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May 17, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, May 17, 1971, 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, May 16, 1971

Next Date: Tuesday, May 18, 1971

Schedule and Public Documents

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, May 17.

      Key Biscayne most of the day. The President called once and covered some minor things he wanted followed up, set his departure time, etcetera, mainly some schedule items for tomorrow. Then he had me up for about the last hour on the plane trip back, going over his notes and accumulated minutiae. Covered some odds and ends, such as his need to follow up on some of Max Fisher's items on meeting with small businessmen, working on housing interest rates, etcetera. Wanted to be sure we were handling the letters that come in to him in terms of phone call follow-up.

      Got into a discussion of the letter he had received from Bowling, the President of Earlham College, which he felt was very astute in its analysis of the Middle East and the Israeli attitude. He wants me to send a copy of the letter to Rogers, telling him the President found it very interesting. But more importantly, he wants me to sit down with Haig and go over the Israel one and cover it, on a cold-turkey basis, with Haig that this is a view of a Quaker, and that we've got to realize we can't play the Jewish game, that all they're trying to do is string us along until the elections next year when they hope to replace us.

      The main thing he got into was his reaction to a Buchanan memo regarding the attitude of conservatives, which I'd sent in. The President was very distressed that Buchanan was reporting all of the dissatisfactions of the conservatives, but was not apparently standing up and answering their attacks. He had attached an article by Jeff Bell, and the President made the point that half of it is on Vietnam and that the contention Bell bases his whole pitch on is totally false. That is, Bell says we're withdrawing from Vietnam, and the only thing that's keeping us from a total pull out is the POW's. That, of course, is not the case; we've never said that, and the President's distressed that Buchanan hasn't nailed Bell on it, instead of just letting it simmer. He also feels that we've got to tell the conservatives how we're fighting all the other things: to slow down the social legislation; put the work requirement into welfare; maintain the ABM posture, and all that sort of thing. Also, that we should point out that the sensible conservatives, like William S. White and Buckley, etcetera, support us on this, and that we need to knock down the theme that there are no Nixon supporters. His point is that Pat can't just take their word and pass it along; he's got to hit them back on their falsehoods, just the way he would a lib who came up with the same kind of stuff from the other side. We have to meet the assault from the right as well as from the left; we can't just let them keep whining around. He got a little bit into political organization, wondering if we could use John Sears and maybe even Jeff Bell as a way to let the conservatives feel they have a hand in some of these things.

      End of May 17.
    • 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

Audiovisual Holdings

  • The White House Tapes are sound recordings of President Richard Nixon's telephone conversations and of meetings held in the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room in the White House, the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building (OEOB), the Lincoln Sitting Room in the residence section of the White House, and several locations at the Presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland. These recordings document many of the major events and decisions of the Nixon Administration from February 16, 1971 to July 18, 1973. Visit the White House Tapes finding aid to learn about the taping system's operation and archival processing.

    White House Telephone

  • 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-6315 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-6315-03A-12A, Robert Finch accepting publications from men from Vietnam. 5/17/1971, Washington, D.C. unknown. Robert Finch, unidentified Vietnamese men, unidentified men.

    Roll WHPO-6316 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-6316-02A-13A, Pat Nixon hosting a reception for the Wives of Delegates to the National Federation of Independent Business Convention. 5/17/1971, Washington, D.C. White House, Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. Pat Nixon, women, musicians, aides, baby.

    Roll WHPO-6321 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-6321-03-07, Pat Nixon hosting a reception for the Wives of Delegates to the National Federation of Independent Business Convention. 5/17/1971, Washington, D.C. White House, Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. Pat Nixon, women, baby.

  • 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-4372
      "The Mike Douglas Show".
      WMAL, WTOP
      Runtime: 1:30
    • WHCA-4379
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      27. Smith: European troop cutbacks with Connally and Fulbright. Time Code Start: 58:42. Keywords: Vietnam War, Armed Forces, mlitary, troops, decreases, withdrawals. Network: ABC.

      28. Smith: Commentary on restraint in the economy. Time Code Start: 61:05. Keywords: economy, economics, debt, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money. Network: ABC.

      29. Chancellor/Fredrick: Secretary of State Rogers at the United Nations (U.N.). Time Code Start: 62:59. Keywords: cabinet, advisors, organization of nations, intergovernmental alliance. Network: NBC.

      30. Chancellor/Lewis: Indochina report. Time Code Start: 64:36. Keywords: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      31. Cronkite/Kalb: Secretary of State Rogers at the U.N. Time Code Start: 67:28. Keywords: cabinet, advisors. Network: CBS.

      32. Cronkite/Schieffer: Troop cutbacks in Europe with Connally. Time Code Start: 69:23. Keywords: Armed Forces, military, troops, decreases,. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)