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May 20, 1969

Introduction

This almanac page for Tuesday, May 20, 1969, 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 19, 1969

Next Date: Wednesday, May 21, 1969

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.

    Addresses and Remarks

    • National Multiple Sclerosis Society (5 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 722, May 20, 1969)
      Remarks of the President, Daniel J. Haughton and Shirley Temple Black at the Presentation of the Society's Hope Chest Award to the President.

    Appointments and Nominations

    Meetings With Foreign Leaders

    News Conferences

    • Meeting With the Minority Leadership (5 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 719, May 20, 1969)
      News Briefing by Representative Gerald R. Ford and Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler Following a Meeting With the President.

    Proclamations

    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.

    • President Thieu of the Republic of Vietnam and President Nixon have agreed to meet at Midway Island on Sunday, June 8, 1969. Because of the trip, President Nixon will be unable to deliver the commencement address at Ohio State University on June 7. He will be represented there by Vice President Agnew.
    • The President has named Maj. Gen. Patrick F. Cassidy, USA, for assignment as Commanding General of the I Corps group in Vietnam and nominated him for the grade of lieutenant general.

    Nominations Submitted to the Senate

    Does not include promotions of members of the Uniformed Services, nominations to the Service Academies, or nominations of Foreign Service Officers.

    • JOHN N. NASSIKAS, of New Hampshire, to be a member of the Federal Power Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 22, 1970, vice Lee C. White.
    • WILLIAM E. Amos, of Maryland, to be a member of the Board of Parole for the term expiring September 30, 1974, vice Homer L. Benson.
    • LANE DWINELL, of New Hampshire, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Agency for International Development.
    • WADE H. BALLARD, III, of West Virginia, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia for the term of 4 years vice Milton J. Ferguson.
    • HAROLD S. FOUNTAIN, of Alabama, to be United States Marshal for the Southern District of Alabama for the term of 4 years vice George M. Stuart.
    • GEORGE L. TENNYSON, of South Dakota, to be United States Marshal for the District of South Dakota for the term of 4 years vice Leonard T. Heckathorn.
    • The following-named officer under the provisions of title 10, United States Code, section 3066, to be assigned to a position of importance and responsibility designated by the President under subsection (a) of section 3066, in grade as follows: To be Lieutenant General MAJOR GENERAL PATRICK FRANCIS CASSIDY, 032809, Army of the United States (brigadier general, United States Army).

  • 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.

  • 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 20.

      Announced the Thieu meeting at Midway this morning. President really furious because Washington Post had leaked the story - especially because our agreement with Vietnam was for simultaneous release. He said he hadn't reacted to other leaks, but this endangered national security and was serious.

      He's now banned White House communication with the Times (for their editorial yesterday regarding the Nixon Foundation related to the Fortas case and for their coverage on the Cambodian bombings); the St. Louis Press Democrat (for Ottenad's inside story on Administration problems, pure phony); and the Washington Post (for today's leak). Says won't tell Ziegler or anyone his plan about Chief Justice announcement, to avoid leak.

      As last few days, had me in for several long talks ranging over personnel and PR, more of the process of getting ready for what's to come. He's in a very introspective kind of mood. Mad for a little while this morning, then right back on course. Same line of discussion regarding need for really strong overall PR man - and the TV problem.

      Did a film statement for Rebild, and used tile TelePrompTer for the first time. Went pretty well, but I don't think he'll ever use it on TV.

      Discussed need for a game plan regarding Chief Justice and he told me it would be Burger. Went over some ideas on how to get most mileage - hard to do and still keep secrecy until last minute. Ehrlichman and I discussed later and will develop further. Very important.

      While home writing this at 10:00, he just called me back to office "to go over a few things." He was there when I left, but I didn't check out.

      It's now midnight, just returned from an absolutely fascinating two hours with the President in the Oval Office. Walked in, he was pacing the floor in blue velvet smoking jacket puffing on a cigar. Said he'd decided to really dramatize the Chief Justice announcement. Move it up from Thursday to Wednesday, and do it in East Room with whole Cabinet - on live TV at 3:00. Have Ziegler announce to press at 11:00. I suggested 7:00 for prime time. President agreed. We talked on and on, about the new Chief Justice, the plan for announcing, etc. Called Mitchell at the Iranian Embassy to have him come in first thing in the morning to discuss plan. He'll have to speed up his tax and security checks - but says he can. Once again, President comes up with the right answer, after we all struggle with it.

      He rambled on about the kind of Justice Burger will be, etc. Had me bring in Who's Who, and read his, as well as Burger's. Just wanted to sit and talk, like the good old days when he was picking a VP and a Cabinet. Also went over the Klein, Rogers, etc., stuff, the need for a TV man, etc. And the plans for building up the Thieu meeting, and hope for a major announcement at the end. Hope it all works out.
    • 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-1095 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1095-01-07, President Nixon standing by his desk, shaking hands with Michigan Senator Robert Griffin. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Oval Office. President Nixon, Robert Griffin.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-1095-01A, President Nixon standing by his Oval office desk shaking hands with Michigan Senator Robert Griffin. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Oval Office. President Nixon, Robert Griffin.

    Roll WHPO-1096 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1096-03-06, Setting up of a photo shoot near the portrait of President Nixon. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Cabinet Room. Joseph King, unidentified photographer.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-1096-07-11, Joseph King standing by his portrait of President Nixon. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Cabinet Room. Joseph King, unidentified photographer.

    Roll WHPO-1098 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1098-02-06, President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon greet King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium at their arrival under the North Portico of the White House. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, North Portico. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, King Baudouin, Queen Fabiola, Emil Mosbacher, Mrs. Emil Mosbacher.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-1098-04A, President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon greeting King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium upon their arrival under the North Portico of the White House. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, North Portico. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, King Baudouin, Queen Fabiola.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-1098-07-12, President Nixon and Pat Nixon with King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium on the Grand Stairway stairs leading to the Grand Hall. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Grand Stairway. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, King Baudouin, Queen Fabiola, Emil Mosbacher, Mrs. Emil Mosbacher.

    Roll WHPO-1099 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1099-03A-08A, President Nixon and Pat Nixon with King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House North Portico and Grand Staircase. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, King Baudouin, Queen Fabiola.

    Roll WHPO-1100 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1100-02A-35A, President Nixon receiving a bronze "Hope Chest" from Mr. D. J. Haughton, President of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Shirley Temple Black, Silvia Lawry, and other Society representatives. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Roosevelt Room. President Nixon, Shirley Temple Black, D. J. Haughton, Silvia Lawry, unidentified guests.

    Roll WHPO-1101 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1101-01A-13A, Gerald Ford and Ron Ziegler at a microphone during a press briefing. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Roosevelt Room. Gerald Ford, Ronald Ziegler.

    Roll WHPO-1102 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1102-04A-18A, President Nixon receiving a bronze "Hope Chest" from Mr. D. J. Haughton, President of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and other Society representatives. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Roosevelt Room. President Nixon, Shirley Temple Black, D. J. Haughton, Silvia Lawry, unidentified guests.

    Roll WHPO-1103 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1103-02A-04A, President Nixon and Pat Nixon greeting King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium upon their arrival at White House. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. North Portico, White House. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, King Baudouin, Queen Fabiola.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-1103-05A-10A, President Nixon and Pat Nixon with King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium upon their arrival at White House. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. North Portico, White House. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, King Baudouin, Queen Fabiola.

    Roll WHPO-1104 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1104-03A-14A, Formal portrait of President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon with King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium, at the Grand Stairway stairs, leading to the Grand Hall. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. Grand Stairway, White House. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, King Baudouin, Queen Fabiola.

    Roll WHPO-1105 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1105-02, 04-30, Head and shoulders portrait of Christopher DeMuth. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. unknown. Christopher DeMuth, unidentified woman.
    • Frame(s): WHPO-1105-03, Portrait of unidentified woman. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. unknown. Christopher DeMuth, unidentified woman.

    Roll WHPO-1106 Photographer: Atkins, Oliver | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1106-01-16, President Nixon and Pat Nixon meeting with artist Joseph King and viewing his portrait of Nixon. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Cabinet Room. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, Joseph King.

    Roll WHPO-1111 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1111-, Gerald Ford and Ron Ziegler at a press briefing. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Roosevelt Room. Gerald Ford, Ronald Ziegler, press photographers.

    Roll WHPO-1112 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1112-, President Nixon receives a bronze 'Hope Chest" from D. J. Haughton, President of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, Roosevelt Room. President Nixon, D. J. Haughton, Shirley Temple Black, Sivlia Lawry, unidentified Society representative.

    Roll WHPO-1113 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-1113-, Luncheon in honor of Belgian King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola. 5/20/1969, Washington, D.C. White House, State Dining Room. unidentified guests.

  • 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.

    H - White House Staff Member Recordings

    • WHCA-SR-H-026
      Remarks by Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig, and Helmut Sonnenfeldt at a NATO briefing; OFF THE RECORD: NOT FOR RELEASE. (5/20/1969, [None listed])

      Runtime: 1:15:00

      Keywords: Briefings, public briefings, statements to the press (see also Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media)

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

      Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
    • WHCA-SR-H-027
      Remarks of Davis, H.R. Haldeman, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Henry Kissinger, and Herb Stein to staff members of Fortune Magazine; OFF THE RECORD: NOT FOR RELEASE. (5/20/1969, White House Family Theatre)

      Runtime: 85:00:00

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

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

    P - Formal Presidential Remarks

    • WHCA-SR-P-690522
      Remarks by President Nixon on Accepting the Hope Chest Award of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (opening Multiple Sclerosis Campaign), with Daniel J. Haughton, Shirley Temple Black. (5/20/1969, Roosevelt Room at the White House)

      Runtime: 4:02

      Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
    • WHCA-SR-P-690523
      Remarks by President Nixon on 4th of July Rebild Festival. (5/20/1969)

      Runtime: 2:37

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

Context (External Sources)