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May 14, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Sunday, May 14, 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: Saturday, May 13, 1972

Next Date: Monday, May 15, 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 Camp David, Maryland

  • 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.

    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.

    • Annotated and Unmarked News Summaries [Note: Although there was no News Summary on this date, due to the way News Summary products were compiled, you should also consult nearby days for potentially relevant materials.]

  • 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)
      Sunday, May 14th. The President called before I went to church this morning. He was concerned about the Moscow speech and who's writing it. Made the point that he won't have any time to work on it, and that he needs to know when it's going to be done; needs a good tight draft, and so on.

      He also got into the propaganda war problem. He feels that we need some reaction of South Vietnamese, that their morale is way up and the North Vietnamese morale down…

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 21, Side B, Withdrawn Item Number 26 [AC-21(B) Sel 24]
      Duration: 16 seconds

      …and we should leak out a CIA report or something and build some psychological warfare here and turn around the impression that's going now. He wants to get the CIA going on propaganda.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      He's decided on the pre-trip planning to do the bipartisan leaders Friday afternoon and then a press reception a little later. He also felt he probably needed a meeting with the official party, but called later today to say that he thought he agreed with my idea that he could do that in Salzburg. On the press deal, he doesn't want questions and he doesn't want whys. He’ll give a little talk and then some informal chitchat. Kissinger's come up with a need for John Andrews to do the speech, so we have to add him to the traveling group.

      On the Connally departure, the President said he wants to see Connally alone first on Monday, then Shultz alone. He's concerned about how to handle Burns, but decided I should notify him, or Ehrlichman should. Wants Connally to make some calls to people like Billy Graham.

      End of May 14th.
    • 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.

    • No President's Daily Brief delivered on this date

  • 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. XIV, Soviet Union, October 1971-May 1972

    Nixon at the Summit, May 13-May 31, 1972

    • 224. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, May 14, 1972, 10:30 a.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 494, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1972, Vol. 11. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the Map Room at the White House. Kissinger returned to his office at 11:30 a.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–1976, Record of Schedule) On May 14 Kissinger sent Smith a backchannel message that transmitted the text of the first 5 paragraphs of this memorandum. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 427, Backchannel Files, Backchannel Messages, SALT, 1972)

    • 225. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, May 14, 1972, 11:40 a.m.

      Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 372, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking. According to the President’s Daily Diary, President Nixon placed the call. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Central Files)

    Vol. XXXII, SALT I, 1969-1972

    Kissinger's Secret Trip to Moscow and Aftermath, April 19-May 17, 1972

  • 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 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-5368
      "Face the Nation" AND "Issues and Answers". "I&A": special on South Asia Tricia Nixon Cox.
      NBC
      Runtime: 01:31:15
    • WHCA-5369
      "Deena Clark's Moment With..." AND "Meet the Press" AND "Topic. "Topic": "Inside the New Politics"
      Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc.
      Runtime: 1:30
    • WHCA-5370
      "60 Minutes" AND WTOP Special on Maryland Primary Elections. Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe.
      Undetermined
      Runtime: 1:30
    • WHCA-5371
      "Firing Line". Debate on Nixon's China Trip (People's Republic of China) FTN: U.S. Representative Edwards and Hogan; "MTP": John Ehrlichman; "I&A": U.S. Senator John Stennis (D-AL).
      CBS, NBC, ABC
      Runtime: 01:06:00

Context (External Sources)