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March 9, 1973

Introduction

This almanac page for Friday, March 9, 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 8, 1973

Next Date: Saturday, March 10, 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.

  • 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. X, Vietnam, January 1973-July 1975

    Neither War nor Peace, January 27-June 15, 1973

    Vol. XV, Soviet Union, June 1972-August 1974

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

    Vol. XXXV, National Security Policy, 1973-1976

    National Security Policy

    • 8. Memorandum for the President’s File by Raymond K. Price, Jr., Washington, March 9, 1973

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, Staff Member and Office Files, President’s Office Files, Box 91, President’s Meetings File—Beginning March 4 [1973]. Administratively Confidential. Not initialed by Price. There is a tape recording of this entire conversation. (Ibid., White House Tapes, Cabinet Room, Conversation No. 117–7)

    Vol. E-6, Documents on Africa, 1973-1976

    Horn of Africa

    • 82. Telegram 43589 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Ethiopia, Washington, March 9, 1973, 1505Z

      A preliminary interagency response to Embassy requests discouraged both an Ethiopian delegation visit to Washington and an official visit by the Emperor, but offered to pursue a business meeting for the Emperor with President Nixon.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL ETH-US. Secret. Repeated to Addis Ababa, Mogadiscio, Nairobi, Asmara, and USCINCEUR. Drafted by Melone on March 2; cleared in S/CPR, AF/RA, White House, PM/MAS, OSD/ISA, S/S, and AF/E; approved by Newsom.

    Uganda

    • 243. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon, Washington, March 9, 1973

      Rogers asked Nixon to reconsider his decision not to send Ambassador Melady back to Kampala, arguing that Melady’s failure to return could endanger U.S. citizens in Uganda.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 746, Uganda, Vol. 1. Confidential. Rogers highlighted the last sentence of the second paragraph and added a handwritten note that reads: “What I mean is that he is crazy—and we have to recognize it. WRR”

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

    Cuba

    • 273. Circular telegram 43380 From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts, Washington, March 9, 1973, 0032Z

      Summary: The Department instructed Ambassadors to many Latin American countries to inform their host governments that the hijacking agreement with Cuba did not signal a change in U.S. policy and that the United States still firmly supported OAS sanctions against Cuba.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files, 1970–1973, POL CUBA–US. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Philip Johnson in ARA/CCA; cleared by Hurwitch, Norbury, Ford, and Meyer; and approved by Rogers. Sent to Asunción, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Brasilia, Caracas, Guatemala City, La Paz, Managua, Panama City, Bridgetown, Georgetown, Kingston, Lima, Port of Spain, Mexico City, and Santiago. In a March 23 memorandum to Kissinger, Eliot reported that the Latin American governments that received this message appreciated the U.S. statement but that their reactions had indicated that the OAS sanctions policy was on an uncertain footing. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Country Files, Box 781, Latin America, Cuba, Vol. IV, 1972) In telegram 58440 to Asunción, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Brasilia, San Salvador, Guatemala City, La Paz, Managua, Montevideo, Port-au-Prince, San José, Santo Domingo, and Tegucigalpa, March 29, the Department requested that Ambassadors reemphasize the United States’s position on Cuba “if you now have any doubts about your host govt’s intentions.” (Ibid., RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, [no film number]) Telegram 171684 was not found. Telegram 203974 to Mbabane is dated October 15. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, [no film number]) Telegram 224911 to Marshall Islands is dated November 14. (Ibid.)

    Vol. E-12, Documents on East and Southeast Asia, 1973-1976

    Japan

    • 170. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, March 9, 1973, 1430–1500., Washington, March 9, 1973, 1430-1500

      Richardson and Ushiba discussed relations between the United States and Japan, especially within the context of improving relations with the People’s Republic of China.

      Source: Washington National Records Center, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 330–76–117, Japan, 333, 1973 January, March 13, 1973. Secret. Prepared by Doolin and approved by Eagleburger. The conversation took place in Richardson’s office.

    Vol. E-14, Part 2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1973-1976

    • 3. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, March 9, 1973

      Summary: In response to Kissinger’s request, Sonnenfeldt provided a proposal on chemical weapons as a “possible agreement” between President Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev that Nixon could raise during Brezhnev’s upcoming visit to the United States.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 67, Country Files—Europe—USSR, Map Room, Aug. 1972–May 31, 1973 (1 of 3). Secret; Exclusively Eyes Only. This memorandum is also printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XV, Soviet Union, June 1972–August 1974, as Document 82. For the text of the 1972 joint communiqué, see Public Papers: Nixon, 1972, pp. 635–642. The paper Sonnenfeldt described (Tab A) is attached but not published. The minutes of the March 5 SRG meeting, at which the participants discussed the NSSM 157 study, are in the National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Institutional Files, Senior Review Group Meetings, Box H–66, SRG Meeting NSSM 157 3/5/73.

    Vol. E-15, Part 2, Documents on Western Europe, 1973-1976, Second, Revised Edition

    Canada, 1973-1976

    • 104. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon, Washington, March 9, 1973

      Summary: Rogers discussed Canadian views on the ICCS.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–1973, POL 27–14 VIET. Secret; Exdis. A memorandum of conversation on Porter’s March 8 talk with Sharp is ibid. During a March 8 telephone conversation with Kissinger, World Bank President Robert McNamara reported that he had recently urged continued participation in the ICCS on Sharp, who “was really on the ropes” politically over the issue. Kissinger remarked, “They are a God damned bunch of selfish gripers.” McNamara replied that the purpose of his call was to advise Kissinger “to massage” the Canadians. Kissinger agreed, commenting, “I guess we’ll send Porter up there to talk to him.” (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 19)

    France, 1973-1976

  • 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)