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March 31, 1973

Introduction

This almanac page for Saturday, March 31, 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: Friday, March 30, 1973

Next Date: Sunday, April 1, 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 San Clemente, California

  • 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

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.

  • 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)
      Saturday, March 31.

      In San Clemente. Ehrlichman and I talked this morning to Kleindienst to review the Gray question on the FBI. Agreed that he was through and had to be out. Kleindienst recommends Matt Byrne as the best prospect for a replacement, but agrees that Henry Petersen should also be questioned. We also got into the question with Kleindienst to the Watergate handling and more particularly the need for some cooperation from him, and some discussion of strategy. He feels that he probably ought to appoint a three judge panel to replace himself as the prosecutor on the case, since he's basically disqualified.

      The Vice President called me on the phone, says he felt that Ziegler's statement yesterday went far enough on the thing of satisfying our people that we're going to be-- or trying to be forthcoming. He thinks that his personal feeling, based on his information from the Senate, their next line of attack is going to be to discredit the prosecution by attacking the prosecutor and, for that matter, the FBI. His impression is-- they have the impression that he had information that he didn't use. They're going to currently try to develop that. And that the testimony-- there was testimony before the grand jury that was wrong, and he knew it and did nothing to impeach it. He thinks this will probably leak out through Dash. He wanted the President to consider his idea on how to handle it, which would be an immediate move to appoint a special prosecutor, and he recommends Dean Rusk who has no patience with the Senate, is dean of a law school, no obligations to the Nixon Administration and can't be faulted in any way. He thinks Tom Clark would be another possibility. In any point, he thinks our strategy should remain a quick, affirmative retaliation on anything they hit us on.

      The President wanted Buchanan to get out, but not from the White House, that thing on the worst quotes by Ramsey Clark and Fonda and so forth, to put out in contrast to what the POW's are saying and to hypo what Fonda and all of them are saying now about the stuff they'd said about how great the North Vietnamese are and their attacks on the war, all of that. Also bring in Teddy Kennedy's quotes, and all the others, on Cambodia, Sante, May 8, December 18, and so on. Get this to Congressmen and Senators.

      The President then had Ehrlichman in, and we had a long session on Kleindienst and the Watergate and the question of strategy. We went back and forth, and I made the very strong case that we had to develop some way of getting out ahead of this on the basis of covering the whole truth in the White House and letting the others areas defend themselves as best they can. On the basis from my viewpoint that this doesn't do them any harm because they're going to have the same problem one way or the other. And so what we're talking about is whether the White House shares the problem with them, or not, and there's no point in so doing because it doesn't help them, hurts the White House, and isn't true in any event. John and I are going to have to spend a lot of time on strategy on this over this week, and the President's obviously anxious to get things going. He called later on in the evening, or afternoon, and then talked to John also.

      Tonight was the John Ford dinner, which went very well. The superclimax, which nobody will probably ever know, was when Ford did a magnificent job after he was wheeled up to the stage, was standing up by himself, walking to the podium and accepting the Film Institute Award, then sitting down while the President made his remarks, then coming up to receive his Medal of Freedom. And his response to that, he said that he wanted to quote Captain Jeremiah Denton, who had said he was stunned by the reaction of the people, and so on, and that he felt the same way. Then he said the President had talked with him on the phone about the reaction of the POW's, and he had told the President that he had cried and blubbered like a child when he saw them coming off, and then had gotten out his rosary and said a few prayers and then had said a simple little prayer himself, that was the prayer millions of Americans say in their homes, God bless Richard Nixon. It was an extremely impressive moment, and one that nobody there, I don't think, will ever forget. It really stuck it to the anti-Nixon types in the film crowd.

      End of March 31.
    • 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. XV, Soviet Union, June 1972-August 1974

    Summit Preparations; Jackson-Vanik Amendment; Non-Use of Nuclear Weapons, December 1972-April 1973

    Vol. XXVII, Iran; Iraq, 1973-1976

    Iraq, January 1973-December 1974

  • 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 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-E0532 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0532-, President Nixon and Pat Nixon attending a banquet during which he presented film director John Ford with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 3/31/1973, Beverly Hills, CA International Ballroom, Beverly Hilton Hotel. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, John Ford, Mrs. Ford, Charlton Heston, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, John Wayne, John Wayne, unidentified attendees.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0532-18, President Nixon shaking hands with film director John Ford at the podium after presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Actor Charlton Heston stands nearby. 3/31/1973, Beverly Hills, CA International Ballroom, Beverly Hilton Hotel. President Nixon, John Ford, Charlton Heston.

    Roll WHPO-E0533 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0533-, President Nixon and Pat Nixon attending award banquet honoring film director John Ford. 3/31/1973, Beverly Hills, CA International Ballroom, Beverly Hilton Hotel. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, John Ford, Mrs. John Ford, Charlton Heston, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, John Wayne, Danny Kaye, Maureen O'Hara, unidentified attendees.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0533-09A, President Nixon and Pat Nixon and others stand to applaud during an award banquet to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to film director John Ford (seated) with Mrs. Ford. Actors Gov. Ronald Reagan, Maureen O'hara, and John Wayne stand nearby. 3/31/1973, Beverly Hills, CA International Ballroom, Beverly Hilton Hotel. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, John Ford, Mrs. John Ford, Charlton Heston, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, John Wayne, Danny Kaye, Maureen O'Hara, unidentified actors and actresses among attendees.

    Roll WHPO-E0534 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0534-, President Nixon and Pat Nixon attending an award banquet honoring film director John Ford. 3/31/1973, Beverly Hills, CA International Ballroom, Beverly Hilton Hotel. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, John Ford, Mrs. John Ford, Charlton Heston, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, John Wayne, Danny Kaye, Maureen O'Hara, unidentified attendees.

    Roll WHPO-E0535 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0535-, President Nixon and Pat Nixon attending an award banquet honoring film director John Ford. 3/31/1973, Beverly Hills, CA International Ballroom, Beverly Hilton Hotel. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, John Ford, Mrs. John Ford, Charlton Heston, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, John Wayne, Danny Kaye, Maureen O'Hara, unidentified attendees.

    Roll WHPO-E0536 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0536-02-16, President Nixon and Pat Nixon attend wedding of Pat Nixon's nephew Richard Ryan to Cheri Fisher. 3/31/1973, Van Nuys, CA Foursquare Church. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, Richard Ryan, Cheri Fisher, unidentified family members.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0536-16-35, President Nixon and Pat Nixon attending award banquet honoring film director John Ford. 3/31/1973, Beverly Hills, CA International Ballroom, Beverly Hilton Hotel. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, John Ford, Mrs. John Ford, Charlton Heston, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, John Wayne, Pilar Wayne, Danny Kaye, Maureen O'Hara, unidentified attendees.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0536-18, President Nixon standing in a hallway talking to director John Ford, who is seated in a wheelchair holding a long cigar, during an award banquet honoring John Ford and presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 3/31/1973, Beverly Hills, CA International Ballroom, Beverly Hilton Hotel. President Nixon, John Ford, unidentified man standing nearby.

    Roll WHPO-E0537 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0537-02-05, President Nixon and Pat Nixon attend the wedding for Pat Nixon's nephew, Richard Ryan to Cheri Fisher. 3/31/1973, Van Nuys, CA Foursquare Church. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, Richard Ryan, Cheri Fisher, unidentified family members.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-E0537-09-18, President Nixon and Pat Nixon attending award banquet honoring film director John Ford. 3/31/1973, Beverly Hills, CA International Ballroom, Beverly Hilton Hotel. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, John Ford, Mrs. John Ford, Charlton Heston, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, John Wayne, Danny Kaye, Maureen O'Hara, unidentified attendees.

  • 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.

    P - Formal Presidential Remarks

    • WHCA-SR-P-730330
      Remarks by President Nixon at program honoring John Ford in Beverly Hills with Ford, Danny Kaye, C. Heston. (3/31/1973)

      Runtime: 7:32

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

    S - White House Press Office Briefings (continuation of the L-series)

    • WHCA-SR-S-048
      Press briefing by Gerald Warren. (3/31/1973, Surf and Sands P.C., Laguna Beach, California)

      Runtime: 16:00

      Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media

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

      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-6210
      "Agronsky & Company".
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 00:30:03
    • WHCA-6217
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      15. Utley/Oliver/Rosenfeld: Meat boycott. Time Code Start: 57:50. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, protests, boycotts. Network: NBC.

      16. Utley: President at airport in California. Time Code Start: 60:55. Keywords: Presidents, travel, trips. Network: NBC.

      17. Utley: Secretary of Agriculture Butz on meat prices. Time Code Start: 62:10. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, cabinet, advisors. Network: NBC.

      18. Utley/Palmer/Alvord: Farmers union meets, New York Food Warehouse sale. Time Code Start: 63:40. Keywords: labor, unions, farming, agriculture, meetings, food, buildings, sales, selling, real estate. Network: NBC.

      19. Utley/Jones: Vietnam; South Vietnam's President Thieu comes to United States. Time Code Start: 69:03. Keywords: South Vietnam, Presidents, speeches, statements, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      20. Utley/Neal: POWs arrive in U.S.. Time Code Start: 71:01. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War, releases, military air bases, airports. Network: NBC.

      21. Utley/Trotta: POWs and life in Hanoi. Time Code Start: 73:05. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War. Network: NBC.

      22. Utley: Watergate, L. Patrick Gray, McCord, Mitchell. Time Code Start: 75:32. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals. Network: NBC.

      23. Osgood/Williams/Schakne/Shaw: Meat boycott. Time Code Start: 76:07. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, protests, boycotts. Network: CBS.

      24. Osgood/Roth: Farmers resent price controls. Time Code Start: 80:07. Keywords: food, crops, agriculture, farming, wage and price controls, freezes, prices, costs, increases, decreases, economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money. Network: CBS.

      25. Osgood: Secretary of Agriculture Butz on meat prices. Time Code Start: 82:02. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, cabinet, advisors. Network: CBS.

      26. Osgood: Vietnam, last POW to be released, South Vietnam's President Thieu. Time Code Start: 83:18. Keywords: South Vietnam, Presidents, speeches, statements, Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War, releases. Network: CBS.

      27. Osgood: Watergate, McCord, Mitchell. Time Code Start: 86:10. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)