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May 19, 1970

Introduction

This almanac page for Tuesday, May 19, 1970, 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: Monday, May 18, 1970

Next Date: Wednesday, May 20, 1970

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.

    Appointments and Nominations

    • Corporation for Public Broadcasting (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 658, May 19, 1970)
      Announcement of Intention To Nominate Three Members of the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

    Statements by the President

    • Budget Revisions (6 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 659, May 19, 1970)
      Statement by the President Upon Issuing Revised Estimates for Fiscal Year 1970 and 1971.

    Acts Approved by the President

    Checklist of White House Press Releases

    The releases listed below, made public by the Office of the White House Press Secretary during the period covered by this issue, are not included in the issue.

    • Press conference of Senator Hugh Scott and Representative Gerald R. Ford following Republican leadership meeting.
    • Press conference of Robert P. Mayo, Director, Bureau of the Budget, and Russell E. Train, Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality, on the statement by the President on budget revisions for fiscal years 1970 and 1971.

    Digest of Other White House Announcements

    Following is a listing of items of general interest which were announced in the press but not made public as formal White House press releases during the period covered by this issue. Appointments requiring Senate approval are not included since they appear in the list of nominations submitted to the Senate, below.

    • Former Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger of the Federal Republic of Germany met with the President at the White House.
    • The President today transmitted to the Congress the third annual report of the National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity (17 pp., processed).
    • Henry Ford II, Chairman of the Board, and Charles B. Wilkinson, Executive Director, of the National Center for Voluntary Action, met with the President at the White House.

  • 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.

  • The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

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)
      Tuesday, May 19.

      Back to DC and the routine. A hot and heavy schedule today. Leadership meeting regarding Senate anti-Cambodia resolutions first. All the leaders who have been out in country say support is strong for President. Most of them want to extend the debate instead of compromising, feeling time is on our side and that we can always give in later if necessary. Scott still intent on maneuvering a compromise with Cooper. All agree that Democrats are only going for political benefit of appearing to have forced President out of Cambodia, when he's already going to get out anyway.

      Then a Cabinet meeting under rather strained conditions, as Hickel still much in the air. President did a masterful job of talking to Hickel indirectly through the Cabinet regarding not trying to affect policy by making a speech outside. A lot of discussion regarding role of Cabinet under reorganization. Rogers led argument for need for discussion before decisions - fear of cutting Cabinet out, and becoming just pro forma. Laird made strong pitch against the line that President made hard lonely decision - this does not build President. Good briefing on background for Cambodia decision and progress to date.

      President had me in for couple of hours at lunch time – got into long harangue about his revised views on PR. Now feels he was completely wrong in his original concept regarding building mystique and image. Realizes this is impossible when press is against you. Roosevelts, etc., only succeeded because they had press with them (not sure that's true). Feels we should give up the struggle and just present our case via President on TV. Realize Nixon will never have good public image, so don't try. I think he's partly right - but that's no reason not to keep trying. But it would work a lot better if he would quit worrying about it and just be president.

      He says let's face it, we're a square team like Howard Jones - can't try to be razzle-dazzle T-formation. Wonders what kind of a figure of Nixon they're going to create. Is more inclined to Kissinger's idea of mystery and aloofness. In any event determined not to make LBJ mistake of not mobilizing our friends and not using TV.

      All this he says is result of lot of thought over the weekend. Not too concerned - sort of reflective. I think he's realizing he has been pushing all this too hard, and if he'll go back to the original approach he'll do better. All that really counts is that he make a few good big moves - the rest then will fade away.
    • Handwritten diary entry (JPG)

  • 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 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-3529 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3529-01A-03A, President Nixon greeting the 1970 Teacher of the Year, Johnnie Dennis. 5/19/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Oval Office. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis and children.

    Roll WHPO-3530 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3530-02-10, President Nixon meeting with Henry Ford, President of the Ford Motor Compant and Special Consultant Charles B. Wilkinson. 5/19/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Oval Office. President Nixon, Henry Ford, Charles B. Wilkinson.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-3530-03, President Nixon meeting with Henry Ford, President of the Ford Motor Compant and Special Consultant Charles B. Wilkinson. 5/19/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Oval Office. President Nixon, Henry Ford, Charles B. Wilkinson.

    Roll WHPO-3531 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3531-03-17, Henry Kissinger at a speaking event. 5/19/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Press Area. Henry Kissinger.

    Roll WHPO-3532 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3532-02-03, President Nixon meeting with Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker and Assistant Henry Kissinger. 5/19/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Oval Office. President Nixon, Mr. Bunker, Dr. Kissinger.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-3532-06-10, President Nixon meeting with Judge McIntyre Faries and Mrs. Faries. 5/19/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Oval Office. President Nixon, McIntyre Faries, Mrs. McIntyre Fairies.

    Roll WHPO-3533 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3533-01-05, President Nixon meeting with Kurt Georg Kiesinger, former Chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany and Assistant Henry A. Kissinger. 5/19/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Oval Office. President Nixon, Chancellor Kiesinger, Dr. Kissinger.

    Roll WHPO-3534 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3534-04A-11A, White House Diplomatic Reception Room. 5/19/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Diplomatic Reception Room. none.

    Roll WHPO-3535 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: Color

    • Frame(s): WHPO-3535-02A-23A, Presentation of the National Teacher of the Year Award to Johnnie T. Dennis. 5/19/1970, Washington, D.C. White House Red Room and Blue Room. Pat Nixon, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis, U.S. Commissioner of Education James E. Allen, Jr.

  • 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.

    C - First Lady

    • WHCA-SR-C-042
      Remarks by Pat Nixon at a presentation of the Teacher of the Year Award. (5/19/1970, Blue Room, White House)

      Runtime: 1:30

      Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by RRS (Bob Schroder, WHCA engineer)

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

    H - White House Staff Member Recordings

    • WHCA-SR-H-181
      Press briefing by Ronald Ziegler, Russell Train, Murray Weidenbaum, and Mayo regarding the Economic Message. (5/19/1970, Press Center, White House)

      Runtime: 28:00:00

      Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media, press secretary

      Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by DAS (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-3729
      "The Merv Griffin Show" - Sarah McClendon, White House correspondent. Senators Robert Packwood and J. William Fulbright.
      NBC, ABC
      Runtime: 00:21:06
    • WHCA-3733
      Weekly News Summary.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 0:20

      1. Report on the Budget. Time Code Start: 01:10. Keywords: reports, economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money, wages, costs, unemployment, prices, payments. Network: CBS.

      2. Report on the Budget. Time Code Start: 03:06. Keywords: reports, economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money, wages, costs, unemployment, prices, payments. Network: ABC.

Context (External Sources)