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July 24, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, July 24, 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: Sunday, July 23, 1972

Next Date: Tuesday, July 25, 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.

    No Federal Register published on this date

  • 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.

  • 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, July 24.

      The President got into a lot of little political odds and ends today. He wants to get out that, without attribution, that he talked with Connally about the Vice Presidency thing back in San Clemente, so it doesn't look like Connally was dumped at the last minute. Rose is bitching about who's in charge of registering youth, and the President feels we should totally limit that activity to the key states. He's concerned about the plan in California and the fact that Nofziger's running the campaign, and that there are no Democrats on the Committee. He wants to get going on a campaign song. He thinks it has to be ready for the Convention. Wants to know who the orchestra is for the Convention.

      Has the idea that I ought to talk to a group of press and make a pitch on the President's enormous responsibilities with the Japanese meeting, the negotiations, the dealings with Congress and so on. That he's working on a 16 hour day, and he has no intent of not participating in the hilt in with the campaign. That is because the issues are more clearly cut on the idea of ends versus means and National Defense, increased welfare and taxes, permissiveness-- law enforcement. That the responsibility now goes far beyond personality or Party, and it involves an honest difference in opinion regarding America's role in the world and what America should be in the future, but he's given instructions up and down the line that the campaign is to be on the issues not on personalities. That this is the most effective way to deal with it. At an early time he thinks we have to knock down the idea of coasting. He's concerned that our friends are saying, why don't we do something, and all. We can't give the impression that we're just sailing along, as Goldwater, Rose and others think he's doing. So we've got to say he's working hard and so on.

      He wants to be sure all Wallace contacts are now handled through Connally, and he called LBJ at Connally's request today, and there's a memo in the file on that. Apparently it went very well and Johnson will encourage his people to support us behind the scenes. Although he will not come out himself, of course.

      He's still a little concerned about the Watergate thing, but not pushing hard on that. Raised the point that Connally made to him that there's a lack of confidence in the quality of the political advice the President is getting. This is directed at the fact that Mitchell's gone, and I'm the only one advising him right now, and I suggested, which apparently Connally had also, that we ought to set up a political advisory board. We agreed to try to put Connally, Mitchell, Harlow, and MacGregor, Dole, Finch and me together for that kind of a group. He wants to meet with them on a fairly regular basis, like about once a week and thought we ought to start this week on the Sequoia. He's concerned that we double-check Colson on all names used for endorsements, to be sure they have really backed us. He wants John Eisenhower used for speaking. There’s another flap with Pat Nixon and the girls with Connie Stewart that I’ve got to get untangled. And as usual, he’s still concerned about some lasting phrases and good lines to use.

      He had a session with Connally today that I guess went pretty well. But then Connally had lunch with Stans and MacGregor, and Stans started chewing on him in his usual fashion on the budget. And I guess Connally blew his stack, as discovered by a memo from Colson to the President. As a result, he says we won't watch the Democrats August 1 as planned. However, after Connally had left for Texas we had a call saying Wallace wanted to see him tonight. Colson got him when he landed at Texas, and he seemed to be in good spirits by then so it's probably one of his temporary flaps, although we've got to keep watching for those.

      Billy Graham called tonight to report on his people's meeting with our youth division. He said that they were extremely impressed. They thought they had nothing to offer to us. That we were so far ahead of them that they would have to do the learning from us, which is gratifying to see that our operation at least looks good.

      End of July 24.
    • 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. XXIII, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1969-1972

    Proximity Talks and the Backchannel: Separate Department of State and White House Negotiating Tricks

    Vol. XXXII, SALT I, 1969-1972

    The Summit and Congressional Approval of the SALT Agreements, May 19-October 4, 1972

    • 336. Paper Agreed by the United States and the Soviet Union, Washington, July 24, 1972

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 498, President’s Trip Files, Exchange of Notes Between Dobrynin and Kissinger, Vol. 4. No classification marking. A handwritten notation on the paper reads: “Gen. Haig has signed orig of this as of 7/28/72.”

    Vol. XXXIV, National Security Policy, 1969-1972

    Taking Stock

    • 220. Minutes of Defense Program Review Committee Meeting, Washington, July 24, 1972, 3:09-3:45 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–118, DPRC Minutes, Originals, 1969–73 [3 of 3]. Secret. The meeting was held in the Situation Room of the White House. On July 22, Odeen informed Kissinger that the primary purposes of the meeting were to: “assess the capability of the DOD program to support the President’s strategy; review the force levels and modernization programs planned for FY 74–78 as well as funding requirements; consider the implications for our defense programs of the very large full employment budget deficits projected for FY 74 and subsequent years; define the policy and major force structure issues which should be analyzed for Presidential decision later this year.” (Ibid., Box H–106, DPRC Meeting, FY 74–78 Defense Program, 7/24/72)

    Vol. XXXVI, Energy Crisis, 1969-1974

    March 16, 1972-March 6, 1973

    • 131. Memorandum From James H. Critchfield, Special Assistant to the Deputy Director of Plans, Central Intelligence Agency, to Director of Central Intelligence Helms, Washington, July 24, 1972

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 209, Agency Files, CIA, Vol. VI, 1972 Memoranda. Secret. Helms planned to meet with Kissinger on July 25. According to Haig, Helms would suggest that “rather than send a further tension raiser to Faisal that we consider sending an emissary to Faisal to demonstrate our goodwill and at the same time to attempt to elicit a degree of Saudi flexibility. At the present time it looks like both sides are playing a game of chicken, an enterprise that is sometimes risky between friends.” (Memorandum from Haig to Kissinger, July 25; ibid.) No record of the Helms–Kissinger meeting was found.

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

    U.S. Relations with India and Pakistan, 1972

    • 293. Telegram 9257 From the Embassy in India to the Department of State, New Delhi, July 24, 1972, 1815Z

      Ambassador Keating reported a disturbing farewell conversation with Indian Prime Minister Gandhi and drew the conclusion that “at the apex of Indian policy there is a nexus of emotional and distorted attitudes concerning the US which cannot help but burden the prospects for improved Indo-American relations.”

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL INDIA-US. Secret; Exdis. Keating subsequently discussed this conversation with Singh. Singh put the best possible light on the exchange between Gandhi and Keating and concluded that it marked the beginning of a dialogue between India and the United States. (Telegram 9256 from New Delhi, July 25; 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

Context (External Sources)