5582
      "ABC Evening News" AND PBS Convention Coverage.
      CBS
      Runtime: 1:00
    • WHCA-5583
      CBS Democratic Convention Coverage.
      CBS
      Runtime: 1:30
    • WHCA-5584
      CBS Democratic Convention Coverage.
      WETA
      Runtime: 1:30
    • WHCA-5585
      CBS Democratic Convention Coverage.
      CBS
      Runtime: 1:30

Context (External Sources)