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March 2, 1973

Introduction

This almanac page for Friday, March 2, 1973, 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: Thursday, March 1, 1973

Next Date: Saturday, March 3, 1973

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.

Archival Holdings

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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. XVIII, China, 1973-1976

    Kissinger's Visits to Beijing and the Establishment of the Liaison Offices, January 1973-May 1973

    Vol. XXV, Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1973

    Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1973

    Vol. XXXI, Foreign Economic Policy, 1973-1976

    The End of Fixed Exchange Rates, January-March 1973

    • 15. Message From West German Chancellor Brandt to President Nixon, Bonn, March 2, 1973

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 53, Country Files, Europe, Monetary Crisis, March 1973. Confidential. Brandt’s message was conveyed to President Nixon under cover of a March 2 letter from West German Ambassador Rolf Pauls. (Ibid., Box 62, Country Files, Europe, UK Memcons (originals), January–April 1973)

    Vol. XXXVI, Energy Crisis, 1969-1974

    March 16, 1972-March 6, 1973

    Vol. XXXVIII, Part 1, Foundations of Foreign Policy, 1973-1976

    Foundations of Foreign Policy, 1973-1976

    • 3. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, March 2, 1973

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 98, Country Files—Far East, HAK China Trip—February 1973, Memcons & Reports (Originals) [TS 1 of 2]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The date is handwritten. There is no indication that Nixon saw the memorandum. Printed in full in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XVIII, China, 1973–1976, Document 18. Kissinger visited Beijing February 15–19 and met with Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai. For the records of these meetings, see ibid., Documents 9–14. Briefing memoranda for Kissinger’s trip are in the National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 526, Country Files—Far East, People’s Republic of China, Vol. 6, Jan–Apr 1973 [1 of 3].

    Vol. XXXVIII, Part 2, Organization and Management of Foreign Policy; Public Diplomacy, 1973-1976

    International Information Policy, Public Diplomacy, and Cultural Affairs

    Vol. E-11, Part 1, Documents on Mexico; Central America; and the Caribbean, 1973-1976

    El Salvador and Honduras

    • 150. Telegram 38780 From the Department of State to the Embassies in Honduras and El Salvador, Washington, March 2, 1973, 2112Z

      Summary: The Department instructed the Embassies in Honduras and El Salvador to avoid becoming intermediaries in the border dispute between the two countries.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–1973, POL EL SAL–HOND. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by El Salvador Country Officer Alexander Sleght on March 1; cleared by Hurwitch, Pezzullo, and Political Adviser T. Frank Crigler in USOAS. Repeated to Guatemala City, Managua, San José, and USCINCSO. In telegram 761 from Tegucigalpa, February 27, the Embassy reported that Foreign Minister César Batres had informally asked the U.S. Government to ascertain whether or not the Salvadoran Government intended to respond to peace initiatives put forward at a recent meeting in Guatemala. (Ibid.) In telegram 783 from San Salvador, February 28, the Embassy stated that it saw no benefit to becoming involved in the El Salvador-Honduras dispute as a channel of communication between the two governments. (Ibid.)

    Vol. E-11, Part 1, Documents on Mexico; Central America; and the Caribbean, 1973-1976

    Cuba

    • 272. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, March 2, 1973

      Summary: Kissinger informed President Nixon that Cuba had released the U.S. captain of the Johnny Express, a merchant ship seized in December 1971 after the vessel had allegedly been involved in attacks on the Cuban coast.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Country Files, Box 781, Latin America, Cuba, Vol. IV, 1972. Secret. Sent for information. A notation on the memorandum reads: “The President has seen.” At the bottom of the document, Nixon wrote, “K[issinger:] (1) Inform his family (through [Nixon’s friend Charles “Bebe”] Rebozo), (2) Agree to ‘token’ confinement in Panama, (3) If he is released be sure we handle it in way that I meet his family again & point up our follow through.” In a March 5 memorandum, Scowcroft informed Jorden of Nixon’s notations on the memorandum and asked Jorden to monitor the case. (Ibid.) In a March 5 memorandum to Kissinger, Jorden noted that Villa would be required to remain confined in Panama “for a reasonable time” but that his detention there would be “the equivalent of house arrest.” (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)